My favorite airplane, airports and more

Question: What kind of planes did you fly for US Airways? Did you fly for any other brands?

— Chet, Oshkosh, Wis. Answer: My airline career began with Piedmont Airlines, which later merged with US Air, which was then renamed US Airways. I was hired in early 1980 as first officer on a YS-11A (a large turboprop built in Japan). In late

1981, I was reassigned to the Boeing 737–200 as a first officer. In

mid-1983, I was asked to become a captain and instructor on a new airplane to the Piedmont fleet, the Fokker F-28. In early 1986, I returned to the Boeing 737 as a captain. I became a captain on the Airbus 320 in 1999 and retired six years later. Q: I know that airline pilots are often certified to fly specific airplane types. What happens to a pilot if his/ her aircraft type is reduced or retired from that airline?

— Sean P. Detroit A: If the airplane a pilot is flying is retired from the fleet, he or she is retrained on a different type of airplane. Pilots usually change airplanes several times during their career. Airplane school is usually four to six weeks of intense study and simulator flights, followed by flying with an instructor for a month to ensure that the pilot is comfortable in the new airplane.

Q: What was your favorite commercial airplane to fly?

— Kirk S., New Jersey

A: That is very hard to answer. Having spent 15 years on the Boeing 737, it will always be one of my favorites. It was a dependable, lovely airplane.

Q: What is your favorite airport? — Rick Geyer, Shawnee, Kan.

A: Do I have to pick one? San Francisco, Washington Reagan National and Seattle are three.

John Cox runs his own aviation safety consulting company.