Definition
A document, supplied by the aircraft manufacturer and kept with the aircraft, that records the empty weight and center of gravity of the specific aircraft as delivered, along with a list of every item of equipment installed at that time. It serves as the starting reference for all subsequent weight and balance calculations and is updated whenever equipment is added, removed, or altered.
Plain English
A paper record that tells you how heavy your specific aircraft is when empty, where its balance point sits, and exactly what gear was installed when it left the factory. You use it as the baseline every time you work out whether the aircraft is loaded within limits.
Context Anchor
Found in the aircraft’s POH, AFM, or aircraft records during preflight planning and loading calculations.
Derivation
“Weight” means how heavy something is. “Balance” originally refers to being evenly weighed; in aviation, it means where the airplane’s weight is centered, not just how much it weighs. “Equipment list” means the list of installed items included in the airplane’s recorded empty weight.
Why Pilots Care
An incorrect weight or center of gravity can cause the airplane to perform poorly, become unstable, or be impossible to control in flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just a list of gear. In this FAA context, the equipment list is tied directly to the airplane’s recorded weight and balance numbers.
Example Sentence 1
Before loading the aircraft for the cross-country, the pilot pulled out the Weight and Balance/Equipment List to confirm the current empty weight.
Example Sentence 2
After the new radio was installed, the mechanic revised the Weight and Balance/Equipment List with the updated equipment weights and moment changes.