In article , Roger Long wrote:

I'm quite sure that the seats are not rated for anywhere near that. Even if
they are, as the maintenance officer who has had these 28 year old seats out
many times to repair the trim and covering, there is no way I want to put
350 pounds on them.

There is no per-seat weight limit in a 172. I've done lots of flying at
nearly 300 lb. with no difficulty. Unless you are pretty hefty, there
should be no reason you can't fly him alone. You probably can't get
him, you, and the other guy all at once, though.

There appears to be some misunderstanding about how heavy passengers
can be because of the way the weight and balance charts are printed, but
I've seen nothing to suggest they're in any way regulatory.

Of course, if you just want to get out of it, tell him anything you like.

Mike Beede