Definition
The preflight task of properly securing passengers in their seats with safety belts and shoulder harnesses fastened, briefing them on emergency procedures and equipment, and stowing baggage and cargo so that total weight and the resulting center of gravity remain within the airplane's approved limits and items cannot shift in flight.
Plain English
Before takeoff, the pilot makes sure people are safely buckled in and briefed, and that bags are loaded in the right places so the airplane stays balanced and nothing slides around during flight.
Context Anchor
Encountered during preflight and before-taxi procedures, especially when carrying passengers or baggage in a training or personal airplane.
Why Pilots Care
Incorrect loading shifts the center of gravity and can cause loss of control; unsecured items can become hazards or jam controls.
Grounding Statement
The key idea is simple: everyone and everything in the cabin must be placed and secured so the airplane can be controlled safely.
Intuition Check
Security here does not mean airport screening or law-enforcement security. It means passengers, doors, loose items, and baggage are physically secured for safe operation; loading means both the amount of weight carried and where that weight is placed.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the engine, she completed passenger and baggage security and loading by briefing her two passengers, checking their seat belts, and confirming the bags in the rear compartment were strapped down.
Example Sentence 2
During ground operations the crew verified passenger and baggage security and loading so no loose items could interfere with the controls.