Weight and balance, ballast, trim when flying alone

Mxsmanic wrote:
What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

While I'm sure you are going to argue some point of this response I'll
post for those that come later.

It completely depends on the plane. In a 172 it really isn't an issue.
Fuel burns out of each wing tank at about the same rate and I've never
noticed a difference in need for aileron trim with two as opposed to
one. Which is a could thing because I've never seen a 172 with aileron trim.

On the 601XL I'm building most builders are installing aileron trim
because with just one person on-board some of the planes are a little
left wing heavy.

Also on planes that don't draw fuel equally from both wings you have to
switch tanks to keep the aircraft balanced. 150 lbs of fuel 4 feet out
on the wing has a LOT more effect on the balance of the aircraft than
200 lbs of meat near the center line.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting
a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral
imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

JUST DRINK THE F-----G KOOL-AID !!!

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting
a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral
imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

I like to keep a 170 lb. weight in my flight bag. ;-)

Frank

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:18:39 -0600, "Frank Barchi"
wrote:


"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
.. .
What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting
a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral
imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

I like to keep a 170 lb. weight in my flight bag. ;-)

Frank


this has to be one of the funniest threads in ages.
the utter absurdity of the question combined with the dry humour of
the answers.
funny as hell.

Stealth Pilot

On Jan 15, 12:53*pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting a
small aircraft alone? *Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

It's never been much of an issue on my Cherokee. Although it can get
a little left or right wing heavy due to fuel imbalance, the effect is
small, and when I do think I detect it, just the weight of my fingers
on the yoke counteracts it.

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:53:57 +0100, Mxsmanic
wrote:

What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

hey stupid.
I'll give you a serious answer to your question.
the reason why no real pilot of a real aircraft has ever to worry
about this contrived situation in real life is an aerodynamic trick
called dihedral. it automatically compensates.

ok stupid. down to the local library. borrow all the books you can on
aircraft, aerodynamics and mechanical engineering. read them!
with years of superhuman effort you might just pass as intelligent.

Stealth Pilot