Aircra&

Weight and Balance

Chapter 4
Weight and Balance Chart
 Weight and Balance
•  The TCDS (Type Cer9ficate Data Sheet) specifies
the range of acceptable weight and center of
gravity
!  Aircra& Specifica9ons pre 1958
•  The pilot must insure that the airplane is flown
within the ranges specified by the TCDS
!  Calcula9ons are made with the fuel at takeoff and at
landing.
•  The job of the mechanic is to measure an empty
aircra& and proved the pilot with the aircra&’s
weight and center of gravity before any load is
added
 Weight and Balance
•  Weight and Balance elements
!  Weight – the weight of an object
•  Pilot
•  Passengers
•  Fuel
•  Baggage/Cargo
•  The aircra& with nothing in it
!  Called the aircra&’s empty weight
•  Measured in lbs for USA aircra&
!  Arm – the loca9on of an object on the horizontal axis
•  Measured in inches for USA aircra&
!  Moment = Weight X Arm
 Weight and Balance
•  Center of Gravity (CG) – The point at which all
the objects are in balance
•  Weight and Balance Calcula9ons
!  Find the weight of every object
!  Find the arm of every object

!  Find the moment of every object

!  Total all the weights to find the total weight

!  Total all the moments of every object to find the

total moment
!  Find the CG = total moment/total weight
Weight and Balance

Center of Gravity?

110”
 Datum
•  Datum – the point along the horizontal axis that
serves as the reference point to measure arms
•  Specified in the TCDS
•  Usually located at the firewall or at the nose of
the aircra&
•  Arms behind the datum are posi9ve
•  Arms ahead or in front of the datum are
nega9ve
!  Example – If the datum is at the firewall, the engine
arm would be nega9ve because it is ahead of the
firewall
 Weight and Balance
•  FAA-H-8083-1 Aircra& Weight and Balance
Handbook
•  Empty weight – the weight of the airframe,
engines, and all items of opera9ng equipment
that have fixed loca9ons and are permanently
installed in the aircra&
!  Permanent ballast
!  Oil and hydraulic fluids

•  CAR (older) – no oil

!  Drain oil or mathema9cally subtract oil
!  Drain fuel to unusable amount
!  No drinking water or lavatory precharge water
 Weight and Balance
•  Empty-weight CG – EWCG – CG at empty weight
•  Maximum allowable gross weight – the
maximum weight the aircra& can be
!  Defined in TCDS
!  May be more than maximum takeoff or landing

weight
!  If you fill all the seats, fuel and baggage; the aircra&

will usually be over maximum allowable weight

•  Useful load = Maximum allowable gross weight –
empty weight
!  Fuel, passengers and baggage
 Weight and Balance
•  Zero fuel weight – The weight of an aircra&
without fuel
!  This is given because some aircra& require a
minimum no fuel load
•  Lever arm - the distance from the fulcrum to an
object
•  Tare weight – the weight of the equipment used
in the measuring process (e.g. chocks and jacks)
!  Tare weight is subtracted before making calcula9ons
 Standard Weights
•  Avgas – 6 lb/US gal
•  Jet A & A-1 – 6.8 lb/US gal
•  Jet B – 6.5 lb/US gal
•  Oil – 7.5 lb/US gal
•  Water – 8.35 lb/US gal
•  Average Passenger (per AC 120-27E)
!  Summer (May thru Oct) – 190 lb
!  Winter (Nov thru Apr) – 195 lb

!  Some FAA documents use 170 lb

 Crea9ng Weight and Balance Info
•  New aircra& are delivered with weight and
balance informa9on
•  You must verify that the weight and balance
informa9on is current at each annual
!  If not, weigh the aircra&
•  Per sec9on 125.91(b), a part 125 opera9on must
reweight every 36 months
!  No periodic recheck requirement for small aircra&
•  A&er an altera9on, the weight and balance
informa9on must be updated if there is more
than an “negligible” amount of weight change
 Crea9ng Weight and Balance Info
•  What is greater than “negligible” per AC 120-27
!  Large-cabin aircra& - +/- 10 lb or greater
!  Medium-cabin aircra& - +/- 5 lb or greater

!  Small-cabin aircra& - +/- 1 lb or greater

•  Determining weight and balance info a&er an

altera9on
!  Weight the aircra&
!  Do a mathema9cal calcula9on

•  No need to reweigh aircra&

•  Informa9on usually comes from STC
 Crea9ng Weight and Balance Info
•  The major source of weight change for most
aircra& as they age is caused by repairs and
altera9ons
!  In reality, it is from all the “junk” le& in the aircra& by
the pilot and repairs
 Weighing an Aircra&
•  Clean aircra&
•  Get down to the “require equipment list”
!  From TCDS
!  Consult all 337s for modifica9on requirements

!  Clean the junk out

•  Secure permanent ballasts (weights) and remove

temporary ballasts
 Weighing an Aircra&
•  Drain fuel
!  Get down to unusable fuel
!  If unable to drain fuel, fill tanks and then

mathema9cally subtract fuel

•  Use a nega9ve weigh of usable fuel
!  (minus) usable fuel in gallons X weigh of fuel per gallon (6 lb/gal
for Avgas)
•  Find the arm for the fuel in the TCDS
•  Fill oil
!  CAR cer9fied aircra& – drain oil (can use math)
•  Fill hydraulic fluids
•  Drain other fluids
 Weighing an Aircra&
•  Move aircra& to a level spot with no wind
•  Roll aircra& on to scales
!  Jacking an aircra& on a scale can cause errors
because the landing gear compresses when lowered
!  Release brakes

!  Remember to use chocks to prevent rolling

•  Level aircra& per TCDS

!  FAA recommends using a spirit level
!  Adjust pressure in nose gear

•  Find datum and transfer to the ground using a

plumb bob
 Weighing an Aircra&
•  Transfer landing gear loca9ons to the ground
!  Use plumb bob
!  Use the center of the wheel axis

•  Determine the landing gear arms by measuring

the difference between the datum and the
landing gear loca9ons
!  Measure longitudinal por9on only
•  Not the direct slant distance
•  Remember to record (+) for behind the datum and (-) for
ahead of the datum
•  Remember to subtract tare weight from
measurements
 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
•  Weight A – Weight 100 lb, arm at 0”
•  Weight B – Weight 100 lb, arm at 40”
•  Weight C – Weight 200 lb, arm at 100”

What is the empty weight and CG

Empty Weight is 400 lb with CG at 60”

(Remember units)
 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
•  Weight A – Weight 100 lb, arm at -100”
•  Weight B – Weight 100 lb, arm at 40”
•  Weight C – Weight 200 lb, arm at 10”

What is the empty weight and CG

Empty Weight is 400 lb with CG at -10”

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
•  Nose wheel – Weight 1,210 lb, arm at 82.5”
•  Le& main– Weight 2,510 lb, arm at 197.5”
•  Right main– Weight 2,515 lb, arm at 197.5”

What is the empty weight and CG

Empty Weight is 6,235 lb with CG at 175.2”

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
•  Tail wheel – Weight 50 lb, arm at 120”
•  Le& main– Weight 800 lb, arm at -11”
•  Right main– Weight 806 lb, arm at -11”

What is the empty weight and CG

Empty Weight is 1,656 lb with CG at -7.0”

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
An aircra& with an empty weight of 1,500 pounds and an
empty weight CG of +28.4 was altered as follows:
1. two 12-pound seats located at +58.5 were removed;
2. structural modifica9ons weighing +28 pounds were made at
+73;
3. a seat and safety belt weighing 40 pounds were installed at
+70.5
4. radio equipment weighing 35 pounds was removed at -8.5
5. Radio equipment weighing 15 pound was added at -8.5
What is the new empty weight & CG?

Empty Weight is 1,524 lb with CG at 30.3”

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
Datum is forward of the main gear center point at 30.24
Actual distance between tail gear and main gear center points
is 360.26 inches
Net weight at right main gear is 8,100 pounds
Net weight at le& main gear is 8,025 pounds
Net weight at tail gear is 645 pounds
These items were in the aircra& when weighed:
1. Lavatory water tank full (43 pounds at +352).
2. Hydraulic fluid (22 pounds at -8).
3. Removable ballast (110 pounds at +380).
What is the new empty weight & CG?

Empty Weight is 16,617 lb with CG at 41.1”

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
Datum is forward of the main gear center point at 30.24
Actual distance between tail gear and main gear center points
is 360.26 inches
Net weight at right main gear is 8,100 pounds
Net weight at le& main gear is 8,025 pounds
Net weight at tail gear is 645 pounds
These items were in the aircra& when weighed:
1.  Full fuel (Avgas) – 50 gal at 50.5” (1.2 gal unusable)

What is the new empty weight & CG?

Empty Weight is 16,447.2 lb with CG at 44”

 Adverse-Loaded CG Checks
•  Adverse-Loaded CG Check – a weight and
balance check for extreme condi9ons
•  From FAA-H-8083-1A
!  If the EWCG (Empty Weight Center of Gravity) is
located within this range, it is impossible to legally
load the aircra& so that its loaded CG will fall outside
of its allowable range.
!  If the TCDS list an empty-weight CG range, and a&er

the altera9on is completed, the EWCG falls within

this range, then there is no need to compute a fore
and a& check for adverse loading.
 Adverse-Loaded CG Checks
•  From FAA-H-8083-1A
!  But if the TCDS lists the EWCG range as “None” (and
most of them do), a check must be made to
determine whether or not it is possible by any
combina9on of legal loading to cause the aircra& CG
to move outside of either its forward or a& limits.
 FAA Ques9on
•  When, or under what condi9on(s) are adverse
loading checks conducted?
!  a. At or below the maximum gross weight of the
aircra&.
!  b. Any9me a repair or altera9on causes EWCG to fall

within the EWCG range.

!  c. At specified flight hour or calendar 9me intervals.
 FAA Ques9on
•  When, or under what condi9on(s) are adverse
loading checks conducted?
!  b. Any9me a repair or altera9on causes EWCG to fall
within the EWCG range.
 FAA Ques9on
•  If the empty weight CG of an airplane lies within
the empty weight CG limits,
!  a. it is necessary to calculate CG extremes.
!  b. it is not necessary to calculate CG extremes.

!  c. minimum fuel should be used in both forward and

rearward CG checks.
 FAA Ques9on
•  If the empty weight CG of an airplane lies within
the empty weight CG limits,
!  b. it is not necessary to calculate CG extremes.
 Adverse-Loaded CG Checks
•  Must include minimums
!  Pilot
!  Minimum fuel

•  Nominal pilot weight is 170 lb

•  Minimum fuel - 1/12 gallon X “maximum except
for takeoff horsepower” (METO)
!  Since Avgas weights 6 lb/gallon
•  6 lb/g X 1/12 g X METO
•  1/2 lb X METO
•  METO/2 lb
 Adverse-Loaded CG Checks
•  Forward Adverse-Loaded CG Check
!  Include minimums
!  Every point in front of the forward CG limit must be

filled to the maximum

•  A& (back/rearward) Adverse-Loaded CG Check
!  Include minimums
!  Every point behind the a& CG limit must be filled to

the maximum
•  See FAA-8083-1A pages 5-5 & 5-6
Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) & CG
•  Used for large aircra&
•  LEMAC – Leading edge of the MAC
•  TEMAC – Trailing edge of the MAC
•  LEMAC and TEMAC are reference to datum
•  CG in % MAC = CG from LEMAC X 100 / MAC
!  CG from LEMAC = CG – LEMAC
!  Use the standard weight and balance worksheet and

then convert to % MAC

 Determining Needed Ballast
•  Aircra& is out of CG, how do you correct it
!  Add ballast on the opposite side of the CG
•  Ballast weight = (Aircra& weight X Distance out
of limits) ÷ (Distance between ballast and
desired CG)
!  Distance out of limits = Closest CG limit – Current CG
•  Must be posi9ve
!  Distance between ballast and desired CG = Where
you are placing the ballast – desired CG
•  Must be posi9ve
•  Ballast loca9ons are usually predefined
 Determining Needed Ballast
•  Aircra& weighs 4,954 lb with CG at 30.5”
CG range is 32.0” to 42.1”
Ballast can be placed at 162”
•  Ballast weight = (Aircra& weight X Distance out
of limits) / (Distance between ballast and desired
CG)
!  Distance out of limits = 32.0” – 30.5” = 1.5”
!  Desired CG = Forward limit = 32”

!  Distance between ballast and desired CG = 162” –

32” = 130”
!  Ballast weight = (4,954 lb X 1.5”) / 130” =

!  57.16 lb
POH Info
 POH Info

CG moment envelope from Pilot’s Opera9ng Handbook.

 Weight and Balance Prac9ce
A&er altera9on, an N123AB PA-28-160 S/N 28-1650 was
weighed with full fuel and oil
1.  Nose wheel – 400 lb @ 31”
2.  Le& main – 510 lb @ 109.7”
3.  Right main – 520 @ 109.7”
What is the new empty weight & CG?
Hint 1: Full fuel and unusable fuel have different CG
Hint 2: What about oil?
Hint 3: The moments total = 96679.6
Hint 4: 7 items listed in worksheet

Empty Weight is 1,119 lb with CG at 86.4”