How important is weight on an aircraft?

Weight is a major factor in aircraft construction and operation and demands respect from all pilots. The force of gravity continuously attempts to pull an aircraft down toward Earth. The force of lift is the only force that counteracts weight and sustains an aircraft in flight.



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Weight affects the balance point of the aircraft. This is one of the most important points of an airplane because it directly impacts the stability and performance of the aircraft.

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Weight Changes If a pilot lowers airplane weight by reducing fuel, the resulting decrease in the range of the airplane must be taken into consideration during flight planning. During flight, fuel burn is normally the only weight change that takes place.

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A nice rule of thumb for most light aircraft is that a 10% increase in take-off weight will result in a 5% increase in take-off speed, at least a 9% decrease in acceleration, and at least a 21% increase in take-off distance (1).

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In the early days of air travel, Airlines frequently weighed passengers and even crew to properly balance the smaller, less sophisticated aircraft, according to the Smithsonian. Passenger weight can have an impact on another aspect of flying: seat size.

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Yes, a weight and balance issue can be more critical on smaller airplane because a even a small error accounts for a larger percentage of the total weight. A 500-lb. error on an airplane that weighs 5,000 lbs., adds up to a larger percentage of the total weight.

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However, a 2019 advisory from the FAA said airlines can weigh passengers, according to CNBC. “It allows us to have actual accurate and current, up-to-date weights for our particular flight,” Captain Laura Einsetler, a commercial airline pilot with more than 30 years of aviation experience, told NewsNation.

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Most airlines are extremely strict checking your baggage weight and will charge you an outrageous amount of money for over their set limit. If you expect to go over the limit it is cheaper to buy the extra weight when you book the flight online.

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Most airlines will allow you to check one bag and have one carry-on bag. There is normally a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds per checked bag as well as a size restriction. The most common maximum size bag allowed is 62 linear (total) inches.

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Each bag should weigh less than 23KG/50LBS. This is an international regulation set for the health and safety of airport workers who have to lift hundreds of bags daily.

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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane. Special size passengers have little to no choice when it comes to this rule.

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While the weight must be checked, the center of gravity location is of equal importance. The distribution of the passengers in the aircraft is also taken into consideration. Aircraft are not weighed prior to each flight, but the basic empty weight must be known and checked periodically per regulation.

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However, a 2019 advisory from the FAA said airlines can weigh passengers, according to CNBC. “It allows us to have actual accurate and current, up-to-date weights for our particular flight,” Captain Laura Einsetler, a commercial airline pilot with more than 30 years of aviation experience, told NewsNation.

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Operating over weight will cause the aircraft to not meet the climb rates published in POH/AFM data, require longer runway distance for takeoff, lessen single-engine performance in a multi-engine aircraft, reduce glide distance in an emergency, and contribute to poor stablity if a stall is encountered, potentially ...

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As NASA explains, how much lift the plane gets depends on the shape, size, and weight of the airplane as well as the speed at which it is moving. ”Large airplanes have more mass—they weigh more— and, therefore, accelerate slower,” explained Cox. Slower acceleration can result in a lift-off that feels smoother.

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