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Mathematics and flight...

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JasonG

Registered User
What is the importance of mathematics for a Naval Aviator and how much is it stressed in flight school. I understand there is alot of basic mathematical computations involved but I wonder if there is a correlation between college math ie. calculus and flight school.

I posted before that I was a poli sci major and others mentioned that I should perhaps minor in math but I dont need it, nor would I enjoy it. Statistics and college algebra is all I need but if you guys (thos who are pilots) say I need it then I will take one semester of intro calc or whatever is reccomended.

Thank you very much guys for your time.

Best wishes,
Jason
 
kmac

kmac

Coffee Drinker
pilot
Super Moderator
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Basic geometry and vector math (true airspeed and wind to find ground speed/track) are all that I've seen. Calculus is not even required. That being said, I've noticed that the technical major folks do better at aerodynamics and other classes despite the fact that those classes are dumbed down quite a bit. Knowing why something works a certain way is more important than calculating exactly how it performs (ie, aerodynamics). I was a general (systems) engineering major and wished I saw more math here! Yeah okay maybe not.
 
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PilotCPB

Registered User
I'm going to make a wild stab here.... I am not a Naval Aviator, and I am at least two years from even pursuing a comission. I am instrument rated and will get my commercial license in about a month. I have been flying planes longer than I have been driving cars. I am a math klutz; I struggle with it and constantly embarass myself with it, but aviation math always came to me easily. Everything I deal with is either a ratio or a chart. There are TONS of charts! I have some older friends who flew in the USN and the USAF, and in the outdated pubs they showed me, it was more of the same... multitudes of charts. There are charts for everything in aviation, mainly in the aircraft performance and weight/balance categories, but they're evrywhere else too. Just my 2 cents...
Chris
 
Machine

Machine

Super *********
pilot
None
Site Admin
Easy mental math is really all you need. It gets a little anal in Advanced when you're figuring out ETAS and stuff like that, but you have a whiz wheel and a calculator.

When you fly, you'll be expected to do some basic mental math. How much altitude am I going to lose over a certain distance (when should I start a descent)? Given my current fuel state and burn, am I going to make it there? Given my gross weight, what's my loiter speed? And perhaps, given my airspeed, what's my turn diameter for a SRT?

All this is very easy to do, so as long as you can add, subtract, multiply and divide, you shouldn't have a problem. I can't remember doing any calculus in flight school, and I'm not doing it now.
 
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Eagle1

Registered User
JasonG-

As a double major in polisci and history I can tell you from personal experience that you have nothing to worry about in respect to any percieved lack of mathematical knowledge because of your major.

I know exactly where you are coming from: at this time two years ago I was wondering how I was going to survive in flight school. I think the most difficult math problems I had solved during college either involved determining how many quarters I needed to take down to the laundry room for three loads of t-shirts or how many pitchers of beer I could buy with a $20.

As it turns out aviation math is really no different. All of it is based in the practical application of math- not the abstact theorems taught in college. Leave acing the Aero test in API to the engineering majors- just get an 82, pass it (the scores don't count anyway), and fly the best landings imagineable in the T-34. You'll come out ahead.

As far as math in Advanced ground school goes, three words: GET THE GOUGE. And bring a good calculator.

Best of luck, and don't waste your time with a minor in math.
 
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JasonG

Registered User
As always I get much assistance from you guys when I need. Thanks a whole lot guys and remember m= mx + b ;)

Best regards,
Jason
 
K

Kraftwerk

Registered User
I've got five fingers on the right and five on the left, amazing how you can solve pretty much everything by counting your digits. It also helped for me to put a really BIG "L" and "R" on my gloves. Flight school taught me, (a mech engr.) to scwhag everything!

K
 
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