Objective/Content:
For student to understand how weight and balance affect the performance of the aircraft, and to do loading problems.

Materials/Equipment:
POH. Quick reference sheet. Sample loading problems

Schedule:
Explanation (15 minutes)
Instructor demonstration of weight/balance problem (5 minutes)
Student practice (20 minutes)

Instructor:
(See lesson plan) motivate, explain, demonstrate, answer questions

Student:
Attend (in the original sense of the word), do practice problems, ask questions

Completion standards:
St should be able to explain the importance of understanding appropriate weight and loading of an aircraft, and the effects of various loading conditions. St should be able to perform correct loading problems by using tables and calculations.

Review: stall characteristics
Objective: stall introduction, power-on stall characteristics, inducement and recovery procedures
Materials: PTS, flight maneuvers illustrator, model plane, handout

Attention/motivation: (2 minutes)
Story of the guy with a plane full of marble slabs. They shifted, and what happened? How are you going to know how many people you can carry, and where they should sit?

Explanation (10 minutes):
I. Definitions: moment, arm, center of gravity, fore/aft limit, CG range, reference datum, station, basic empty weight
Moment = weight * arm
CG = sum (moments) / sum (weights)
To move the CG,

M1 +/- M = CG
W1 +/- W

II. Where do you find the weight and balance information. Hint: it isn't in the AFM. Why not? Because all planes have different equipment and are different. [Where's the datum plane in the arrow. Answer: well in front of the nose.]
III. Effects of high weight:
1. Worse performance: higher takeoff speed, stalling speed, landing speed, takeoff run, landing distance; lower climb rate, maximum altitude, cruising speed, range, maneuverability
2. More stable: higher Va
IV. Effects of CG locations:
AFT:
1. lower stall speed (explain why)
2. less stable (save this for aerodynamics)
3. faster cruise
4. may not be able to recover from a stall or spin (important for gusts). A short arm gives the elevator little authority.
FORE:
1. higher stall speed
2. more stable
3. lower cruise speed
4. may not stall at all
5. poor climb
6. may not be able to flare at low power (determines forward CG)

Application: (20 minutes)
1. I do a sample problem using the tables and charts in the POH. St asks questions.
2. St does two sample problems.

Evaluation of knowledge, and discussion: (3 minutes)
Q: What are the effects of CG location, aft and fore?
Q: As a rule, would it be better to have an aft, or fore CG? Is it safe to be out of range in either direction?