Fill 'er up? No Thanks.

So you're at a local airport and you've decided
to take an afternoon cruise in one of their rentals,
but you'll need accompaniment by a CFI because
your certification is limited to Light Sport.

In the line-up are several Cessna 152's. These
are the "bargain" planes. Well, you better take
responsibility for weight limits and not assume
the CFI has.

Example: Let's say you weigh 210 pounds. Now
out comes your co-pilot CFI who looks rather
"stout". For all you know he may weigh 260. (This
happened to me.) An empty C 152 is supposed to
weigh 1081lbs, but with avionics and other junk
it could easily weigh another hundred pounds
empty and without fuel. (It holds 26 gallons) The
take-off weight limit is 1670 lbs. So let's do the
math with a full tank.

Empty plane..........say..........1150 lbs.
26 gallons @ 6.2lbs./gal., ..... 161 lbs.
Your weight............................210 lbs.
CFI's weight...........................260 lbs.
Carry on extras........................20 lbs.

Total.................................... 1,801 lbs.

Allowable..............................1,670 lbs.

So now you're overweight 131 lbs. What if it's
a hot day. And a very humid day. And you're
in a location of high elevation. But the CFI
say's "don't worry about it, we do it all the
time".

Don't do it. Get a bigger plane, use less fuel,
or get a smaller CFI.

---
Mark

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:15:48 -0800 (PST), Mark4 wrote:

So now you're overweight 131 lbs. What if it's
a hot day. And a very humid day. And you're
in a location of high elevation.

Douse yourself with cooling butane and light!

On Nov 23, 3:53*pm, QJ wrote:
On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:15:48 -0800 (PST), Mark4 wrote:
So now you're overweight 131 lbs. What if it's
a hot day. And a very humid day. And you're
in a location of high elevation.

Douse yourself with cooling butane and light!

When in trouble or in doubt,
Run in circles, scream and shout.
Stop, drop and roll...out of our way.

No fat chicks
http://www.cfidarren.com/r-toofat.htm

---
Mark4

Don't do it. *Get a bigger plane, use less fuel,
or get a smaller CFI.

Good advice. Luckily, most aircraft will fly significantly
overweight, or there would be lots of airplanes falling out of the sky
every day.

One interesting example: Early Ercoupes are certificated at a low-
enough legal weight to fall under the LSA requirements. (Mine had
the higher useful load, which meant that it was NOT LSA.)

The lower useful load of the LSA 'Coupes means that it is virtually
impossible to legally fly with two "real" American men. (Meaning way
over the FAA's 170 pound human.) Thus, you've got a choice -- you
can either carry fuel, or the other adult -- or break the law and
carry both.

FAA examiners (and CFIs who give dual) in LSA Ercoupes must hold their
nose (and ignore the law) in order to fly two-up. Old hands know that
the Ercoupe's increased useful load STC was merely a paperwork mod,
and that all Ercoupes are capable of carrying the greater useful
load.

Nevertheless, if you see two grown men flying in an LSA 'Coupe, you
know they are either out of gas, or illegal!
:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Port Aransas, TX
Pathfinder N56993
www.HarborInnPortA.com
www.AlexisParkInn.com

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:52:00 -0800 (PST), Mark4 wrote:

On Nov 23, 3:53*pm, QJ wrote:
On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:15:48 -0800 (PST), Mark4 wrote:
So now you're overweight 131 lbs. What if it's
a hot day. And a very humid day. And you're
in a location of high elevation.

Douse yourself with cooling butane and light!

When in trouble or in doubt,
Run in circles, scream and shout.
Stop, drop and roll...out of our way.

No fat chicks
http://gayincarolina.jottit.com/

---
Mark4

Nice website. For a fag.

On Nov 26, 8:20*pm, Jay Honeck wrote:

Good advice. *Luckily, most aircraft will fly significantly
overweight, or there would be lots of airplanes falling out of the sky
every day.

When I volunteered with the B-17 that's now parked next to the Spruce
Goose, I used to point out the 1200-lb maximum crew weight to
visitors, and point out that the airplane carried ten men in heavy
flights suits and flak armor. Impossible.

My grandfather was his crew's armorer in WWII and used to joke about
how they'd always manage to sneak a few extra .50 belts in the tail
after they'd fully loaded the airplane. The pilot had to wonder why
his airplane was so slow and tail-heavy.