Articles

It's Not Every Day Your Life Depends Upon the Answer to a Math Problem

By Sandi Smith

All airplanes are required to have proper weight and balance. The pilot checks this before each flight. S/he starts with the empty weight of the airplane and adds the weight of the fuel, passengers, luggage, cargo, airplane equipment, and emergency gear. The plane must not be overweight for its aircraft and engine type, or it won't fly. An overweight plane will often crash right after takeoff because it can't get enough thrust to get off the ground.

The weight of the plane must also be properly distributed. A plane that is nose-heavy or tail-heavy won't fly very well. The pilot must perform calculations to ensure the plane's center of gravity is within the flying limits for that type of aircraft.

So when a pilot asks you what your weight is, don't lie! Your life might just depend on it!

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