Definition
The calculation and management of an aircraft's total loaded weight and the location of its center of gravity, ensuring both remain within the limits published in the aircraft's approved documentation for safe flight.
Plain English
Making sure the aircraft is not loaded too heavy, and that the load is positioned so the aircraft balances correctly from nose to tail.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter aircraft weight and balance during preflight planning, especially when carrying passengers, baggage, full fuel, or unusual equipment.
Derivation
Weight comes from an old word meaning heaviness. Balance comes from the idea of a scale, where weight must be placed so things stay even. In aviation, the term keeps both ideas: how much the aircraft weighs and where that weight is located.
Why Pilots Care
An out-of-limit center of gravity can reduce control effectiveness or cause loss of control, especially on takeoff or landing.
Intuition Check
Do not think aircraft weight and balance means only the total weight of the airplane. An aircraft can be under its maximum weight and still be unsafe if the weight is placed in the wrong location.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country flight, the instructor had the student complete a full weight and balance calculation using the actual passenger and baggage weights.
Example Sentence 2
Before departure she rechecked the aircraft weight and balance after the fuel truck finished topping off the tanks.