Helicopter Flight Information

Weight And Balance

Can you exceed the limitation?

Not long ago, I had a student who was doing his helicopter add-on to his private airplane certificate. I had just landed with another student and asked him to have the attendant add a specified number of gallons to the main tank and then do his pre-flight. When I came down to the helicopter I found that he had the attendant top off the tanks contrary to my orders. I said the aircraft is over-grossed and we can not fly it that way. He stated in part that, "we don't worry about weight and balance where I normally fly". I was shocked, but we did not fly. On another occasion, I watched as two rather large individuals got out of an R22 and ordered a fuel top off of both tanks as they landed enroute ferrying the aircraft to south Florida. Having significant experience in the R22 I knew this helicopter was severely over-grossed.

This is the number one area where many pilots think that they can beat the FAA, and the manufacturer. There is no doubt that in the right conditions, many helicopters will lift more than their maximum rated weight. In most cases however, if you are over gross, there will be an over-torque. Keep in mind that just because it is called manifold pressure on a piston engine does not mean that when you pull past the read line it is not an over-torque, it most certainly is. You are pulling the guts out of that engine (and other parts), and it will not last as long as it would if you fly right. 

Some pilots will say that the manufacturers build in a fudge factor anyway, so it will be ok. Perhaps they arrive at this because they have done it before and nothing happened. I can tell you one thing for sure, there is no such thing as a built in fudge factor.

Weight and balance is a limitation, and limitations must NEVER be exceeded. There are enough occasions when a limitation is inadvertently exceeded, we don't need to do it intentionally first, and then accidentally again. You could become a statistic, as have many others who thought they were smarter than the engineers, and the FAA.

What happens when an aircraft is over-grossed? FATIGUE, it gets tired! The fatigue takes its toll on everything. Transmissions are often the limiting factor and therefore transmission damage can occur. The engine life is reduced. Transmission mounts, the airframe, every part of the aircraft gets fatigued. It could be something that may be found on a pre-flight, and it just might not. It could cost your friend, a fellow pilot; an innocent person, his or her life.

If you are about to fly and the pilot/instructor says it is ok to over-gross, get another pilot.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Back in the old days before fat food like McDonalds and Doughnuts were everywhere, the average man weighed 170 pounds, while the average women weighed 140 pounds.  Finally new data has come out,  now the average weight of an American is 191 pounds, male or female. This means simply that everyone has porked out, but more than anything women have. It is just to easy to say, "I can't help it, it's my thyroid!". Doctors know that they can skin people for some big bucks if they help them make excuses so there won't be any help from the medical profession. Don't take responsibility for your fat, blame it on someone else, it must be the Oreos! Put down the chips.

In aviation, when you ask your passengers weight, most of the time they will just plain lie. This is true with most students as well, they all want to weigh less so they say it. They tell you a weight that they were 5 or 10 years ago when they looked better in the mirror.

You must become a good judge of weight, and don't be shy about it. Tell people that weight is an issue in aviation. In some cases, I either weigh people myself (if it looks like a close issue).

For Pilots

If you are over-weight, go on a diet. No operator will employ a pilot who is grossly over-weight. Even a flight school should not mislead a student by training an over-weight person who has career intentions without informing them of weight standards in the industry. Any potential helicopter pilot should certainly not weigh more than 220 pounds (CFI jobs), and that is really pushing it. It is better if you weigh less than 180 pounds. When you apply for a job your employer may ask your weight, this is acceptable and legal as it is relative to what we do. Once you have built experience, and a respectable name for yourself the weight issue diminishes to a point. I know several commercial pilots who weigh more than 220 pounds, but they are flying larger aircraft and have gained the weight since they paid their dues which does make a little difference. In one particular advertisement for EMS pilots currently on the web, the weight limit is 215 pounds while in yet another the weight limit is 220 pounds.

In some cases, school operators will not hire instructors that weigh more than 180 pounds. Now as I stated above if you have a lot of flight hours and a good name, this changes some, but only some. Keep in mind that the more the instructor weighs, the less the student can weigh and the student is paying so he/she wins. Also keep in mind that commercial operators know that the more the pilot weighs, the less pay load they can carry.

Keep in mind that being proportionately heavy is one thing, but being over-weight is another. This however does not change the fact that weight is an issue and an aircraft can only carry just so much.

If you are over weight and you want to become a helicopter pilot, you must trim up.

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Last modified: 12/31/2011