Ask the Captain: Does flying ever lose its appeal?

Question: I'm 38 years old and still have a little sense of awe each time we are about to take off or land.  For the person flying the plane, does it ever lose its cool factor?                  

— Submitted by reader Tony, Phoenix

Answer: It never has for me, even after 45 years. The sight of an airplane taking off or landing always makes me smile. It is definitely “cool.”

Q: What interested you in flying?

— Amy, Florida

A: Airplanes flying over my childhood home fascinated me from my earliest days. They were beautiful and took people to faraway places. I fell in love with them then, and that has never changed.

Q: Captain, tell us your history in aviation, please.

— Gary, Houston

A: I learned to fly at 16 years old in 1970. Continuing flight training, I was a commercial multi-engine, instrument pilot by 18. On my 20th birthday, I was hired as a full-time professional pilot, flying co-pilot on a corporate turboprop. Over the next few years, I advanced to large turboprops and jets. Piedmont Airlines hired me soon after my 26th birthday, in 1980. Thanks to Piedmont’s rapid growth, I was upgraded to captain when I was 29. When Piedmont bought Fokker F-28s, I was part of the introduction team, becoming an instructor.  By 1986, I upgraded to the Boeing 737 and flew it until 1999 when I switched to the Airbus 319/320/321. I retired in 2004 with more than 12,000 hours.

During my time at Piedmont/US Air/US Airways, I was a safety representative for the Air Line Pilots Association and became an aircraft accident investigator and safety advocate.

After retiring from US Airways, I founded an aviation safety consulting firm (Safety Operating Systems) where I work today with airlines, regulators, manufacturers and the media.

Q: What's your favorite aviation movie?

— Mark, Innsbruck, Austria

A: I’m not sure I have a single favorite, here is a short list: Airport, Top Gun, Airplane and The High and the Mighty.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.