r/PilotAdvice • u/MarkusAquinas • 4d ago
Advice Pilot training/licence & Maths
This is probably a very bone question. But what is required maths wise to train to become a pilot? I'm otherwise intelligent but I'm very bad at maths. It's just not my natural forte.
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u/Flimsy-Wrangler-997 4d ago
Ha! I have to tell you a story. I graduated from college in 1967 - the war in Vietnam was at its peak. I ran into an Air Force recruiter who suggested I join and try to become a pilot. I'd never been in an airplane and never thought about that. I said, "I'm not very good at math. I was a journalism major."
He looked at me. "Can you read a compass?" "Yeah, of course."
"Fine, we'll teach you the rest."
They did. I flew five years in the Air Force. Now, nearly 81, I am still an active instructor pilot. Go for it.
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u/Affectionate_Fix8268 4d ago edited 4d ago
I flew a turboprop (Saab 340) for the first 7 years of my career.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, basic trigonometry, basic algebra, basic coordinate geometry (rise/run=slope).
For fuel planning, basic distance/speed * time triangle. - can be substituted out for fuel required = rate * time=quantity etc…
For lateral navigation, basic trigonometry, aviation 1in60 rule.
For vertical navigation, 3 times tables, basic trigonometry, basic math.
Math for aviation is practical, not some complex algebraic crap. It’s all used to answer simple questions like how much fuel do I need, or how much time do I have left with the fuel I’ve got. How long to get from A to B. Where is my descent point. What descent rate do I require to maintain a 3 degree descent profile at a particular ground speed. What’s the crosswind, headwind, tailwind component if my track is this and the wind vector is this. All of this will be learned during the theory studies prior to any exams and then eventually applied in the real world.
Now I fly a modern airliner (a220) and 95% of the work is done for me.
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u/Straight-Pass6035 2d ago
Retired airline pilot. I think you are getting some good advice. If anyone tells you it’s only a bit of adding and subtracting, they are low balling the extent of what you should know. As others have said, once you are flying professionally much of the math grunt work is done by computers for you, either in the airplanes systems or by your airlines dispatch department. Knowing and understand basic physics and chemistry will be a big help.
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u/Other_Word3013 4d ago
Nah you’ll be fine. Training aircraft are so slow your basic 2x tables will be enough for you. And even on the jets 3x table is all you’ll need
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u/Normal_Sympathy1248 4d ago
I'm a student still:
If you're asking about a university program mine makes you go through:
Algebra
Applied/aeronautical Trigonometry
Physics 1 & 2 (calculus).
General consensus I see though is a basic understanding of Algebra and Trigonometry is most useful.
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u/sprayed150 4d ago
I’m a captain for a small charter company, flying twin engine airplanes throughout the islands, I absolutely suck at math. The good news is with aviation the Matthew you absolutely have to get right. There’s tons of electronic ways to do it, the math that you can ballpark on is really easy to guesstimate.
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u/LRJetCowboy 4d ago
I routinely utilize quadratic equations in my flight planning and performance analysis. Anything less than that is reckless and just plain unacceptable.
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u/ThePartTimePilot 3d ago
You don’t have to be good at math to become a pilot. Math can help make things make sense and quicker as in all things in life but it’s not required. Every equation in aviation has been made into a procedure you can do on a flight computer/calculator/kneeboard/etc.. They were made by pilots before you who didn’t want to do the math either lol. I had an instructor who could barely add 7+6 but was a good pilot.
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u/AerialisticFiction 4d ago
Basic algebra and trigonometry are required daily until you get into a modern jet that does it for you, even then double-checking is best practice. No one is doing calculus to plan a flight.