Odd aircraft queries:

John Cox  Special for USA TODAY

We will not be in­cluding names of those who sub­mitted the questions. You will understand why.

• Q: When flying to China or Australia, does the plane fly upside down? With Earth be­ing round, it would seem that it would at some point.
         A: The airplane stays oriented exactly the same no matter where it is around the world. Just as people standing on the ground in North America and Australia view up and down the same way being oriented to the ground.
• Q: Why do planes fly over oceans?
         A: Because over 70% of our planet is covered by water.
• Q:   Can   commercial  jets hover? When I'm driving I see them hover by and just sit there for a few moments.
         A: Commercial jets don't hover.
• Q: Does the pilot have to take   Earth's   rotation   into takeoff/landing calculations?
         A: No, that is not considered.
• Q:   I   think   that   aircraft should have a transformation program that turns the air­craft into a boat to be able to land on water.
         A: The transformer idea is fic­tion, not fact.
• Q: Golf balls supposedly fly farther because they have dimples. Has any airplane skin ever been dimpled to re­duce drag?
         A: I have never heard that.
• Q: Could the disappearance of MH37O be alien abduction?
         A: Because I have never seen any proof of aliens, my answer would be no.
• Q: I have a pilot's license, can I fly the airplane the next time I travel?
         A: No.

Cox is a retired airline captain and runs his own aviation safely consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.