Gross Weight

Dave Stadt wrote:

"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




Actually, aka "Dave", did write what I
quoted above on 7/9/2005 at 5:58 PM.


Matt

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.

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.

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.

Fred Choate wrote:
How much is too much over gross weight?

My 2001 8KCAB has a certificated maximum weight of 1800 lbs. The new
ones have gear legs one inch longer and are allowed 1950 lbs. in the
utility envelope (mine doesn't have a utility envelope). The new legs
are not stronger per se, but rather prevent a prop strike in the
required drop test. The rest of the airframe is identical. With me, a
'chute, and full tanks, my airplane comes in over weight at 1802 lbs.

In my airplane, I'd rather be 30 lbs over weight on takeoff than 5
gallons short of the field.


-Dave Russell
8KCAB/N2S-3