Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook (2025)

FAA-H-8083-1B

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• Publisher: Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781619544826
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aviation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. has been the industry's trusted source for official FAA publications for over 80 years. Look for the ASA wings to ensure you're purchasing the latest authentic FAA release.

This handbook FAA-H-8083-1B is current in 2025.

Weight and balance is an important aspect to the safety of flight. An overweight aircraft, or one whose center of gravity is outside the allowable limits, is inefficient and dangerous to fly. The responsibility for proper weight and balance control begins with the engineers and designers, and extends to the pilot and mechanic who flies and maintains the aircraft. This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publication addresses this safety-crucial topic and in studying this handbook, pilots and aviation mechanics will gain the necessary knowledge on the subject of aircraft weight and balance, in preparation for the FAA Knowledge Exam as well as safe flight and maintenance operations.Basic aircraft weight and balance control principles and procedures for the preparation, and the actual weighing of an aircraft start the discussion, including the methods of determining the location of the empty weight center of gravity. Loading computations with loading graphs and tables of weight and moment indexes follow, including instructions on determining the weight and center of gravity changes caused by repairs and alterations or removal and installation of equipment. Chapters are dedicated to light-sport aircraft, single-engine aircraft, multi-engine aircraft, and commuter and large aircraft, as well as helicopter weight and balance control and determining lateral CG. Also included are examples of solving weight and balance problems using a hand-held electronic calculator, E6-B flight computer, and a dedicated electronic flight computer.Illustrated throughout with detailed, full-color drawings, and includes a glossary and index.

Table of contents

• Preface
• Introduction
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• Chapter 1: Weight and Balance Control
• Chapter 2: Weight and Balance Theory
• Chapter 3: Weighing the Aircraft and Determining the Empty Weight Center of Gravity
• Chapter 4: Light Sport Aircraft Weight and Balance Control
• Chapter 5: Single-Engine Aircraft Weight and Balance Computations
• Chapter 6: Multiengine Aircraft Weight and Balance Computations
• Chapter 7: Center of Gravity Change After a Repair or Alteration
• Chapter 8: Weight and Balance Control—Helicopter
• Chapter 9: Weight and Balance Control—Commuter Category and Large Aircraft
• Chapter 10: Use of Computer for Weight and Balance Computations
• Appendix A: Supplemental Study Materials
• Appendix B: Key Weight and Balance Locations on an Aircraft
• Glossary
• Index