School Subjects you Need to Focus

Pilots Of Tomorrow | School Subjects you Need to Focus on to Become a pilot

We all have dreams. Some dream of being a professional athlete, some dream of being a successful musician and some dream of being a successful business person but when it comes to aviation, the ultimate goal is to become a pilot. To fulfill your dream of becoming a pilot, you must be dedicated and committed. In this article, I will guide you through some handy tips that will help you do just that. I as an airline pilot, an expert in the industry, one who has been through such stages, would like to give suggestions, recommendations about such subjects that are must wait for an aviator and why are they needed to be concentrated on

1. Language.

English is a universal language; it is spoken and understood across the globe. English holds excellent value in the world of aviation. I have listed this at the very top because of its importance; if you know this language, then it will allow you to fully understand and implement the knowledge that you will gather over time. When studying in aviation schools, most of the training materials you’ll use will be written in English. Likewise, any written tests/exams you take will also have to be answered in English.

Most airlines have a minimum requirement of level 4 in English. Some may even require level 5 or level 6. During your course at the aviation school, you must achieve the minimum requirement, and if you fail to achieve this, unfortunately, you will not be selected. If you speak English fluently, it will make your life that much easier. This ability will help you to understand and respond to communications or to read and learn about aviation, whatever the case may be.

For quite a lot of people, English isn’t their first language; some are born into it, and some adopt it over time. If you want to improve your English skills, there are many ways in which you can do this. Some tips are:
• Read books – Books are fuel for our knowledge. They are handy sources that inform, entertain or teach us something.
• Use a dictionary – If you are unsure of what a word means or you want to know when the word can be used in a sentence, use a dictionary. If you stumble across a sentence that includes a word that you don’t know. Stop. Look it up in a dictionary, find out what it means then reread the sentence to see if it makes sense, now that you have deciphered what the word means.
• Watch movies/shows without subtitles/translation – This may not be the most efficient tool, but it can be enjoyable. Challenge yourself and train your ears. You may know what a word means but you might not know how to pronounce it correctly. Listen to it, attempt to pronounce it yourself, repeat if necessary.
• Take English language courses. – This is a handy tool, and in the right learning environment, you will remember it better. There are many educational resources available online for free which you can use. You can also book and attend courses in person if you prefer.
• Communicate with friends/family – Communicate with them in English. Speak sentences as you know them and tell your listening family member or friend to stop you when you make an error or when there is an opportunity to use a more suitable word. You can then make notes/corrections and use these for future reference; this will significantly help you in understanding the language better. This exercise will also help you progress from saying words to sentences which will eventually lead to full flowing conversations.

2. Physics.

You do not have to possess scientific knowledge like Einstein in the profession of a pilot. However, you must have basic knowledge because you will be learning about aerodynamics in aviation school. Physics in the world of aviation will require you to know about power and force. Once you have these elements covered, you will have a greater understanding of aerodynamics, and you can apply this knowledge to real-time situations.
During your study sessions, you should concentrate and take many notes about forces that you will learn about such as lift, weight, thrust and drag of an aircraft. It is vital to know about these forces, only then can you progress on to learning about aerodynamics and stability. All modules are equally as important as one another and learning about physics should not be neglected, nor should it be taken lightly.

3. Chemistry.

We may overlook this aspect daily, but chemistry is a part of our daily lives, we don’t acknowledge it. One regular example of chemistry is the weather. What do clouds compose of? How are clouds produced?
Chemistry won’t have to be studied at degree level, but a pilot should be aware of dangerous chemicals they may be carrying in the cargo hold. So sufficient knowledge of chemical reactions should be applied.

4. Teamwork and communication.

A subject that is not linked with the others mentioned so far. To be a great pilot your teamwork and communication skills must be top notch. You will have other pilots working with you, not only that but you will be working alongside the cabin crew who are also your colleagues and so you all have to cooperate.
You can improve these skills by playing sports (involves communicating and working with teammates to achieve victory) or by participating in a group project. Making good use of these skills is essential in the life of a pilot because it will make you an active member of the team.
Concerning this you must expect the unexpected and your communication and teamwork skills will be put to the test if such a scenario occurs during your time flying an aircraft. An example of this is emergency landings. Some severe situations may require you to perform this procedure. You will have to communicate quickly between different personnel and make on the spot decisions, you will receive help from the air traffic controllers, but as the pilot, you will understand the situation better than them because you are experiencing it first hand. It will be your judgment that counts.

5. Geography.

Another critical area of knowledge for an airline pilot. You will continuously be flying to different cities, countries, continents across the world. Since you will be flying to different places every time it is important to know general information about the destinations you are traveling to (Side note: it’s fascinating to learn about different areas and unique features of the places.) Your knowledge should be vast in this subject, and you should pay close attention to learning about the equator, longitude, and latitude.
More scientific aspects of geography include characteristics of mountains, seas/ocean/lakes, etc. because the likelihood of flying over these areas is very high, if not, guaranteed. When flying, you will be using a map/radar, so it is crucial that you know how to read them. E.g., what direction you are traveling, what direction do you need to turn, what direction is the wind speed.
You will also need to be wary of different seasons and climates of countries.

6. Mathematics.

A subject that some of us found daunting in our school years. But, fear not, the job of a pilot does not require you to know about the Pythagoras theorem or algebra off by heart. No, but once again just like physics, it does need basic knowledge. Knowledge of mental arithmetic including, but not limited to: addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. You have to be good with numbers because you will be dealing with factors such as weather, weight, time, altitude, descent rate, take-off/landing distance, fuel capacity, etc.
Most pilots use calculators, but, sometimes a situation may arise where you do not have time to use a calculator and so you will have to result in your mental maths skills. You do not to be precise to a specific decimal point, but you must have a reasonable estimate.
Do not fear numbers, as they can be good allies when you work well with them.

Regardless of what you want to achieve in life, don’t let anyone stop you from chasing your dreams. Failure is not an option. There will be obstacles on your path to success, and it is up to you to overcome these obstacles and reach the summit you always dreamed of. Always stay determined, motivated and study hard because education is your key to success.
Take my advice and always remember it’s never too late to try something new or give something else a go. The more something is out of your comfort zone; the more motivated you’ll be to achieve your goal.

Thank you for reading my article, and I wish all of you the very best of Luck in your future