Do You Need to Study Calculus in your Aviation Career?

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Do You Need to Study Calculus in your Aviation Career?

I remember when I was in college getting my degree in flight technology. Back then everything was so fresh and new. College was new and exciting and you pretty much took everyone’s word about what you needed with your education. I wanted to be a professional pilot so I majored in that and worked my way through it. As I look back on my aviation career, I see things that were required to take in school that I have had very little use for.

I remember several courses giving me a hard time, economics one and two and calculus. It’s funny hearing my kids talk today about classes they are taking that they think are stupid and that they will never use in their careers. Now I am inclined to agree with them despite what current day educators are trying to create in regards to courses that make a well rounded individual. I don’t know about you, but two courses of economics just does not make much sense to me. I get the logic, but it seems to me that a well thought out course on personal finance would be so much better.

Once you graduate most people have no idea how to make or maintain a basic budget and keep their head above water at the student level. Most college students are use to being poor and the concept of “elasticity of demand” does not do much to help you when you graduate and become a flight instructor.

So, Why Calculus?

Calculus was also required to get my degree and I remember asking myself why in the world do I need to take this class. It’s been 30 years since I got my bachelor’s degree, 25000 flight hours later and four type ratings, never once did I call on calculus to help me fly a plane. In fact the more I think about it, the more perplexed I get about what we really need in aviation prep verses what is offered.

Some things make perfect sense: classes in hydraulics, electrical systems and aerodynamics have all come in handy, but others seem to follow in the lines of "tradition" in regards to a degree.
So how do we solve these degree requirements? My kids are currently in college and part of me wanted to urge them to create their own custom degrees and think outside of the box. Take or create courses in practical matters that are not only interesting but actually help you in your pursuit of your chosen field. The problem most college students have no idea what they want to do for a living so they end up taking some of these general courses. If you are going to get any type of advanced degree, calculus is usually in there. If you are not good at math, then chances are you will have to take a couple of Algebra classes to get ready for calculus.

The Math That Actually Matters for Pilots

So what kind of math do you truly need in the cockpit? Thankfully, you won’t be solving integrals or drawing parabolas at 35,000 feet. The day-to-day math in aviation is refreshingly basic—stuff you probably learned before you even set foot in a college lecture hall.

First and foremost, pilots mostly rely on straightforward arithmetic. That means being comfortable with your basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You’ll use these all the time—calculating fuel consumption, adding up weights, subtracting from totals, figuring out time en route, or adjusting for things like baggage and cargo. Think back to elementary school, not grad school.

A little geometry comes in handy too. Pilots need to understand how different headings affect a flight path or interpret how distances on a chart translate to real-world movement. No need for compasses and protractors—just the ability to make sense of shapes, angles, and how things line up on a map.

Trigonometry isn’t something you’ll use daily, but it does earn its keep when figuring out wind correction angles or setting up for a challenging crosswind landing. These days, technology like Garmin or ForeFlight apps do a lot of heavy lifting for you, but it helps to know what’s happening behind the scenes in case you ever need to work something out manually.

Algebra sneaks in occasionally, usually when you’re trying to solve for an unknown—maybe fuel needed for an alternate airport or computing speed adjustments. This isn’t advanced stuff: it’s your basic “find x” situations.

Perhaps most valuable of all is being quick and confident with mental math. The faster you can crunch simple numbers in your head, the better off you’ll be—especially when a controller gives you unexpected vectors or a thunderstorm pops up on your route and there’s no time (or hands) for a calculator.

In the end, while there’s plenty of fancy math flying around the world of academia, the cockpit is still mostly ruled by the basics. If you can handle quick everyday numbers, you’ll do just fine.

Out of the box Ideas

So how would you prepare for your aviation career if a human resources genius was not involved and decided all pilots need degrees to fly for a living? There is one argument that stands out in why some airlines require degrees. The mere fact that you showed up somewhere four years in a row and checked all the boxes shows that you are dependable and focused. However the gap between when you graduate college and when you have enough flight time to make it to your first airline is fairly large, so it does not make much sense. Here are some of my ideas:
Possible Classes to add for an Aviation Career
1. Personal Finance. As previously discussed early but with an emphasis on how to plan for retirement and some basic concepts of investing including compound interest. This would be extremely helpful after you finally get your career figured out and pointed in some better paying flying jobs.

2. How to be influential. Forget psychology and sociology, learning how to speak to people, inspire people, how to mentor and influence people because of your aviation background is sorely needed. People are amazed by aviation and it is inspiring all by itself. I can’t tell you how many people introduce me as a pilot like it’s an accomplishment they had something to do with personally. It’s is an impressive field and we can do a lot of good with the credibility. Unfortunately, there are a lot of entitled jerks out there that need a wake up call. In my opinion every kid that gets on an airplane should have the chance to visit the cockpit and be inspired whether they go into aviation or not.

3. Ethics. This really should speak for itself.

4. Aviation career safety. I actually took this course in college but it in no way prepared me for actual flying events. Sure you can study out accidents and how not to be in one, which is good, but how about pressure? Pressure from management to fly in weather that is marginal? Pressure to fly airplanes that may have some questionable maintenance items. How about flying for companies that have questionable maintenance reputations to begin with?

5. A foreign language. If you live in the USA, and you learn Spanish, you will instantly have a tactical edge over other pilots. Not all parts of the world speak English and many of the emerging nations are Spanish speaking nations. Accents can be tough to decipher, air traffic controllers have a hard time with your accent as well. Being able to whip out some Spanish in times uncertainty is amazing. It also helps immensely on the ground when overnighting in a Spanish speaking country. You will be amazed at how many Latin countries are excited about the fact you can speak their language and that you enjoy their cuisine.

6. Nutrition. Everyone should know the basics of nutrition. What is good for you and what is not seems to elude most people. Pilots have to eat in airports most of the time, which does not usually lend itself to the best food. While your young it seems ok, but as you get older, it is not.

7. Effective Study Habits. Passing a check ride used to be a jeopardy event, studying for one can be challenging. I found over the years that getting a new type rating or passing a check ride always goes in steps. Studying evolve over time and you have to find a effective way to make it work for you. Believe it or not it can be taught. Anxiety is usually the major blocking factor to good study habits.

Summary

One other point before closing that has become very clear. A lot of airlines have dropped their requirements for a college degree. The massive pilot shortage is not going to get better anytime soon. The pilot supply chain is always limited by how fast someone can get their ratings AND gather the minimum hours needed to apply to an airline or corporation. In my opinion this is a very good thing. In fact you maybe be able to stretch this out to five years from this writing and go from start to getting hired in less than five years. Many training companies offer this type of program already which gives merit to skipping college. We have a detailed article on this very subject of choosing a degree for a pilot, here.

As you can see advanced math or calculus is not really part of the modern equation to getting hired today. Do you have a thought or subject? If so, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

FAQ'S

What Types of Math Do Pilots Actually Use?

If you’re getting the sense that advanced math like calculus is more an academic hurdle than a cockpit necessity—you’re not alone. In actual, day-to-day flying, pilots lean on much more practical math skills. Let’s break down what you really need.

Everyday Math for Pilots

As a pilot, the majority of the math you’ll use day-to-day falls squarely into the basic category. I’m talking about good old addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Think about it—calculating how much fuel to add, subtracting weights to stay under maximum takeoff, or dividing total distance by groundspeed to guesstimate arrival time.

Geometry’s Role

Next up, geometry. Spatial awareness is a big deal, especially when you’re lining up for approach or visualizing how your aircraft moves through the airspace. Understanding shapes, angles, and how different objects relate to each other comes up more often than you’d expect.

A Dash of Trigonometry

There is a sprinkle of trigonometry—nothing too terrifying. You’ll use it calculating wind correction angles, figuring out how crosswinds affect your landings, and sometimes in navigation. No need to dust off your high school trig book though; these days, apps and E6B calculators (the Flight Computer kind, not the behemoth from HP) will do the heavy lifting for you.

Mental Math Matters

Don’t underestimate mental math. Pilots are constantly estimating—double-checking times, distances, fuel burns, and even squaring numbers in their heads on the fly. It keeps your workload manageable and your mind sharp, especially when you don’t have time to dig through your bag for a calculator.

So while you can safely leave your calculus textbooks on the shelf, a solid handle on basic math, applied geometry, and practical trigonometry will serve you far better from training flights to full-on airline ops.

Why is it important for pilots to practice mental math?

The Value of Mental Math for Pilots

But here’s something you will absolutely use in your cockpit: old-fashioned mental math. Sure, you’ll have calculators, flight computers, and the ever-present iPad loaded with apps from Garmin and ForeFlight at your fingertips. Still, there’s no substitute for being able to crunch the numbers in your head when things get busy or something isn’t adding up. The most famous of them is the 3 to 1 rule. You will use this everyday when calculating how long or far it will take you to descend or climb to an altitude.

Whether it’s quickly estimating fuel burn, calculating headings, or figuring out descent rates, strong mental math keeps you sharp and able to catch errors before they become problems. Plus, when technology fails you—and it will happen—it’s your ability to do quick calculations on the fly that makes you the kind of pilot others want to fly with.

How do pilots perform necessary calculations?

Doing the Math: Pilots and Calculations

So, how do pilots actually crunch the numbers when it matters? Having spent more hours in the cockpit than in a math classroom, I can say with confidence that you won’t see pilots wrestling with integrals or derivatives mid-flight. Instead, most of the math we need is the simple sort—think old-school addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Modern flight training puts much more emphasis on skills like understanding weather, radio communication, airspace regulations, and emergency procedures. Flight planning software (hello, ForeFlight and Garmin) or a flight management systems do the heavy lifting for most calculations these days. You input your data, hit a button, and voilà—there’s your ETA, fuel burn, or crosswind component, all without a scrap of scratch paper in sight.

That said, the ability to do quick mental math is still a superpower when you’re up in the air. While digital tools are helpful, sometimes you’ll need to estimate fuel, time, or weight in your head but most guys will jot it down on the back of a paper release or some sort of scratch paper. (printer paper)

Being a pilot is all about being resourceful—using the right tool (whether it’s your brain, a calculator, or flight software) for the right job. And trust me, pilot math rarely requires anything scarier than what you learned in high school.

More posts on the subject of math in your aviation career

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Here is a good video from Mentor Pilot that more or less talks about math and aviation.