Author: John Cox, Special to USA TODAY

Captain John Cox shares the techniques pilots use to stay calm and land the plane safely in the case of an emergency like an engine failure.

Captain John Cox answers reader questions about the conditions surrounding the Feb. 20 engine failure aboard a Boeing 777.

Is it hard for a pilot to use a stick on their non-dominant side? And why can’t cockpit voice and data recordings be uploaded to the cloud?

This week, John Cox shares just how resilient flight data recorders really are and whether pilots recognize planes by tail number.

This week, John Cox clarifies who’s allowed to ride in an airliner’s cockpit jumpseat and whether pilots can tell if your seatbelt is fastened.

This week, Capt. John Cox explains how the emergency oxygen mask system works and how pilots know how much runway is left.

This week, Captain John Cox explains the role of a plane’s horizontal stabilizers and runs down the prohibitive expenses facing startup airlines.

This week, retired US Airways pilot John Cox talks remote landings and why you still have to put your phone in airplane mode when flying.

Capt. John Cox explains a very practical reason why you can’t have your tray table down during takeoff and landing.

This week, retired pilot John Cox answers your question about what that arrival time on your itinerary actually means.