Definition
The official documents kept with an aircraft that record its empty weight, empty weight center of gravity, and useful load, along with every change to those values caused by equipment installation, removal, or modification. These records are used by the pilot to calculate the aircraft's current loaded weight and balance before each flight.
Plain English
The paperwork that tells you how much the airplane weighs empty and where its balance point sits, plus a running history of any changes made to it over time. The pilot uses these numbers to work out whether the aircraft is safely loaded for the flight.
Context Anchor
A pilot uses weight and balance records during preflight planning, especially when carrying passengers, baggage, fuel, or after maintenance has changed the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
They confirm the airplane stays inside its certified weight and balance limits, preserving stability and control.
Intuition Check
Do not think of weight and balance records as old paperwork kept only for maintenance history. In this context, they are current operating information used to decide whether the aircraft can be loaded and flown safely.
Example Sentence 1
Before loading the passengers and bags, the pilot pulled the weight and balance records to get the current empty weight.
Example Sentence 2
After the new radio was installed, the mechanic revised the weight and balance records to show the added weight and slight forward shift in center of gravity.