ADX Aircraft Performance and Weight Balance Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of a weight-and-balance manifest?

Answer: To verify the aircraft's load distribution keeps the CG within certified limits before departure

The weight-and-balance manifest documents how load is distributed so the dispatcher and captain can confirm the CG falls within safe limits prior to release.

What is 'operating empty weight' (OEW)?

Answer: Weight of the aircraft including crew, oil, and unusable fuel but excluding payload and usable fuel

OEW includes the airframe, powerplants, fixed equipment, crew, operating fluids, and unusable fuel — the baseline before adding payload or usable fuel.

Which factor is NOT a standard input for aircraft takeoff performance calculations?

Answer: The age distribution of passengers aboard

Passenger age has no bearing on performance calculations; temperature, altitude, and wind are the standard environmental inputs used in performance charts.

What does 'payload' mean in aircraft weight terminology?

Answer: The revenue-generating weight consisting of passengers, baggage, and freight

Payload is the revenue portion of useful load — passengers, baggage, and cargo — and directly determines profitability of the flight.

What is the primary hazard when an aircraft departs with its CG aft of the approved limit?

Answer: The aircraft becomes pitch-unstable and may pitch up uncontrollably

An aft CG beyond limits reduces or eliminates the nose-down pitching moment, making the aircraft dangerously unstable and potentially uncontrollable in pitch.

What is 'maximum landing weight' (MLW)?

Answer: The maximum weight at which the aircraft structure is certified to sustain a landing impact

MLW is set by structural analysis of landing loads; exceeding it risks damaging the airframe, landing gear, or wing structure during touchdown.