Plain English Meaning

A simple chart-and-slide tool that lets you check, by drawing lines, whether your loaded airplane is within safe weight and balance limits before flight.

Full Definition

A graphical aid used to determine whether an airplane's loaded weight and center of gravity (CG) fall within approved limits. It typically consists of a printed chart specific to the aircraft model, overlaid with a transparent or movable plastic slide marked with reference lines. The pilot uses it to plot the weight of each load item (fuel, passengers, baggage) against its arm or station, then reads the resulting total weight and CG directly from the chart.