Jack wrote:

Tom Conner wrote:

Personally, I think the mindset required to master the technical details
associated with learning to fly is similar to the mindset needed to
get an
engineering degree.


I hope not.

Not being an engineer, my perception of what it would involve might turn
me to the law instead. The flying mindset could be related to both, I
suppose, but I am thankful I never had to find out first-hand.

Well, I am an engineer and I don't think it has much to do with learning
to fly. To me learning to fly was more like what I've heard is more
typical with medicine or law - lots of memorization, but little
analytical thinking.

I enjoyed engineering, in particulary math, physics and engineering
mechanics as I only had to memorize a few basic laws and principles and
could derive the rest as needed. When I took chemistry and biology, it
was almost entirely memorization. I found that boring.

Flying was also (other than the manual skills part obviously) all about
memorizing FARS, AIM procedures, etc., and little analytical stuff. The
instrument rating required visualization for situational awareness that
was interesting to me as that was about the closed to engineering that
I've seen during my flying career, but even then much of the instrument
rating was memorizing more FARs, chart symbols, procedures for lost
comm, etc.

I'm curious, what is your perception of what engineering involves?


Matt