Definition
Cargo loaded loose into an aircraft's cargo compartment rather than being placed in containers or on standardized pallets. Bulk cargo is typically hand-stacked piece by piece and secured with nets or tie-downs.
Plain English
Freight that is loaded as individual pieces, packed in by hand, instead of being pre-packed into containers or onto pallets before loading.
Context Anchor
Seen in cargo loading, baggage compartment use, weight-and-balance planning, and aircraft operating limitations.
Derivation
Bulk' comes from Old Norse 'bulki,' meaning a heap or cargo stowed loose in a ship's hold. The aviation use carries the same idea: cargo placed directly into the hold rather than pre-packed in a unit.
Why Pilots Care
Affects weight distribution, balance calculations, and securement requirements.
Intuition Check
Bulk cargo does not simply mean very heavy cargo. It means cargo loaded loose or as separate pieces rather than as one secured container or packaged unit.
Example Sentence 1
The smaller boxes were loaded as bulk cargo in the aft compartment and secured with cargo nets.
Example Sentence 2
Weight-and-balance software treats bulk cargo as distributed weight along the fuselage floor.