Getting a scale before the trip?
This is what Air New Zealand did for the purposes of a study by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. The nearly 10,000 passengers leave Auckland who have had to step on the scale — on a voluntary basis, let’s be specific — before boarding the plane.
In a statement, James Allister, the company’s payload control specialist, explained that for each flight, the pilot must know the aircraft’s gross weight. “We weigh everything that is carried on board, from freight to meals on board and baggage in the cargo hold. For passengers, crew baggage and cabin baggage, we use average weights, which we obtain through this survey.”
Obviously, this survey will determine if the average passenger weight has increased…and in Canada? Don’t worry, you won’t have to step on the scale on your next flight: Airlines point to Transport Canada, which keeps the passenger weight record. Thus, in the summer, the average weight of passengers aged 12 and over is 93.4 kg for men (and gender X), 78.1 kg for women, 34 kg for children 2-11 years old and 13.6 kg for children under two years of age. In winter, we weigh a little: 96.2 kg for men and gender X, 80.7 kg for women, while the weights remain the same for children and toddlers.
Transport Canada states, “To ensure the safety of each flight, air operators must calculate the total weight of the aircraft and how that weight is distributed. Weight and balance directly affect the stability and performance of the aircraft. If the aircraft is too heavy, it may never take off. If it is unbalanced , It may be out of control during the flight. Therefore, before take-off, pilots and air operators must perform a weight and balance analysis taking into account passengers, baggage, cargo and fuel.”
“Organizer. Social media geek. General communicator. Bacon scholar. Proud pop culture trailblazer.”