– PTB, New Hampshire Yes, most do keep a log of the flight time (that is how pilots are often paid), the city pair and the aircraft number. When flying a large fleet of airplanes, I would not say pilots have a “favorite” per se, but there are some airplanes with handling characteristics that you take note of. As an example, we had a 737 that had been damaged in a hard landing incident many years ago. It flew slightly sideways and require more trimming than the newer airplanes. When you boarded that airplane, it was worth remembering the unique characteristics. John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.