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The weight of an aircraft and its balance are extremely important for operating an aircraft in a safe and efficient manner. When a manufacturer designs an aircraft and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies it, the specifications identify the aircraft’s maximum weight and the limits within which it must balance. The maximum allowable weight is based on the surface area of the wing, and how much lift it will generate at a safe and appropriate airspeed. If a small general aviation airplane, for example, required a takeoff speed of 200 miles per hour (mph) to generate enough lift to support its weight, that would not be safe. Taking off and landing at lower airspeeds is certainly safer than doing so at higher speeds. Where an aircraft balances is also a significant factor in determining if the aircraft is safe to operate. An aircraft that does not have good balance can exhibit poor maneuverability and controllability, making it difficult or impossible to fly. This could result in an accident, causing damage to the aircraft and injury to the people on board. Safety is the primary reason for concern about an aircraft’s weight and balance. A secondary reason for concern about weight and balance, but also a very important one, is the efficiency of the aircraft. Improper loading reduces the efficiency of an aircraft from the standpoint of ceiling, maneuverability, rate of climb, speed, and fuel consumption. If an airplane is loaded in such a way that it is extremely nose heavy, higher than normal forces will need to be exerted at the tail to keep the airplane in level flight. The higher than normal forces at the tail will create additional drag, which will require additional engine power and therefore additional fuel flow in order to maintain airspeed. The most efficient condition for an aircraft is to have the point where it balances fall very close to, or perhaps exactly at, the aircraft’s center of lift. If this were the case, little or no flight control force would be needed to keep the aircraft flying straight and level. In terms of stability and safety, however, this perfectly balanced condition might not be desirable. All of the factors that affect aircraft safety and efficiency, in terms of its weight and balance, are discussed in detail in this chapter. Need and Requirements for Aircraft Weighing Every aircraft type certificated by the FAA, before leaving the factory for delivery to its new owner, receives a weight and balance report as part of its required aircraft records. The weight and balance report identifies the empty weight of the aircraft and the location at which the aircraft balances, known as the center of gravity. If the manufacturer chooses to do so, it can weigh every aircraft it produces and issue the weight and balance report based on that weighing. As an alternative, the manufacturer is permitted to weigh an agreed upon percentage of a particular model of aircraft produced, perhaps 10 to 20 percent, and apply the average to all the aircraft. After the aircraft leaves the factory and is delivered to its owner, the need or requirement for placing the aircraft on scales and reweighing it varies depending on the type of aircraft and how it is used. For a small general aviation airplane being used privately, such as a Cessna 172, there is no FAA requirement that it be periodically reweighed. There is, however, an FAA requirement that the airplane always have a current and accurate weight and balance report. If the weight and balance report for an aircraft is lost, the aircraft must be weighed and a new report must be created. If the airplane has new equipment installed, such as a radio or a global positioning system, a new weight and balance report must be created. If the installer of the equipment wants to place the airplane on scales and weigh it after the installation, that is a perfectly acceptable way of creating the new report. If the installer knows the exact weight and location of the new equipment, it is also possible to create a new report by doing a series of mathematical calculations. Over a period of time, almost all aircraft have a tendency to gain weight. Examples of how this can happen include an airplane being repainted without the old paint being removed, and the accumulation of dirt, grease, and oil in parts of the aircraft that are not easily accessible for cleaning. When new equipment is installed, and its weight and location are mathematically accounted for, some miscellaneous weight might be overlooked, such as wire and hardware. For this reason, even if the FAA does not require it, it is a good practice to periodically place an aircraft on scales and confirm its actual empty weight and empty weight center of gravity. Some aircraft are required to be weighed and have their center of gravity calculated on a periodic basis, typically every 3 years. Examples of aircraft that fall under this requirement are: 1. Air taxi and charter twin-engine airplanes operating under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 135, section (§)135.185(a). 2. Airplanes with a seating capacity of 20 or more passengers or a maximum payload of 6,000 pounds or more, as identified in 14 CFR part 125, §125.91(b). This paragraph applies to most airplanes operated by the airlines, both main line and regional, and to many of the privately operated business jets. |
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