Definition
The total weight of the aircraft at any given moment, including the empty aircraft, fuel, oil, pilot, passengers, baggage, and any cargo. Gross weight changes during flight as fuel is burned off.
Plain English
How much the aircraft weighs right now with everything on board — the airplane itself plus fuel, oil, people, and anything they're carrying.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft performance discussions, especially when using performance charts for takeoff, climb, cruise range, and landing planning.
Derivation
‘Gross’ comes from the Old French gros, meaning ‘large’ or ‘total.’ In commerce it has long meant the whole amount before anything is taken out — as in ‘gross income.’ Here it means the total weight of the loaded aircraft, not just the airplane by itself.
Why Pilots Care
It determines whether the aircraft can safely take off, climb, cruise at the planned speed, or land within available runway and obstacle clearance limits.
Intuition Check
Gross weight does not mean the maximum allowed weight. Here it means the aircraft’s actual total weight at that moment.
Example Sentence 1
After loading the bags and topping off the fuel, the pilot calculated the aircraft gross weight before checking the takeoff distance chart.
Example Sentence 2
After burning off fuel en route, the reduced aircraft gross weight allowed a higher climb rate and better fuel economy for the remainder of the flight.