Gross Weight

I took my private checkride in a 152 that was 30 some pounds
overweight. The examiner knew it was overweight and said it would be OK.

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
Operating over maximum weight is a major cause of aircraft accidents.

Actually it isn't.

Dave wrote:

Operating over maximum weight is a major cause of aircraft accidents.
Don't do it. It is very dangerous.


Really? I find that rather surprising. Do you have any data to support
this assertion?

I certainly don't recommend operating over weight and wouldn't do it
intentionally myself, but in the scheme of illegal things to do in an
airplane, I suspect that being a little heavy is one of the more benign
offenses.


Matt

While you will never get the manufacturer's to 'fess up to it, I
wouldn't be surprised to learn that the MGW given in all the aircraft specs,
and the POH, has a significant buffer built into it if only to add some
protection to the manufacturer's liability.
That said, it is still my firm belief that you should never, ever exceed
the W&B envelope. I have heard more than once the saw, "Complacency KILLS!"
So you add 45# over MGW, this week and the next. What the hell, let's make
it 90#, the airplane didn't feel a thing at 45, right? Then, maybe 150 or
even 200.
So you get complacent about the extra weight. And fly out to a patch in
the Mojave Desert like KIYK where the field elevation is 2455 and this
morning the density altitude nudged the 7,000 foot mark. My point is, more
factors exist than just gross weight.
What are you going to tell the investigators if you have a malfunction
totally unrelated to the overweight condition, but they add up the numbers
anyway? The insurance guys will love it.

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Dave wrote:

No he didn't.

Operating over maximum weight is a major cause of aircraft accidents.
Don't do it. It is very dangerous.


Really? I find that rather surprising. Do you have any data to support
this assertion?

I certainly don't recommend operating over weight and wouldn't do it
intentionally myself, but in the scheme of illegal things to do in an
airplane, I suspect that being a little heavy is one of the more benign
offenses.


Matt

Corky Scott wrote:

During WWII, my impression is that nearly all the escort fighters and
for sure all the bombers were over gross for every mission.

That's true, but the rationale for that was the fact that sending the bombers
out over MGW resulted in fewer missions being required to accomplish the desired
destruction. The increased accident rate from going out heavy was still cheaper
than the casualty rate due to enemy action. In the case of the fighters, going
out with extra gas increased the escort range, which reduced casualties more
than the increased losses due to accidents.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

Fred Choate wrote:

How much is too much over gross weight?

In the 10 years I owned my Maule, I never once operated it over MGW. I
carelessly took my 150 off overweight once.

What about airframe age, prop age...etc? Does it make a difference on
decision to "carry a little extra"?

Since I bought the Maule new, I would say that it made no difference to me.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

Hey George....

There is a maule at my local airport operated by CAP. That looks like a
pretty fun plane.

Fred

"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:nr1Ae.329$WA4.214@trndny04...
Fred Choate wrote:

How much is too much over gross weight?

In the 10 years I owned my Maule, I never once operated it over MGW. I
carelessly took my 150 off overweight once.

What about airframe age, prop age...etc? Does it make a difference on
decision to "carry a little extra"?

Since I bought the Maule new, I would say that it made no difference to
me.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

Mike wrote:

As a CFI, I have canceled lessons because the
compass card was missing or not legible - perhaps
the cancelation proves to be a better lesson for the
student in the long run than the instructional flight.

Yeah, right. And I'm sure the guy who took time off work, drove to the
airport, and then had you cancel on him 'cos the bloody compass card
was ilegible was really pleased with the lesson you taught him. It's up
to you how you teach, but I'm glad my CFI had a more realistic
attitude.........

For the record, "the guy" finished his Private with me, wants to do
recurrent training with me, wants to get checked out in other aircraft
models with me, and if/when he does his IR, he said it'll be with me.

Not all the lessons to be taught during training are in the air.

Hilton

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
m...

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Dave wrote:

No he didn't.

If he didn't, then why did you post this:

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
m...

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
Operating over maximum weight is a major cause of aircraft accidents.

You "wrote" in your post that "Dave wrote" the exact same thing Matt "wrote"
in his post. Yet you are contradicting Matt's post?

Pete