Plain English Meaning
How many times heavier than normal the airplane and the people inside it feel during a maneuver. At 1 G everything weighs its usual amount. At 2 G everything feels twice as heavy.
Full Definition
The load imposed on an airplane and its occupants expressed as a multiple of the force of gravity. A G load of 1 equals normal weight in level flight; a G load of 2 means the airplane and everything in it momentarily weigh twice their normal amount, typically produced by maneuvering, turbulence, or abrupt control inputs.
Context Anchor
Encountered when studying steep turns, pull-ups, accelerated stalls, and aircraft operating limits.
Derivation
The 'G' stands for gravity. Engineers use it as a shorthand multiplier so pilots can quickly compare the force felt in a maneuver to ordinary standing-still weight, rather than calculating in pounds or newtons each time.
Why Pilots Care
Exceeding design G limits can damage the airframe or cause loss of consciousness; it directly affects stall speed in turns.
Analogy
A bathroom scale can read heavier for a moment if you move upward quickly. G load is similar: during a maneuver, the airplane and pilot can feel heavier than they normally do.
Grounding Statement
If you weigh 180 pounds in level flight (1 G) and the pilot pulls into a turn at 2 G, you momentarily feel like you weigh 360 pounds pressed into the seat.
Intuition Check
G load does not mean cargo weight or baggage load. It means the force on the airplane and occupants compared with normal gravity.
Example Sentence 1
In a 60-degree banked level turn, the airplane experiences a G load of 2, which raises the stall speed by about 41 percent.
Example Sentence 2
During recovery from an accelerated stall the pilot must manage G load carefully to avoid exceeding aircraft limits.