Pilot’s Diary- Day 2

I skipped the second day. I’m not sure if I did it because I was demoralized by the first day or just because I had a material’s issue.

So, in the next session (3^rd) I said to myself “ c’mon Lidia, you can do this. You’ve accomplished so many other obstacles in the last years; numbers are not there to stop you but to be understood” – My dyscalculia was scared! – I put myself together and got ready.

I was about ten minutes late; so the whole class was interrupted by my arrival; same people, different Professor.

I was preparing myself to be anxious again… but, this time I forced myself and there my math was back.

Understanding the reasoning behind the equations was a huge difference.

 

See, as a pilot; I need to know the weight of the airplane in the empty mode; with the fuel, with people, without people… etc. So we can determine the possibilities for take-off, landing, distances and so on.

It all clicked to me when the graphics made sense on why I needed to know all that… the wind, altitude, temperature, etc.

All that playing a crucial part on the process to learn.

 

I can sincerely say now that I feel guilty for all those times I was bored on a plane waiting long periods just to take-off; or somehow upset when the plane had to take an extra tour before landing. Whatever the delays are, are there just for safety reasons. Of course I knew that and I was never the one complaining; but now I fully understand and I have grown more respect to all those pilots that took me home safe! –Did you know that the seat you have been assigned to is because the airplane needs you exactly in that position to balance the right weight in order to land or take-off successfully? How many of us simply jump into a different seat without even consulting the crew if we can do that or not? Same thing is with extra baggage and so on. Aren’t you the kind of person that complains when all flights are cancelled for weather conditions? Well my friend; stop complaining. Better get there late than never. These calculations are made in advance with the data collected from booking and then updated just before take-off; meaning that any single and tiny change to it, it can literally influence a different outcome.

 

I’ve learned to love Math at last but my advice will be that all airplane passengers around the world should be more grateful with their assigned pilots.

 

Gotta love the Belgians; the always clap after landing in appreciation of a safe trip!