Definition
An average empty weight figure approved by the FAA for use across a group of aircraft of the same model and configuration operated by an air carrier. Once approved, this single fleet weight may be used for weight and balance calculations on each aircraft in the fleet instead of individually weighing every aircraft.
Plain English
Instead of weighing every plane in a fleet, the operator uses one approved average weight that stands in for all aircraft of the same type.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft weight-and-balance programs, especially for operators that manage several aircraft of the same model.
Derivation
Fleet means a group of aircraft operated together by one company. Weight here is the empty weight of the aircraft. Putting them together gives a single representative weight for the whole group.
Why Pilots Care
Allows safe, repeatable payload and fuel calculations across multiple aircraft without repeated individual weighings.
Intuition Check
Do not read fleet weight as the total weight of all airplanes in a fleet added together. Here it means a standard weight value used for each aircraft in a similar group.
Example Sentence 1
The airline used the approved fleet weight when calculating takeoff performance for the morning departure.
Example Sentence 2
After the annual inspection the chief pilot revised the fleet weight to reflect the new equipment and updated all the planning sheets at once.