A loadsheet is a preflight document that shows whether an aircraft is loaded safely for departure. It totals the weight of passengers, baggage, cargo, fuel, and the aircraft itself. This matters because an aircraft that is too heavy may not climb, stop, or maneuver as required.
It also matters because the center of gravity must stay within approved limits for stable and controllable flight.
The loadsheet treats each load as both a weight and a location along the aircraft. Weight creates a turning effect called a moment, so a heavy item far from the reference point can shift the balance more than a lighter item nearby. Dispatchers or flight crews compare the calculated total weight and center of gravity with limits in the aircraft manual.
If the result is outside limits, fuel, cargo, bags, or passengers must be adjusted before takeoff.
Key Facts
- Total weight = aircraft basic weight + passengers + baggage + cargo + fuel
- Moment = weight x arm
- Center of gravity position = total moment / total weight
- Takeoff weight must be less than or equal to maximum takeoff weight, or TOW <= MTOW
- Zero fuel weight = aircraft basic weight + payload
- Safe loading requires both weight within limits and CG within the approved forward and aft limits
Vocabulary
- Loadsheet
- A loadsheet is a preflight record that summarizes aircraft weight, load distribution, fuel, and center of gravity for a flight.
- Center of gravity
- The center of gravity is the balance point where the aircraft's total weight can be considered to act.
- Arm
- The arm is the distance from a chosen reference point to the location of a weight on the aircraft.
- Moment
- A moment is the turning effect produced by a weight acting at a distance from a reference point.
- Payload
- Payload is the useful load carried by the aircraft, such as passengers, baggage, mail, and cargo.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding only the weights and ignoring their positions is wrong because balance depends on both weight and arm.
- Using takeoff fuel instead of planned fuel at the correct stage is wrong because aircraft weight changes as fuel is burned.
- Assuming a load is safe because total weight is under the limit is wrong because the center of gravity can still be too far forward or aft.
- Mixing units such as kilograms, pounds, meters, and inches without converting is wrong because it gives incorrect moments and CG values.
Practice Questions
- 1 An aircraft has a basic weight of 28000 kg, passengers total 6200 kg, baggage and cargo total 1900 kg, and fuel is 5200 kg. What is the takeoff weight, and is it below an MTOW of 43000 kg?
- 2 Three loads are placed at arms measured from the datum: 500 kg at 8 m, 300 kg at 12 m, and 200 kg at 16 m. Find the total moment and the center of gravity position.
- 3 A loadsheet calculation shows the aircraft is below maximum takeoff weight but the CG is slightly aft of the approved limit. Explain one practical change that could bring the CG back into limits and why it works.