Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

3 Answers

Hopefull pilot with learning dissability in mathematics…

Asked by: 3837 views , ,
General Aviation

I have been eyeing agircultural piloting for several months now and just finished reading a book "so you want to be a crop duster".

 

I'm in my early 20's and I can say that I want to dedicate my whole life to this career (or should I say lifestyle!).

 

I'm left with 1 question. Since elementery, I remember I was given a special book to do my math from. The rest of the kids did the normal stuff. I'm in college now. finished a 1 1/2 year with a 3.0 GPA. I still struggle with math and don't think I can earn my degree because it's taken me 3 semesters to finish pre algebra 1. I still have to go through  Pre algebra 2, 3, and then college algebra to earn my degree.

I live on my own, have over 50G's in the bank, and have decided to drop out of school, for now. I will pursue this career with a passion instead.

The question: Does becoming an agricultural pilot (going to school, getting license, etc) require any sort of mathematics? I can handle basic math, basic pre algebra, and geometry but nothing beyond. Could someone list or give me a link to sample tests just to see what else is waiting for me so that if theres something I need to improve on, I do so right now.

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    John D. Collins on Nov 05, 2012

    With basic math, you should be able to earn your pilot certificates.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Nathan Parker on Nov 05, 2012

    You should finish your degree. If you don’t do it now, it’s not likely you’ll ever go back. Your career aspirations might change in 10 years, and your new career might require a college degree. Why close off any options to your future self? You can get through your algebra courses, particularly if you get some good tutoring.

    +3 Votes Thumb up 3 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Micah on Nov 28, 2012

    Although math is a good pencil & paper skill, math doesn’t only happen on paper. Math happens all around you, all the time, and chances are you’re probably pretty good at some types of math even though you know you aren’t as good at the pencil & paper version.

    If you’re really bad at every kind of math, you will probably be bad at flying because flying requires the pilot to make decisions (very frequently for a crop duster). But I’m guessing your issues with math may be limited to the textbook variety and shouldn’t necessarily limit your ability to fly an airplane. There is some pencil & paper math involved in flying, but if you can understand why this math is required then you should probably be able to do the calculations without too much frustration.

    Don’t feel bad, some people are the other way around when it comes to math and aren’t any better off for it (for instance, my wife made a A in HS calculus but can’t understand why every probability isn’t 50/50).

    (And I agree with Nathan also: if you get a chance to finish your degree, even if it requires completing some grueling courses you may hate, that’s worth the effort.)

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.