FlyHigh423

Hi,

I was just wondering how difficult aviation is in general. I'm not really naturally smart, I just have a really hard work ethic. Btw I have a 3.6 G.P.A. in High School. I'm descent in math (get B's) and really good in science. I was wondering how challenging flying is in general. How hard is ground school? How hard are the concepts of flying to master? Could an aviation degree be compared to an engineering degree in difficulty? Thanks!

P.S. I'm going to be a senior in H.S. and plan on going to Kent State for aviation!

SaltyDog

FH,
Welcome aboard. The concepts aren't difficult. Study is important, you will never learn it all though. Most of us learn new stuff even after decades of flying. Things change so one should always be learning anyway.
Would recommend a degree in engineering over any aviation degree. Engineering is more practical for the real world. If you want to be a pilot, you will learn whatever you will need just going through the educational proces of earning your certificates.
Stand by for some really negative posters coming yout way, they delight in stealing dreams because they quit the pursuit. It is a really nasty disease <g>
It does have its challenges though.
To get through them, I was partial to this Calvin Coolidge quote:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

Good luck!

kalyx522

i think most pilots are average joes when it comes to intelligence, so dont worry that you're not "naturally smart." i hate how every kid nowadays thinks he or she is so smart just because their mom told them every day how special they were. i think becoming a pilot takes determination, hard work and persistence above any "natural smartness."
and no, an aviation degree is not comparable to an engineering one. alls i had to take was 2 semesters of calculus and physics, my engineering roommates toiled every day and night for all their courses for all 4 or 5 years.
but that's really not relevant, because you're probably going to have 98% of the people here tell you not to get an aviation degree anyway. yeah, DONT TO IT.

PearlPilot

I was so bad in Math in high school. The highest level of Math I took in college was up to College Algebra. I majored in liberal arts and I have had no problems thus far in my journey of attaining the PPL. No aviation is not difficult in a sense that you needed to have excelled in College Calculus 3. All you need is a little bit of passion and you will actually enjoy doing the "Math" of aviation. It is a lot of fun and I am sure you will enjoy it. It is a great feeling to sit in the cockpit on your first XC and successfully be able to calculate based on your ground speed and distance, how long it would take you to reach your destination. Welcome to the wonderful world of aviation. No it is not difficult, just a lot of fun. There is so much to learn however, so you just got to keep learning.

AirWillie

It's not so much that aviation is hard, it's the nature of the job that is difficult. You will not get any more real pressure and stress in a job as much as you will flying airlines etc. If they say driving a car is a privilege not a right, imagine the responsibility that comes with driving an airplane especially for hire. Every minute, every corner people are out to get your license taken away from you. It's a self regulating business that will chew you and spit your out in a second if you are not careful. I would also definitely have to say the last several years the sacrifices we make for the job have started to out weigh the benefits. People are quitting flying everyday as a profession because for so many quality of life is more important than the view at 40000ft.

mmaviator

[quote=AirWillie;629364]It's not so much that aviation is hard, it's the nature of the job that is difficult. You will not get any more real pressure and stress in a job as much as you will flying airlines etc. If they say driving a car is a privilege not a right, imagine the responsibility that comes with driving an airplane especially for hire. Every minute, every corner people are out to get your license taken away from you. It's a self regulating business that will chew you and spit your out in a second if you are not careful. I would also definitely have to say the last several years the sacrifices we make for the job have started to out weigh the benefits. People are quitting flying everyday as a profession because for so many quality of life is more important than the view at 40000ft.[/quote]

there are too many variables to make a great career out of flying. you can do it but the bold above is what a lot of pilots are doing and saying.

Cubdriver

FlyHigh, aviation degrees are not as useful as engineering degrees. You would be well-advised to attempt getting an engineering degree if you are fairly competent in math and science as you say. The salaries are generally better, and the opportunities are wider than in professional flying especially at the lower levels. As you progress through engineering school you can take flying lessons on the side and get your ratings. Then after 5 years you will have both an engineering degree and all your flight certs, minimal debt for training, and your future will be very bright.

-Cub

tomgoodman

I recommend that you don't specialize too narrowly, too early. A lot of people are unhappy with their current job, even though it is in the aviation field. One possible reason is that, lacking a broadly marketable degree, they had to take the first flying position available in order to pay the rent. Then, with leftover debt and no cash cushion, it became difficult to give up their seniority and change airlines. With a solid engineering or business degree, they would have been more free to wait for an industry improvement and obtain a better pilot job in the first place.

ebl14

Excellent advice, don't paint yourself into a corner with the aviation degree. This is a setup to a great aviation career, it is always nice to have options, espicially the one to walk away.

Wheels up

Walk away from aviation. Get a real job that pays enough to raise a family.