DO PILOTS Need MATH And PHYSICS? The Real ANSWER

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Welcome back to my channel guys! In this video I explain different reasons why you have to have a basic (!) understanding of Math and Physics when you want to become an airline pilot. I will tell you about the ATPL subjects which contain calculations and I will share a couple of formula's you will face during your flight training. Apart from that I will share a few examples of calculations an airline pilot makes on a daily basis.

Examples of actual questions of the ATPL Subject Mass & Balance:

Question: The mass and balance information gives: Basic mass: 1 200 kg ; Basic balance arm: 3.00 m Under these conditions the Basic centre of gravity is at 25% of the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC). The length of MAC is 2m. In the mass and balance section of the flight manual the following information is given : Position Arm. front seats : 2.5 m, rear seats : 3.5 m, rear hold : 4.5 m, fuel tanks : 3.0 m. The pilot and one passenger embark; each weighs 80 kg. Fuel tanks contain 140 litres of petrol with a density of 0.714. The rear seats are not occupied.Taxi fuel is negligable.
What is the position of the centre of gravity at take-off (as % MAC)?
Answer: 22 %

Question: Determine the Take-off Mass for the following single engine aeroplane. Given : Standard Empty Mass : 1764 lbs Optional Equipment : 35 lbs Pilot + Front seat passenger : 300 lbs Cargo Mass : 350 lbs Ramp Fuel = Block Fuel : 60 Gal. Trip Fuel : 35 Gal. Fuel density : 6 lbs/Gal.
Answer: 2799 lbs

Question: What is the DOM? The basic empty mass of an aircraft is 30 000 kg. The masses of the following items are : - catering: 300 kg - safety and rescue material: nil - fly away kit: nil - crew (inclusive crew baggage): 365kg - fuel at take-off: 3 000 kg - unusable fuel: 120 kg - passengers, baggage, cargo: 8 000 kg
Answer: The Dry Operating Mass = 30 665 kg

[nthoang]

I got average of 6 in math and physics back in high school, never good at them, never understand shit.

I'm now doing ATPL systems with no trouble understanding.
As long as you have common sense understanding of stuff around you in life, don't sweat about the marks, you'll get it if you receive the sufficient training and stick with it from the start of your aviation training

[eUK]

I think this video could unnecessarily put some aspiring pilots off. On a day to day basis I do very basic maths... the only time you need to learn a bit more is when doing your ATPL exams. In the real world it's very minimal.

[TheMarcodiator]

I'm a train manager and we also have to know a lot of math to calculate the weight of the train, the power of the breaks and how much breakpower the train needs to end up in the correct position on the platform.
I can only imagine how much pilots need to know math!
Keep up the good work! ;)

[saqibhussain]

It’s “easier” than you think.If you have an idea about basic physics and can do multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. Congratulations! You’re half way there to be a pilot. All the best.

[lesselp]

All that computing power on a plane and you have to use a pen and paper for calculations ? Damn.

[leftyzappa]

Respect! As someone who just realized I want to become a pilot last Monday, the math and physics is the most terrifying part about this whole process (besides the money). This won’t stop me. Looks like I’m going to need to take math and physics courses. My least favourite subjects. But I finally have a REASON to use them. Thank you Dutch Pilot Girl!

~Marc
Austin Tx.

[zaizai]

Dutchpilotgirl you make me more inspire becoming a pilot someday even though im not good at math. There is nothing impossible with God! I would go for it, and I know that I can!

[agostonbazmajer]

I did some digging to find the exact descriptions and in my country there's one university program that offers to teach the required theoretical knowledge up until the ATPL exam. This is the exact description for the subject in question:

[Math 1.]
"Combinatorial concepts. Permutation, combination, variation. The concept of a complex number. Algebraic and trigonometric form. Complex numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square root) operations. Vectoralgebra. Operations with vectors. Scalar and mixed multiplication of vectors. Matrix salculation. Matrix addition, subtraction, multiplication. Base transformation variant I. and II. Linear programming. Standard and modified normal LP problem. Real number sequences. Monotony and boundedness of sequences. Limits of sequences.
Theorems for sequences. Operations with sequences. Series. Convergence of series. Convergence criterias. Absolute and conditional convergence. Operations with series. Geometric series.

[Math 2]
"Properties of a function, limits. Differential calculus, difference quotient, elementary rules of differentiation. Taylor formulas, Maclaurin formulas. Studying the graph of a function. Integral calculus, concept of primitive function, Techniques for indefinite integrals, integration of rational functions. Definite integral of real-valued functions. Newton-Leibniz formula. Limits. Applications of integral calculus, area, volume and rectification calculation. Centroid. Differential equations:homogeneous and inhomogeneous first-order linear equations. Second-order differential equations. Probability theory: properties of probability measure. Conditional probability, law of total probability, Bayes's theorem. Random variables, discrete random variables, absolutely continuous random variables, probability distribution function, probability density function, the description of probability density function, expected value and its properties, variance and its properties, independence, covariance, Well-known discrete distribution and continuous distributions: Laws of large numbers. The bases of mathematical statistics: random sample, sample mean, sample median, sample variance, unit area histogram (for density estimate). Statistical tests."

The physics part is what to be expected, electronics, engineering level mechanics, optics, wave theory, thermodynamics, and physical chemistry. This may vary based on where you do your courses, but I expect it to be more or less in line with the aformentioned requirments.

[maksim]

If you fly at h=33, 000 ft and you want to descent to destination at a slope angle a=3°, you must do: tg(a) = h/d. Then you must start your descent at a distance from destination d=h/tg(a). h=about 10 Km. Then d = about 190 Km = about 102 nm. So you must start your descent about 102 nm before destination. And your vertical speed will be vs= v*tg(a). So if your ground speed is v=250 kt, then vs= about 13 kt = about 1, 300 ft/min. Of course, the faster your ground speed is, the faster your vertical speed is (if the slope angle stay constant). When I played my favourite videogame (fs), I didn't do any calculation and diveded height into 3 to determine the start of descent at a vertical speed of 2000 ft. For example, if h=36, 000 ft, then start of descent d=120 nm. And it worked greatly. Of course, "it worked greatly" ON A VIDEOGAME (I underline: "VIDEOGAME"). :-)

[luntbanzi]

You don't need maths and physics to be an airline pilot. You just need the basics of maths and physics, you will only go through it in your CPL and ATPL really. Other than that no stress I've been to a flight school and I don't have maths or physics yet I "CAN" be an airline pilot, you do not neccesasily need those subjects they make your training easy let's just say that. Everything is taught and you will be shown everything

[josepablolunasanchez]

Planes are all about physics. One interesting case study is what happened with Kara Hultgreen's F-14 Tomcat. The F-14 Tomcat is a beast to tame, a very dangerous airplane that is given only to the best pilots for a reason.
Kara was flying F-14A variant which had a crappy engine. The F-14 has 2 engines and she was approaching the carrier. She was turning left and she overshoot the ILS centerline, so she tried to yaw and she had excess yaw, which caused a compressor stall, so she had asymetric thrust which adds rotation around vertical axis. What did she do? She engaged afterburner, making the rotation even worse.
Instead of using rudder to compensate rotation, she used the control column making things worse, AoA went too high, her left wing stalled and right wing lift rotated the plane. Copilot (RIO) pulled the ejection seat, and 0.4 seconds her seat ejected pointing below horizont and she did not make it.
The compressor stall happened literally at the worst possible moment.

The recommended steps to avoid her situation were:

Set a 10 deg pitch atitude on waterline without increasing AoA above 14 units
Rudder - opposite roll/yaw supplemented with lateral stick
Both throttles as required for positive rate of climb
Landing gear up (to reduce drag)

Even knowing what needs to be done, actually doing that in the simulator is tricky. If there is a compressor stall of an engine during final approach, with cross winds (to make it harder), it would worth practicing that in the simulator. It seems a bad situation and quite a challenge to solve.
It seems that keeping AoA under control in the first instant is key. Immediately after, rudder, the throttle for climb and instants later landing gear. Is it the same in your plane? Your plane should not be like that F-14A beast and you will not be landing on a carrier, and yet it seems an interesting scenario to practice as an intellectual exercise of physics in the sim. To me it looks like the most difficult and delicate scenario, aside of losing hydraulics and landing with engines only.

[jaydenchand]

It's not just about the algorithmic side of things it's also about the ability to control a plane

[Murica-ghbg]

I knew there was math and physics but I just didn't know the complexity/difficulty. If anyone could give me an example of the type of math that would help a lot. I just want to know what to expect because I'm not good at math at all. I hate it.

[jeffrelf]

Something about a woman who's this Gorgeous and Intelligent gives me chills...

[justsomebody]

"Math and physics are very easy to learn."
Me: yes you bet its easy gurl

[aerronjinxx]

If you're Malaysian and haven't graduate from SPM you might read this


1.if you're science-side student you need to tackle the physic and get atleast B+
2.if you are not a science-side student you need to tackle general science and get atleast A-

others requirement (atleast)
1. Maths B
2.English B (A would be even better if you are willing to)
3.BM B
4.And last but not least 2 credits on other subject

[samtjoe]

Pfff, below average on my math or physics and never had any issues on the line over the last 20 years of flying.

[lafaeklafaek]

You are a brave woman...the world needs a brave woman like you...well done.

[iiAngelic]

HOLY SMOKES, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY IG QUESTION!

[pauljoe]

Delivering your response with confidence reflects well on your personality and also shows you're genuinely proud of your accomplishment to your life and gives you something to look back and be proud of. Aman Goris you can't deny the power of your accomplishment that made your life worth living. DutchPilotGirl lead the way Hooah!!!