Is it ethical to submit to a journal if I know the editor-in-chief?
There are no ethical concerns about submitting. If there are any ethical concerns, they are completely on the other side. The editor should make some arrangements so that people are treated fairly in the interest of good scholarship. The normal way would be for them to pass all decisions about your paper to someone else.
Editors know a lot of people. Being named an editor shouldn't close out opportunities for those you know and have worked with. But care should be taken so that the process is fair and transparent.
Stepping aside also avoids the possibility that you will blame your &quot;friend&quot; if the paper isn't accepted.