Plain English Meaning

Moving people or items inside the aircraft to change where the airplane balances, without changing how much it weighs in total.

Full Definition

A change in the location of an aircraft's center of gravity (CG) caused by moving people, fuel, baggage, or cargo from one position to another within the aircraft. Weight shifting alters the CG position without changing the total weight, and is used either intentionally to bring the CG within limits or as a calculation to predict the effect of a planned movement of load.

Context Anchor

Used in weight-and-balance planning when a pilot corrects the aircraft’s balance by moving passengers, baggage, or equipment instead of adding or removing weight.

Derivation

Combines 'weight' (force due to gravity acting on mass) with 'shifting' (changing position). The combination emphasizes that moving mass alters the aircraft's rather than simply changing total weight.