Ideal Pilot Weight

[coops]

Was just wondering what the ideal pilot weight is for a single/ light twin operations. Do companies like pilots to be on the lighter side etc.

Cheers

[Howard Hughes]

Not above the weight specified in the companies operations manual.

For me I am exactly what my company allows!!;)

Cheers, HH.

:ok:

[huntsman]

would you rather take 50kg of pilot beergut, or a playboy bunny?

[nzmarty]

or 50kg of beer....

[Woomera]

Pilot weight calculation:

Pilot weight = Aircraft Max TO weight – (Aircraft empty weight + Fuel + Payload)

If the resultant number is in negative values, exclude yourself from the equation!

:E

[Howard Hughes]

Pilot weight calculation:

Pilot weight = Aircraft Max TO weight – (Aircraft empty weight + Fuel + Payload)


Now Woomera, are you sure I did'nt work for you at some stage?

Cheers, HH.

;)

[Ash767]

I would say the lighter the pilot is the better for the company.

Say a bloke weighs 90KG and another weighs 70KG (20kg Diff) that's another 20kg of freight that could be loaded onto the flight.

It might sound small but 20kg extra per flight, adds up over a year.


Ash:ok:

[gatfield]

Ash767,

Being only 55kg, it means I could take 35kg extra weight than the 90kg bloke.

Dammit, I always knew I was a much better pilot .:p

[Time Bomb Ted]

One small problem with that ASH!

If the 20Kg difference represents the pilot's brain, then I'd rather carry less freight and be assured of the cargo getting to the destination.

Mind you if you had a 20Kg brain then why would you be a pilot when you could do the Freek Show circuit all year...

[Mr. Hat]

Great question.

Most twin companies couldn't care less- never even crosses their mind unless you weigh say 150kg.

Single companies - skydivers and scenic companies - yeah its a factor. Paylod is big money to them.

Problem with some planes if you are super light means you get a balance problem.

Have seen some big guys knocked back.

[8 8th's Blue]

I'm short and fat wich I feel is ideal. Being short makes getting in and out of some types much easier, I also never bump my head on High wing aircraft. Being somewhat on the chubby side has definant advantages in remote area ops. Forced landings for example, extra padding. Just think of how long I will survive in comparison to a skinny pilot. Not to mention how trim and terrific I'll look for the TV camera's after surviving on bugs and berries for 2 weeks. However I do think a company may be more inclined to employ someone based on qualifications, experience, capabilities and references rather than 20 kg's around the middle.

88B:ok: :ok: :ok:

[rizzle69]

I'm not aware of the bathroom scales being part of the interview process, but if they are I am seriously screwed. Tipping the scales at 130kg I weigh nearly two "standard" pax.

I can understand why some operators would prefer less me, and more freight, and that there are weight limits on some seats, but unless it is a physical/technical restriction like that I think there would be a good case for descrimination if you were sacked (or missed out on a job) because you ate too many pizzas over winter.

[Dale Harris]

You guys are focussing on only one aspect of weight!!!! Lighter pilot means more payload, yes. But only if they utilise it properly....... Too light is a problem too!!! Ever seen a 50 kg pilot trying to stack 40 kg cray bins 3 high inside a chieftain????? Now that's funny!!!!!! Being light ain't everything!!!!

[tinpis]

:hmm:

I hope you offered to help her Dale not stand there laffin?

[Woomera]

I'm yet to find a GA company that's too fussy on weights - either pilot weight or Max TO Weight..........

How often has a weight and balance been adjusted to show absolutely min legal fuel plus reserves, whilst there has been quite a bit more fuel "For Mum" in the tanks? How often has the pilots weight been accurate and include his flight bag? Is all emergency equipment included in the empty weight?

And that does not mean I condone overloading - I don't. Simply a fact of GA life.

Woomera

[Transition Layer]

And I wonder how many times I wrote the same pax names on charter manifests but with different weights a week or two later...or maybe they just have a kickarse Jenny Craig going in Balgo Hill!

TL

[tinpis]

And that does not mean I condone overloading - I don't. Simply a fact of GA life.

W if the w&b and perf rules had been applied in PNG not one lik lik balus would have left the ground EVER !

[Woomera]

Yes, tinpis, and I recall a m-m-m-mate of y-y-y-yours once defining the accelerate/stop distance at a Cat D or E airstrip as: “The accelerate distance always equals the length of the strip, however the stop distance depends on the height of the kunai and pit-pit”!

[Chimbu chuckles]

W that'd be our old M...Mer...Mate that performed so admirably for the DCA Daru Base inspection?:ok: :} :E

One of the funniest true stories to come out of PNG...and we had lots.

Lake Murray was a tad unfortunate though
:ugh:

[Dale Harris]

Well Kaydee, first off, I didn't mention your name at all. And I get paid to lift MY 25 bins, NOT YOURS!!!!!! And, yes, as I pointed out earlier, you lighter guys WOULD carry more payload, IF you didn't convert all the excess to fuel.

[Ibex]

If you had been you probably would have been watching my butt rather than me loading anyway
:{





As been said before, the ideal weight is one that ensures the manifest adds up to the exact mtow, or even mrw.

This is of course a figure that varies, often by significant amounts from day to day..

[compressor stall]

more weight, less freight.

:ugh:

[Woomera]

Chuck, sounds like the same o-o-old m-a-a-ate who used to select gear up on in the 402's on the take off roll. Looked real sexy until he experienced a little sink just after lift off on one occasion ..... and got bannished back to Islanders for his effort at 402 reducing prop diameter!

:}