Balancing the Load

[dragonman]

Caught QF 490 from Melbourne to Sydney tonight. Had seat 4F in Y. Two little old ladies sat in 4D and 4E. Then a steward comes along and says that to balance the plane they will have to move.

Anyone seen this before?

 

[Evan]

Forward or back, yes i have seen it, depends on the model of plane and pax/freight/fuel combinations. Once taken off fuel is burned so generally you can move around afterwards.

E

 

[oz_mark]

Yes, and I have been the one having to move, at least for takeoff. Was allowed back (actually had no choice, more like I was instructed to go back to) in my seat after we got up to cruise.

 

[NM]

You are only likely to see this on very lightly loaded flights, and generally on the smaller aircraft.

 

[dragonman]

You are only likely to see this on very lightly loaded flights, and generally on the smaller aircraft.

This was a 737-800 and about three quarters full.

 

[Mal]

Unusual to see it happen when onboard, but I have seen it once. 2 pax in Business class were requested to move down the back for take-off, then return once the seat belt sign was off.

I've been moved on the ground (boarding pass change) a couple of times. I did get op-up'd into Business Class on a very lightly loaded BNE-MEL flight for weight/balance reasons I believe... (cue jokes now )

 

[codash1099]

You are only likely to see this on very lightly loaded flights, and generally on the smaller aircraft.

QP staff gave me that as an excuse when they relocated me on a 747-300. I suspect that redistribution of my weight, substantial as it is, would have had little effect.

 

[oz_mark]

The time it happened to me was an an A300, and pretty much the entire row I was in got moved up to the front of the plane for take-off, and we got sent back to economy after take-off

 

[Evan]

Does not take a lot of people to move to alter the CG the required amount to make a better balance, every little bit helps.

E

 

[Reggie]

Does not take a lot of people to move to alter the CG the required amount to make a better balance, every little bit helps.

E

Especially when you move pax like me.

I dread the day when commercial airlines start weighing their pax, the same way the charter planes that fly into the mines do. At least with privacy nowadays the flight manifest on the notice boards around site have the weight field blanked out. At a particular mine I worked at in the Kimberly area of WA about 10 years ago, everyone was listed with their weight. You know what they say about asking a women her age, wait to you see them realise that their weight is being measured and listed for all and sundery to see:shock:

 

[openseat]

In the Solomons they weigh you together with your luggage, because the Twin Otters could easily be overloaded, which would end in disaster.
But it does make for interesting times! Maybe the airlines could have a discrete system where you stand on a mat and only the computer knows.

 

[Evan]

Especially when you move pax like me.

I dread the day when commercial airlines start weighing their pax, the same way the charter planes that fly into the mines do.

Yes, that could be scary ! I would imagine an LCC would be the first to try it, airlines actually use quiet a reasonable avarge weight for there calculations, unlike the guys who make lifts, sure we could fit 20 people in that lift each weighing only 52kg each ?? Even in Asia thats very optimistic !

E

 

[JohnK]

I dread the day when commercial airlines start weighing their pax, the same way the charter planes that fly into the mines do.

I would have to either stop travelling or use different mode of transport as flying would be too expensive.

 

[NM]

Especially when you move pax like me.

Reggie, your avatar shows what happens if they get the balance wrong .

 

[Keeli]

As i am a big fella, i have been asked more than once to move once i've been seated in my allocated seat. ( Mostly backwards) This has happened no fewer than 4 times over the last few years, but i have returned to my seat after take-off. I asked why is this so and the answer i was told was it was for balancing.. Now please explain to me how they can balance a plane out equal if they dont weigh us.... Hmmm... (please note this was mainly on a300 airbus's from Perth - Sydney or Brizzy overnight on the red-eye when it was quite empty)

 

[Reggie]

Reggie, your avatar shows what happens if they get the balance wrong .

Or the pilot:shock: .

Anyway, I am generally at the front, so my weight helps prevent this happening. I should ask for a discount for services rendered, how do you think I will get on?

 

[Altair]

Well what happens when passengers are only loaded on one side of an aircraft? No it does not roll or fly in circles.:shock:
Here is something off Reuters,

Plane flies despite safety problem - New Zealand's source for oddstuff - strange, weird & bizarre news on Stuff.co.nz

Others became nervous including one passenger who asked whether the plane could tip over in mid-air by flying with a heavier load on one side.

 

[Keeli]

Im waiting for day when they say, hey tubby, back of the bus please. Just imagine, big fellas to the back for take-off and to the front for landing. A little nose heavy i'd say, but not without merit

 

[markis10]

Well what happens when passengers are only loaded on one side of an aircraft? No it does not roll or fly in circles.:shock:
Here is something off Reuters,

Plane flies despite safety problem - New Zealand's source for oddstuff - strange, weird & bizarre news on Stuff.co.nz

A passenger moving from one side of the cabin to the other makes very little difference to the centre of gravity, moving up and down the cabin makes a lot of difference as they are travelling further from the centre of gravity. A 737-800 has a usefull load of 30000Kg, take 15000kg off for fuel (which is often stored close to CofG) and your load then becomes 15000 KG or 150 pax @ 100kg, so a row of 6 is actually quite a large portion of that load that is movable!

 

[simongr]

Only if the PAX are 100KG.. I am concerned at a weight of 90KG....