Yes, it certainly does... nose to tail is where the weight distribution
matters. Sounds like you had too many people at the tail at not enough
toward the nose...

"Robin" wrote in message
om...
Hello, this is an odd question of curiosity from an amateur: Two days
ago I was flying from Dulles to LHR on a United 747-400. The aircraft
taxied to the end of the runway, then the pilot announced there was a
problem with the weight distribution on the aircraft wings, and we
would have to move passengers to compensate. For the next half hour,
cabin crew moved passengers around, apparently from economy to
business, and then we took off. Is this normal? Can passengers body
weight really make a difference on a huge aircraft like a 747?