I rarely read USA Today except to make fun of their charts, but the Ask the Captain series is interesting. Captain Meryl Getline answers reader questions about flying commercial aircraft. The archive titles list only the first question from each column; often there are more interesting ones inside. Ever wonder when pilots use the autopilot? Cabin lights are dimmed during takeoff and landing for safety reasons, so our eyes are adjusted to the dark in case of emergency evacuation. But your windowshades must be up so the crew can see outside. “English is officially the only language used for international air traffic control purposes. But sometimes we hear pilots and controllers talking in their native languages.” And bird strikes are, alas, rather common. (found on Ask Yahoo!)