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Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 08:23:11 -0600
From: Snowbird <snbird@ibm.net>
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Subject: Over gross?  (was: Visually checking fuel EVERY TIME in preflight?
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Roy Smith wrote:
 
> "Jim Sokoloff" <sokoloff@tiac.net> wrote:
> > Let's be a little realistic here... What's 30#, 1.5% of max gross of 
> > 150/152? There's no certified airplane out there that won't perform
> > quite acceptably when 2% over gross.

> I know I'll get kicked out of the Boy Scouts for admitting this one, 
> but I have to agree with Jim.  There is no doubt that it's illegal, 
> but the odds of being 2% overgross being unsafe (especially if you're > taking off in a situation where maximum takeoff performance is not an > issue) are pretty slim.

Well, seeing as the Boy Scouts wouldn't let me join in the first
place :), I wouldn't want to start a fire over someone being 'kicked
out' but I have a comment and some questions.

My comment:
Small planes apparently tend to gain weight as they age due
to this and that (paint, repairs etc not figured in W&B); unless
it's a recent re-weigh the empty weight in the W&B may be lower
than it really is and the useful load may be larger by a small
amount (say 2-5%, a paint job and a radio which weren't put in the
W&B).  

My questions (these AREN'T intended as rhetorical!):
1) If 2% over gross is safe, what percentage over gross is not
safe, and how do you know?  if 2% is OK, is 4% OK?  7%?  (if the
w&b is 5% low and you're 2% over its useful load, you're 7% over).
If 7% is OK, is 10% OK?  12%?

2) Is the o.k.-ness of overgross operation plane-dependent?
ie would different flight characteristics make something benign
in a C150 bite someone who moved to a Katana or a Yankee?
How do you tell?

3) 32 lbs over max gross is only 2% over gross, but it's a larger
percentage (6 %) of the maximum useful load.  7% over gross is
24% over the book useful load of a C150.  Is max gross the only
thing that matters (obviously it's what the wing feels) or does
a large percentage over useful load also matter?

Regards,
Snowbird


