Originally Posted by
EDLB
That would result in a huge pilot shortage. Today you can be happy if those questions can be answered with the use of a pocket calculator.
Ballpark mental arithmetic was necessary in the slide rule time, because it did not give you the decimal magnitude.
SA and having the „big“ picture or at least some idea to analyse a situation or measurement is difficult to teach. And still you learn every day something new.
But I don‘t think that the median intelligence deteriorated a lot. It is more the problem of your memory that glorifies the past.
So you are told to descend to FL180 to be level 20 before **** . Are you saying that you would get a calculator out? Even programming the FMS takes time which could result in a late descent. A quick mental calculation while looking out of the cockpit; - do I need to go down now then start descent and programme FMS on the way down or; I do not need to descend now so programme FMS first.
My grandson is thinking of becoming a pilot and I am instilling in him the necessity to practice and practice and practice his mental arithmetic. If he makes any calculation using a calculator then he must do a mental gross error check. For instance when buying fuel in US Gallons and then converting to Litres/KG and Pounds it is all too easy to get the digit in the wrong place.