Numbers versus Words

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I majored in journalism for a number of reasons. First and foremost, was my fear of math. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered in order to fly, I still had to understand and deal with numbers…

What is the point of being a writer? Why do we write? Why does a professional writer endure the loneliness and hardships of putting words to paper? What is the reason?

Rest assured there are as many reasons as to why we write, as there are individual scribes.

My reasons are simple. One, I am compelled to leave something behind on this earth after I am gone. Secondly, I have this urge to express myself, educate others, and tell stories. And third, I like to explain things in as simple a way as I can.

For example, there is the lift equation. Pilots use this information every time they fly. Airline passengers find themselves subjected to the equation at the invitation of their pilot and first officer. However, teaching a student pilot how to use the lift equation during a landing – well, now, to quote the Mayor of Oz, “That is a horse of a different color!”

I know everyone understands that L = 1/2 rho V(squared) Cl S right? In other words, lift equals ½ rho where rho is the density of the air times velocity squared times the coefficient of lift (Cl) times the wing area (S) of the airplane. Trust me, most pilots don’t understand this either.

That is why I like to break this down into the simplest form. When I explain lift to my student pilots, I show them this equation and ask, “Can you do anything about the density of the air? The answer is no. Can you change the speed of the aircraft? Yes. What is another word for Cl? The coefficient of lift, or angle of attack on the wing (how much you push or pull on the stick). And can you change the wing area after you have configured the aircraft for landing? No.

This basically breaks down the equation into the simplest form which is much easier for student pilots to understand: lift equals speed times the angle of attack of the wing. At this, most student pilots have their “Aha!” moment.

I think you have to agree, looking at the equation this way makes the equation much easier to understand than its mathematical expression.

Go ahead, make my day! Throw me some more equations and I will also turn them into simple explanations with words.

It is one of the things this writer does…
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