So, as someone who convinced herself that she isn’t afraid of flying — using a little method I came up with (read it, maybe it will help you too): I imagine a plane as a car, and all the plane’s jumps as bumps on the road.

Most of the time, this trick actually works for me. But it really depends on my emotional state, you know? When something in life makes you anxious, that anxiety tends to spill over into other areas, too. So I asked myself: what is really bothering me? And then I realised — I just want to know how it all works. (Hello, my need to control everything!) Is rain okay for the plane? Is lightning okay? What exactly is turbulence?

I wanted simple answers — not from the internet, but from a real pilot I know. A living human being.

So I did it. I asked my friend, Captain J, a former pilot who spent many years flying for a well-known airline, all the silliest questions I could think of — the ones I have always secretly wanted to ask.

— Have you ever been afraid of flying?

— No, never. I wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to get on aeroplanes, and I loved every moment of being a passenger. I was fascinated by the whole experience, the sounds, the feeling of takeoff, even just looking out the window. So for me, flying has never been something to fear. It has always been something I was drawn to, and eventually, it became the career I had dreamt about since childhood.

— What happens if an aircraft is struck by lightning?

— It can look dramatic from the cabin, but modern aircraft are designed for it. The aeroplane essentially acts as a Faraday cage, which means the current from the lightning strike flows around the fuselage and exits without affecting the inside. For the pilots, it is usually a non-event.

After landing, engineers will inspect the aircraft for small entry or exit marks, but it is almost always superficial. That said, we avoid storms whenever possible, not because lightning itself is an issue, but because thunderstorms can also bring turbulence, hail, and windshear close to the ground. Avoiding them keeps flights smoother and maintains the strongest safety margins.

— Why are flights sometimes delayed because of the weather?

— Every aircraft has operational limitations, things like maximum crosswind, visibility, or runway conditions, which are tested and certified when the aircraft is built. As pilots, we always make sure we stay comfortably within those margins.

Thunderstorms are a good example. If a storm is over the airport or in our immediate flight path, it can produce windshear close to the ground. We train extensively to handle windshear, but the best solution is often to wait, because thunderstorms move quickly. A short 15-minute delay can drastically increase both passenger comfort and safety margins.

We would never intentionally put the aircraft or passengers into a situation where the safety margins are reduced, especially when simply waiting ensures a safer, smoother flight.

— Can two planes get too close to each other? How is that prevented?

— In normal operations, no. Air traffic controllers keep us separated by altitude and distance. On top of that, every modern airliner carries TCAS: Traffic Collision Avoidance System.

TCAS is an independent system built into every commercial aircraft. It doesn’t rely on air traffic control. Each TCAS system constantly interrogates and “talks” to all the other aircraft around it, exchanging position and altitude information in real time.

If another aircraft comes too close, TCAS gives clear aural warnings in the cockpit;loud and impossible to miss. If the situation escalates, it issues commands (“Climb! Descend!”) along with visual flight-path guidance on our displays. Both aircraft are given opposite instructions, ensuring separation.

It is one of the most trained manoeuvres for airline pilots; we practice it regularly in the simulator. The instructions take priority over everything else, and we react instantly. It is an extremely robust safety net that has prevented countless potential conflicts before they ever became a problem.

— What do air traffic controllers actually do?

— They are the conductors of the sky. They sequence takeoffs, landings, and traffic flows so that everyone stays safe and efficient. We communicate with them by radio using clear, standardised phraseology that leaves no room for confusion. Increasingly, we also use digital data link messages, like a text system between cockpit and control centre that reduces radio congestion and makes instructions crystal clear.

— What usually causes plane accidents?

— Accidents are extraordinarily rare, and when they do occur, it is almost never because of a single issue. It is usually a chain of smaller events lining up together. Aviation calls this the “Swiss Cheese Model.”

To break those chains, pilot training has evolved. Over the last 10 years, we have moved into Evidence-Based Training (EBT). Instead of endlessly repeating textbook drills, we now train using real-world global data, focusing on the scenarios that have actually challenged pilots. That means our training is sharper, more relevant, and always evolving as the industry learns.

— Can pilots get lost?

— No. Between GPS, flight management computers, radio beacons, and air traffic control, we always know exactly where we are. Even if every modern system failed, pilots are still trained in traditional navigation techniques. Getting “lost” simply isn’t part of commercial flying.

— Do pilots hear it when passengers applaud after landing?

— We can hear it faintly through the cockpit door, yes. It is always nice, and we know it means people enjoyed the flight. For us, though, landing is just one step in a structured process, and our focus immediately shifts to checklists and shutting the aircraft down safely. But still, it is a kind gesture, and it definitely puts a smile on the crew’s faces.

— Why do passengers have to switch devices to aeroplane mode?

— Transmitting devices can cause background noise in the cockpit radios. Switching to flight mode eliminates that. The rule is simply about removing even the tiniest possibility of distraction in communication.

— What about birds? Are they a problem for aircraft?

— Bird strikes are a known part of aviation, and we are well prepared for them. They tend to happen at low altitudes, during takeoff or landing, because that is where birds fly. Aircraft are tested and certified to withstand single-bird impacts, and most strikes cause little to no damage at all.

The rare cases that involve multiple large birds, like the well-known US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River, show why procedures and training matter so much. The crew responded exactly as trained, and everyone walked away safely.

Airports also invest heavily in wildlife management using patrols, radar, and deterrents to keep birds clear of runways. And if a strike does occur, we follow set procedures, and the aircraft is always inspected by engineers before returning to service.

— What exactly is turbulence?

— The easiest way to imagine turbulence is like driving over bumps in the road, but in the sky. It is just moving air currents that make the ride less smooth. The aircraft itself is built to handle it without any problem at all; it is designed and tested for far more stress than turbulence will ever produce.

— Can turbulence be avoided?

— Avoidance is always our top priority. We use weather radar, reports from other pilots, and now even real-time turbulence data shared automatically between aircraft to steer around rough air whenever possible. But the truth is, not all turbulence can be seen or predicted. The kind we call Clear Air Turbulence often happens in perfectly blue skies with no warning, and it can sometimes be the most sudden and severe type.

— Can turbulence cause an accident?

— It is extremely unlikely. Modern aircraft are built to handle turbulence loads many times greater than what we experience in flight. What turbulence can cause are incidents like injuries if someone isn’t wearing a seatbelt, or unsecured items (like a galley cart) being thrown around. That is why we always encourage passengers to keep seatbelts fastened, even when the sign is off.

— Why do some clouds feel bumpy and others don’t?

— Think of clouds as different types of road surfaces. Some are like smooth asphalt, thick but steady. Others are more like cobblestones, with currents rising and falling inside them that move the aircraft around. That is why one cloud can feel completely smooth and another can feel like rolling over potholes.

— Do pilots hand-fly the plane, or is it mostly autopilot?

— Both. We hand-fly takeoff and landing. During a cruise, the autopilot does most of the work; it actually flies with more precision than we can and helps save fuel. Just as importantly, it reduces our workload, so we can focus our attention on other safety-critical details like monitoring systems, weather, fuel, and navigation.

But autopilot only does what we program it to; it never “decides” on its own. We are always in command.

— What if an engine stops working?

— Modern airliners are designed to fly safely on one engine. Performance is reduced, but we can still climb, cruise, and land normally. Pilots train for this constantly in the simulator under strict procedures, so it is not an emergency we aren’t ready for; it is something we are well-practised in handling.

— Planes are checked before every flight — what does that involve?

— Every flight gets a thorough walk-around by the pilots, plus detailed checks by engineers. We look at tyres, wings, engines, lights, and hydraulics, to name a few — everything you would want checked before lifting off. It usually takes 20–40 minutes.

Even small issues are taken seriously. Aviation uses the Minimum Equipment List (MEL), which spells out exactly what has to be working and what can be deferred. If it is safety-critical, the flight doesn’t go until it is fixed. If it is something minor, like a galley oven, we can still depart.

— Is takeoff and landing more challenging than cruise?

— Yes, they are more dynamic phases with higher workloads, faster changes in speed and altitude, closer to the ground. That is why we are at peak focus during those times. Cruising is the easiest part, but takeoff and landing are the most hands-on and rewarding parts of flying.

— Why shouldn’t people be afraid of flying?

Flying is, by far, the safest form of transport humanity has ever created.