Definition
A cockpit instrument that displays the electrical current, in amperes, being supplied by the generator or alternator to the aircraft's electrical system. The reading is shown as a fraction or percentage of the unit's rated output, allowing the pilot to see how heavily the generator is being loaded.
Plain English
A gauge that shows how much electrical power the generator is currently producing for the aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen on aircraft electrical system panels and in maintenance checks when monitoring generator or alternator output.
Derivation
A combination of 'load' (the demand placed on a system) and 'meter' (a measuring device). The name describes its job directly: it measures the electrical load being carried by the generator.
Why Pilots Care
Helps detect electrical system overloads that could lead to generator failure or battery drain in flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “load” as cargo weight here. In a loadmeter, “load” means the electrical demand placed on the aircraft’s power system.
Example Sentence 1
During the runup, the pilot checked that the loadmeter showed a positive reading after turning on the landing light.
Example Sentence 2
During the post-flight inspection the mechanic noted the loadmeter had remained below 70 percent throughout the flight.