Author: John Cox, Special to USA TODAY

John Cox answers questions about whether pilots can request a different runway than the one assigned and how they train to fly into new airports.

Captain John Cox explains what it’s like to switch back from Daylight Savings Time as a pilot as well as common causes for smoke in airplane cockpits.

While it may seem silly to fly a nearly-empty plane, airlines do it anyway because the flight needs to be somewhere the next day or to move cargo.

Can pilots choose not to fly the Boeing 737 Max once it returns to service? Captain John Cox runs down their options in his Ask the Captain column.

Captain John Cox fills you in on why pilots sometime burn off fuel before landing and why there often seems to be turbulence at some airports.

Captain John Cox explains where the power to run seat-back screens and reading lights come from. Plus, when we will we have noise-canceling cabins?

This week, Ask the Captain tackles passengers who slow down evacuations to grab their carry-ons and use their cellphones during takeoff and landing.

On long flights, what does the crew do to avoid boredom after the flight computer has taken control of the aircraft?

How are cargo holds configured in aircraft? Are there separators or some other device such as nets used to restrain the items?

Some airports have speed limits but more often airplanes willhave a limitation in the flight manual for maximum taxi speeds.