Definition
A practical computation exercise in which the student determines whether an aircraft's loaded weight and center of gravity fall within the limits published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook, using given values for empty weight, fuel, passengers, baggage, and their respective arms or stations.
Plain English
A worked exercise where the student adds up how much the aircraft and everything in it weighs, figures out where that weight sits along the aircraft, and checks that both numbers stay inside the safe range the manufacturer allows.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training, preflight planning, and instructor assessments when a student must work out whether an aircraft is safely loaded before flight.
Why Pilots Care
An unresolved weight-and-balance problem can cause loss of control, especially on takeoff or landing, and may result in structural damage or regulatory violations.
Intuition Check
Do not read “problem” here as meaning something is broken. In this context, it usually means a calculation exercise or practical loading question to be solved.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor gave each student a weight-and-balance problem using the Cessna 172 loading chart and asked them to confirm the aircraft was within limits before the planned flight.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the pilot discovered a weight-and-balance problem when adding the last passenger pushed total weight over maximum gross.