PLT328: Aircraft Loading And Balance
What code PLT328 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Aircraft Loading And Balance before your checkride.
Recall performance planning - aircraft loading
What this means for your checkride
Loading planning ensures the aircraft is within its weight limits and that the center of gravity falls within the approved range. Each item of weight is multiplied by its arm, the distance from the datum, to produce a moment, and the moments are used to find the center of gravity. Proper loading keeps the airplane both within maximum weight and correctly balanced.
Improper loading affects controllability and performance, so pilots must be able to compute weight and balance before flight.
Students focus only on total weight, but an aircraft can be within weight limits yet still be dangerously out of center of gravity range.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.