The maths required for a PPL is minimal. I'd say an average 11 year old would not struggle with the kind of maths we use in the cockpit for GA. A good sense of spatial awareness and an understanding of compass bearings is the only prerequisite. The same is mostly true of the maths required for a commercial pilot, though I do think educational levels have sunk so low that I would amend my advice to substitute the words 'well-educated' for 'average' when talking about basic maths required for piloting a commercial aircraft!
It was interesting for me to note, when doing aptitude tests for a well-known FTO and for British Airways entry, that the level of maths expected of me was surprisingly low. Long division and multiplication; simple maths problems involving time and consumption. Following that, on the line I use a fair amount of maths both consciously and sub-consciously everyday but none of it would leave a shopkeeper of days yore behind. What annoyed me is that I was put off a career in aviation when I was a teenager because I was told I needed A-level maths - something to which I am certainly unsuited!
Last edited by Mikehotel152; 29th Dec 2012 at 01:15.
Reason: To add more