Zero Fuel weight

[fonawah]

I was just curious about when one is programming the FMC and the zero fuel weight is entered. I assume this figure comes from the load master? How accurate is it? ie is it to the nearest 10 kg, 50 kg, 100kg or more? The PAX will not all have equal weights so even if the cargo weight is known surely there will be some inacuracy in the total PAX weight.
Thanks for your help

[Localiser Green]

There's a bunch of stuff in the JARs about this.

On airliners standard weights for passengers are used (inclusive of hand luggage). 84kg rings a bell without having the book in front of me. Charter airlines are allowed to use a lower figure of 76kg or something..

Children weigh in at more like 35. Airlines can even use standard weights for baggage if they want, so rounding the ZFW to the nearest 50kgs is a bit pointless really.

As far as I know (again not got the JAR reference in front of me) standard weights for baggage can only be used if a monitoring programme is established with random checks after the average baggage mass over many flights has been established over some time already.

Smaller aircraft (<20 seats?) must have higher average PAX masses and very small a/c must actually weigh each passegner with hand luggage.

[fonawah]

Localiser,
Thank you very much for that

[Trip Switch]

fonawah, don't know if this helps but:

Holiday Charter

Male (12yrs and over)------------- 83 kgs
Female (12yrs and over)---------- 69 kgs
ALL ADULTS---------------------- 76 kgs
Children-------------------------- 35 kgs
Infant on lap (less than 2yrs)------ Nil

Other Flights

Male (12yrs and over)------------- 88 kgs
Female (12yrs and over)---------- 70 kgs
ALL ADULTS---------------------- 84 kgs
Children-------------------------- 35 kgs
Infant on lap (less than 2yrs)------ Nil

Journey made by Aircraft ----Hold baggage per piece
Domestic ----------------------11 kgs
European---------------------- 13 kgs
Intercontinental --------------- 15 kgs

These are the standard weights we use, and it depends on the type of flight etc that we are operating as to whether or not we use the Male/Female or All Adult figures. If we get close to our max payload then it's looked at a lot more closely.

The figures are taken as an average per person, some will be more and some will be less. It has been known that on smaller a/c when the balance is in the swing that the somewhat larger pax have been asked to move forward/aft to keep within the envelope. In the larger a/c there is enough of a safety margin to incorporate most configurations/seating patterns.

But you're right, it's not an exact science - unless you weigh every bag and every passenger.

Trip

[fonawah]

Thank you Trip Switch