After Captain or FO calls the traffic office to obtain an EZFW and pass an RTOW due to wx or other, hence flight is limited weightwise, you may be handed a loadsheet which reflects a zero underload. You have no more weight available, or so the figures say, due to the RTOW. So when this loading is calculated using 13kgs per bag, but everyone checks in a bag weighing 20kgs, and the flight departs, this seems to reflect that the loadsheet is a paper formality which is not as critical as it may seem. Yes, the max weights etc have to be adhered to, and some means of calculation is required but just how is this justified when your MTOW is say 70 tonnes, the loadsheet says you are at MTOW, but really there is another tonne or so weight in the back which is not seen on paper? Are the figures compensated for? If so, I would be interested to know just how many 'heavier than stated' bags would be loaded before the loadsheet was perfectly in line with regs, but there was an accident due to too high an overload! Maybe I am missing something, but this is a question which has been asked in load control training, and any further feedback would be appreciated to pass on to a despatch trainer who I know!
Cheers guys for your responses so far!
Fly safe, and stay within limits!
NORDIC
