Meet the legendary Capt. John Cox

Today, I'm pinching myself as I get to interview the legendary Captain John Cox! He is a veteran major airline, corporate and general aviation pilot, who has flown over 14,000 hours with over 10,000 in command of jet airliners. Additionally, Captain Cox has flown as an instructor, check pilot, and test pilot and is an expert in global aviation safety. He regularly appears in interviews on TV and has won numerous awards and distinctions throughout his career.

It's truly an honor to be able to ask Captain Cox some questions about his career and listen to his advice for young aviation enthusiasts.

Captain Cox, first of all thank you SO MUCH for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. You are a very well-known expert in aviation safety and former airline captain. Could you please tell the audience a little bit about your career path and what motivated you to get into this field?

I learned to fly very young. I soloed at 16, had a commercial, multi-engine instrument by age 18 and was hired onto a Beechcraft KingAir when I was 19 years old. This was for a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. I was very, very fortunate.

After four years there I move to a single KingAir operator for 18 months, then to a Gulfstream I. That was a turning point as I was then flying large aircraft. At age 26 I was hired by Piedmont Airlines, in Winston Salem NC as a First Officer on a YS-11. (Most people have never heard of that airplane!) Just short of two years later I moved to the B737 as a FO. Piedmont bought 20 F-28s from Fokker in the summer of 1983 and I was asked to be part of the fleet introduction team. I never dreamed I would be an airline captain at age 29.

Three years as an instructor, test pilot and simulator instructor was a wonderful experience. In January of 1986, I moved to the B737 as a captain where I remained until 1999 when I moved to the Airbus A320 until my retirement in 2005.

I was asked to join the Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) Air Safety Committee soon after going on the 737 as a captain. I remained a part of the ALPA safety structure until my retirement.

I was ALPA’s 737 technical specialist, worked seven major accidents, became the Central Safety Chairman for ALPA at US Air, and finally Executive Air Safety Chairman for all of ALPA in North America.

In 2005 I retired from US Airways, due to the extreme financial uncertainty that they were experiencing. A group in New York then asked me to come run a start up aviation safety consulting firm: Safety Operating Systems. I have been with them since then.

The consulting world is vastly different from the airline industry, but is important as you can help mold the industry and keep the focus on safety. In that role my visibility in the media increased significantly. I became the NBC aviation analyst and a regular commentator on “Air Disasters/Mayday”.

In 2008 I went back to school for a Masters in Business Administration which I received in 2010, and taught briefly for Daniel Webster College in that program. Since 2007 I have been an instructor at the University of Southern California in their aviation program.

While many of my colleagues have retired, I have not. I think there is more to do and I want to be a part of making aviation safer and better for the incoming men and women. Our passengers expect us to get better while getting safer. That have been my goal since 1970, and remains so today.

You have had such an impressive career path. I have so many questions that I don't even know where to start! You were an airline captain for 25 years. What made you move into the field of aviation safety after that?

A friend of mine was involved in an accident in 1986. Following him through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) process interested me. ALPA realized my interest and sent me to Basic Safety School. I stayed part of the ALPA safety structure until I retired.

Could you tell us more about what your current work entails?

I work with operator, regulators, media, legal and industries outside of aviation to enhance safety. While the airlines have significantly improved safety, general aviation (including corporate) has not had the same level of success. I work with many companies to help them uphold the highest level of safety.

In recent years I have been asked to help some public utilities implement aviation-style safety management systems into their operations. This is a huge undertaking but very rewarding.

I also do some legal expert work, helping lawyers and their clients understand how aviation works.

What do you like most about your job?

Helping make aviation better, is extremely rewarding. I have been doing that for over 50 years and enjoy it as much today as I did as a teenager.

You studied Aviation Safety at the University of Southern California. How useful or important has that been for your career as a captain?

Understanding what has caused accidents in the past can help prevent ones in the future.

Managing safety in something as complex as aviation is challenging, it is down right hard, but very worth it.

As an ALPA safety representative I always felt as I had to be an example for other pilots in procedural compliance, good airmanship, conservative decision-making and knowledge. That made me a better aviator.

What skills and knowledge have been most important for your career in aviation?

It is not good enough just to pass a test or checkride. Too much depends on aviators for just passing to be the goal. You have to do more, much more, you have to learn as much as you can, do the best you can, and gain those skills and that knowledge and apply it wisely. We work in an unforgiving environment. To safely move the aircraft from one place to another we have to be ahead of the challenges, have contingency plans, and possess the airmanship to deal with the unforeseen.

Yes, I understand that. Even just as a beginning flight student, I can feel that weight of responsibility when I fly. What advice would you give young students who would like to follow your career example?

Study hard, and do more than you have to. Fly every chance you get. Be conservative, if it feels wrong, it probably is. Don’t let someone talk you into a place you are not comfortable!

Entry level positions are tough, but the investment is worth it. It is the greatest profession in the world.

Thank you. That is such great advice! In hindsight, if you could do anything differently, what would it be?

That is a hard question: I have been so fortunate and enjoyed my career so much that I would be reluctant to change very much. I probably would have bid onto the 757/767 in hindsight. I missed flying those two airplanes and I would have liked to.

The other thing I would have done earlier was go to Graduate School. That was a wonderful experience and helped me more than I thought it would in business.

What special memory comes to mind from your career journey?

There are many memories, flying up and down the Atlantic coast in the fall on crystal clear days seeing the leaves change from week to week. Seeing gigantic thunderstorms in the Midwest (and being glad we were not near them). The satisfaction of a hand-flown approach to minimums in near-blizzard conditions. The look on a child’s face when they see a parent that you have brought safely home.

It really does sound like the greatest profession in the world! Do you have any final words for young students who are thinking about a career in aviation?

For those of you who see the sky, with a jet contrailing along and think I want to be there….do it! The road is hard, the hours are long, the time away from home is massive…but do it. The rewards are great, and you will be a part of a small number of people that defy gravity for a living.

I love that! Thank you so much Captain Cox. This has been really inspiring and I will certainly take your advice to heart. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

Experiences of a Swiss commercial pilot and flight instructor

As part of my series of interviews with aviation professionals, I have had a chance to talk with Patrick Rasmussen, a commercial pilot and flight instructor from Geneva, Switzerland.

Can you please introduce yourself to the audience?

Hi! I am Patrick. I'm 44 years old and come from Switzerland. I started flying in the US in 1999 and then did a validation in Europe. I first worked as a commercial pilot at a Swiss company that specializes in private aviation for business flights, and flew the Cessna Citation CJ3 during 12 years. Now, I work for the largest commercial Pilatus PC-12 operator in Europe since three years. I've also been a flight instructor since 2010.

So, what motivated you to become a pilot?

I grew up close to the international airport in Geneva, so flying has always been a passion. And I guess I just wanted a cool job, flying and traveling! One of my friends was a pilot, so that also inspired me.

What do you like most about being a pilot?

I'm a fan of the smaller planes. My favorite is the Piper PA-18 Super Cub! It's a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. Landing in the mountains is what I like most.

What would you say to young students who want to become commercial pilots?

Be open to other job opportunities before sitting in the cockpit. There are so many jobs related to aviation and it's important to understand the business. From sales, handlings, luggage etc. It's good to have seen other jobs before working in private/commercial aviation.

And what skill do you think is most important in your field of work?

Common sense!!

Ha! That's a great answer! If you had to pick a different job, what would it be?

Probably something related to building and maintaining client relationships. I am a very social person. I like dealing with other people and inter-personal relations are important to me.

Any special memories that come to mind from your career journey?

Beautiful skies, beautiful night stops with friendly colleagues, and different cultures in aviation.

Any last piece of advice to high school students with a passion for aviation?

Go for it! Enter step by step into the magical world of aviation!

From flying planes and helicopters to becoming a full-time drone pilot

Today, I have the pleasure to interview Edward Kostakis. I got to know Eddie a year ago, when I did an internship at his company Xizmo Media in Brooklyn, NY.

Xizmo Media is a full-service cinematography and drone imaging company that films for live television broadcasts and major motion picture films using drones with cameras. I learned the basics of remote-control operation with a focus on the mechanics and engineering of these devices. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, as we got to film on top of the Empire State Building and on the set of The View.

So, I'm excited to be able to ask Eddie some questions about his experiences in this field of work.

Eddie, thank you so much for your time. Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a little about your career path?

I am a full-time drone pilot and Head of Aerial Operations at Xizmo Media. When I got out of high school, I wanted to become a commercial pilot. I attended an aviation college out on Long Island, but was not able to complete the course for a variety of reasons, but mainly because of money and the political atmosphere at the time, as 9/11 had just happened. I decided to switch my major to video production after having taken a class in Queens College under Prof. Susan MacMillan. Her enthusiasm and passion in teaching the basics of filming and live TV was infectious. I got hooked and never looked back.

That's a big change! You now head a successful company, Xizmo Media. Can you tell us how you started this business?

Xizmo Media started when I met Pablo Barrera in Queens College; my then friend and now business partner. We had a few classes together through the Media Studies program at Queens College and saw that we were very complementary and worked well together. While attending college, I had also joined the Marine Corps. Part of what Pablo and I liked to do together was to volunteer at a homeless shelter downtown in the city, called the Bowery Mission. We would go there every Thanksgiving and Christmas to help in the kitchen or give out toys that I was able to get from the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. By that time, Pablo and I had already set up Xizmo Media as a general production company, but we weren't really getting any work as there are a million production companies in New York and the competition is very heavy. Moreover, we didn't have any real-world experience. One Thanksgiving, while volunteering at the Bowery Mission, a gentleman told us he was setting up a non-profit organization and wanted the emblem of his company to be a picture of the torch of the Statue of Liberty. He told us that he had searched everywhere to find someone to take this picture, but there were only two ways to get it done. One was using a helicopter, but that was too expensive, and the other was hiring a company out of New Jersey that had a remote-controlled helicopter and a camera attached to it. After telling us this, he said "You should do that! You guys need to get into that!". And, well...here we are!

Wow...crazy how a simple conversation like that can change the course of one's life! You are also a private pilot, so what made you decide to pursue a career as a drone pilot instead?

Piloting airplanes and helicopters is a lot of fun and it will never get old for me. I love it more than anything! But there is a different kind of freedom and purpose in flying when I get on the remote control of a drone. The type of shots that I can get are bound only by my creativity and imagination, as a drone allows you to do almost anything. The manned aircraft flying world is bound by so many rules (and rightfully so!); it must be done within certain limits and parameters. I'll always have the mindset of an aviator, but my heart will always be creative.

Drone technology is relatively new, but it is becoming increasingly important in different fields. Some people may ask if being a drone pilot is part of the career fields within aviation or if it is considered a completely different line of work. What is your take on that?

Being a drone pilot is most definitely a career field within aviation with its own category. I would also argue that it is probably one of the most lucrative fields within the aviation industry. Today, there are more drones registered to fly than there are manned aircrafts. Some studies have shown that the drone industry will be a $60 billion industry by 2025. I have a commercial drone pilot that works for my company who used to be a commercial airline captain. Ever since he got into drones, he stopped flying with airlines because he likes doing this more. Drones are most definitely not done carving out their space in the aviation industry. These props just started spinning and they are barely idling. Wait til we start getting some real lift!

Was your background as a private pilot relevant or helpful at all for your work as a drone pilot?

Having a background as a private pilot does help in some ways, but it is not necessary. For example, understanding weather, the importance of wind direction, and having the mentality of efficiency and safety, can go a long way - especially when dealing with television networks. With that said, what can also go a long way is $15,000-$20,000 that you could use to buy equipment for your new business instead of private pilot classes. You also have to weigh out the potential hazards of 'being the one who should know everything'. For example, if I do something with my drone that the FAA has a rule against and I was not aware of it, they can suspend my private pilot license for a certain amount of time, meaning I can no longer fly a plane because of what I did with my drone.

I know you do lots of amazing projects at Xizmo, but what is it that you like most about your job?

No two shots are ever the same. There is always a new challenge, some new creative ideas that come to life or even new regulations that need to be dealt with. I have been fortunate enough to travel all around the world and be paid to film with my drone, which is something I love to do. This job is a constant uphill battle in many ways, and if you know anything about me, you know I like a good challenge. This job challenges me on many different levels on a daily basis.

What skills and knowledge have been most important for your career?

The most important thing is dedication and structure. If you dedicate yourself to fly as much as possible and constantly seek self-improvement, you already have the key to success. Success doesn't happen overnight. There are a lot of things that come before that. If you fly every day, chances are that you will crash your drone, and that's OK! Understanding why you crashed and learning from the experience makes you a better pilot moving forward. Unfortunately, often people give up and no longer want to fly after a crash. As for the filming side, it helps to have a background and understanding of cameras and frame composition.

What is the coolest project you have ever worked on?

I've been able to travel to some of the most incredible places on earth, like Antartica and Africa and work on some truly amazing projects. However, as a New Yorker, my favorite project was filming for the museum on Liberty Island. The museum has three separate rooms with a screen in each one, depicting the history and construction of the Statue of Liberty. My team was asked to get aerials of the Statue of Liberty, which are shown on two of those screens and are viewed by thousands of visitors from all over the world. My business partner and I are both sons of immigrants who came to this country looking for opportunity and a better life, so being asked to work on that project was truly an honor.

That's incredible! It's always so inspiring to be around you and listen to your stories. Thank you very much for sharing these experiences with us!