.
.
.

Dear FlyerTalk Members:

I am very happy to announce the launch of the brand-new ASK THE PILOT website...

HTTP://WWW.ASKTHEPILOT.COM

The new site is entirely different -- and vastly more informative -- than the original ATP site. Where the original was mostly a promotional tool for my book and column, the new one is designed as a free resource site for frequent flyers, nervous passengers and world travelers, with a scope and content unparalleled anywhere on the Web or in print.

He said, modestly.

The site is organized into seven, topically arranged and easy-to-navigate chapters of frequently asked questions covering virtually every concern and curiosity that a flyer might have, from the technical aspects of how planes fly to discussions of the safety and service cultures of the world's airlines.

A second section features a wide selection of essays, stories, and memoirs drawn from my personal experiences and my columns at Salon.com.

The basic format is adapted from my book, which was published in 2004, but the text has been fully updated and greatly expanded. Approximately 70 percent of the content is new and virtually all of it has in some way been revised.

Why I did this is a long story. My publisher decided against moving forward with an adequately revised second edition of ASK THE PILOT, which I thought was a terrible and foolish idea. So, I revised the book anyway, expanded it considerably, and the results are yours to savor, free and online.

Yes, I sell t-shirts and ball caps, but this is not a commercial site. My primary aim is to inform, and to address the many myths, fallacies, and other misinformation perpetuated by the media and urban legend.

I hope you'll drop by...

HTTP://WWW.ASKTHEPILOT.COM


Best regards,
Patrick Smith
.
.
.