apptitude for mathematics essential?

[hoopdreams]

Just wondering if propilots require a strong apptitude for mathematics?From what I see you don't need to be a maths professor to fly the things, but Qantas requires their applicants to have this background, but what about other airlines such as VB? Are there math exams when applying for airlines?

[The Bunglerat]

Flying an aeroplane = no.
Getting a job with an airline = yes.

[hoopdreams]

Flying an aeroplane = no.
Getting a job with an airline = yes.

Could u please elaborate on the latter answer. You mean the airlines actually make applicants sit down and do exams in algebra and calculas? From the interview stories I've read, they (airlines) mainly look at the applicant's flying experience and they way he or she responds to questions relating to emegency situations and safety. I've even heard of some airline pilots who have a tertiary background which is totally unrelated to aviation.

[Dookie on Drums]

VB don't make you do any sort of maths exam as part of the interview process. QF just use the aptitude tests as a culling tool that's all.

Believe me , you don't need to be a maths wiz to fly these things :8

[skywest_xr]

You need to have basic maths appitude in order to just get through your P+L and flight planning exams for your ATPL. The maths may be simple, but there are many many numbers that may just confuzzle the S**t out of ya.

If you cant pass your atpl, then you cant even apply for the airlines.

[roger_ramjet]

Classical maths like calculus - probably not. The engineer that designed the plane has already got those bits figured out.

Quick and accurate mental maths does come in very handy however when doing things like constant descent planning, heights in approaches (multiples of 300ft etc), rough fuel calculations enroute, 1in60 calculations, intercept headings etc. It's all pretty much simple addition and multiplication but it needs to be done quickly and often when you don't have much "brain space" left between flying, radios, reading charts etc! There's plenty of books out there on Mental Maths for Pilots if you need a boost.

[Toluene Diisocyanate]

Maths isn't a big deal. Divide by three and mental metric conversions is all that's required. Clearly spelling and vocabulary aren't big winners either, judging by this forum.:} :}

[The Bunglerat]

Hoopdreams, let me clarify my earlier post.

As for hands-on flying ability, math skills at a rocket scientist level has never been a requirement (unless you want to be a rocket scientist). Basic addition/subtraction, multiplication/division is about as hard as it gets.

On the other hand, certain airlines will require you to demonstrate mental abilities that have no practical application whatsoever in a cockpit environment, for no other reason than to cull the number of available applicants from the pool. Admittedly, I've never heard of an airline requiring an applicant to solve trigonometry or calculus problems as part of the screening process, but you'll be asked to deal with number-crunching exercises such as the classic "if two trains depart a station 20 minutes apart, and one is travelling at half the speed of the other, but has only two thirds of the distance to travel..." You get my point? It's not about hard core formulas requiring a mind equal to Einstein, but you need to be able to assess the big picture and to work quickly through such problems - specifically multi-part problems where, in order to obtain an answer, you have to perform numerous sub-calculations on other data contained within the question before you can get the answer required to correctly answer the main question. Thinking back on when I did the Qantas skills & psych tests, by the end of the day's proceedings my brain was reduced to slush from the constant bombardment of questions. You could have asked me what 2+2 is, and I couldn't have given you a straight answer! Not that it ever would have made the damndest bit of difference to my flying skills, but it's just one of those things you have to submit to if you want to be a part of the team.

Does that clear it up for you?

[goforgold]

I am a new poster to prune, but an interesting q.

Aptitude testing? What does it really mean? A way to just cut down applicants??? Ive completed a few aptitude tests, successfully who knows? but i got the job so apparently i am aptitudely (is that a word) ok...

Everyone sets standards to bet met so simply one can not whinge or whine about them, one must just meet them, fair or unfair!

Personally i say it should really be about how you fly the plane!

[18-Wheeler]

Maths isn't a big deal. Divide by three and mental metric conversions is all that's required. Clearly spelling and vocabulary aren't big winners either, judging by this forum.:} :}


That's exactly right.
Though I'm very talented - I can multiply by three as well.
:)

[Arm out the window]

I heard a discussion on the usefulness of maths on the radio yesterday, as it happens, and an interesting point that was raised is that an aptitude for mathematical problem solving crosses over into logical thinking and complex problem-solving skills - if you can work at a maths problem that requires such thinking and see your way through the twists and turns, you're probably going to be OK at other kinds of problem solving too, which can be handy in a pilot.
My guess is that this is the principle the airlines and military are looking at when they use maths as a culling tool.
Agree with others above though, simple multiplication, division, percentages etc are all that's needed for flying, plus of course the spatial awareness and problem-solving skills that the education crowd include as part of maths these days anyway.

[wdn]

nor grammar, eh, toluene?

shouldn't it be "dividing by three and mental metric conversions are all that's required"?

:ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: