EASA 031 Mass & Balance study guide
EASA 031 Mass & Balance · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Mass & Balance (031) is one of the knowledge modules required for EASA Part-66 aircraft maintenance licences, and it also underpins the theoretical knowledge expected of pilots and dispatchers. It tests whether you can work confidently with aircraft mass, centre of gravity and the documentation that controls both. The EASA 031 Mass & Balance study guide has 8 sections and about 3,173 words.
01Mass and Balance Fundamentals: Definitions and Units
Mass is the quantity of matter, measured in kilograms; weight is the force that mass produces in a gravitational field, measured in newtons. W = m × g, with g = 9.81 m/s².
393 words, about 2 min02Aircraft Mass Limitations: Structural, Performance and Regulated
MTOM, MLM and MZFM are certification (structural) limits that may never be exceeded in normal operation. MTOM protects the wing, fuselage and landing gear in flight and on the take-off run and sets the climb capability required at certification.
405 words, about 2 min03Centre of Gravity Limits and Their Effects
The CG range is the band between the forward and aft limits within which the aircraft can be operated safely. The forward limit is set by controllability: elevator authority to rotate, flare and go around, to hold the nose up in a stall and to recover, plus nose-wheel loading and, on some types, minimum stick force.
400 words, about 2 min04Determining Empty Mass and Empty CG by Weighing
Empty mass and empty CG are established by actual weighing before entry into service, after modifications, repairs or repainting that could change them, and at the interval required by the applicable regulation. The result is recorded in a weighing report and in the mass and balance documentation (aircraft logbook, loading manual), and it becomes the basis of every later load calculation.
402 words, about 2 min05Load and Balance Calculations: Arms, Moments and CG Shifts
Distances are measured from the datum, positive aft. A station ahead of the datum has a negative arm.
371 words, about 2 min06Loading Documentation and Control
The load sheet is the flight document that summarises DOM, fuel on board, traffic load by compartment, ZFM, TOM, LM and the CG positions at take-off, at zero fuel and at landing, and shows that each is inside its limit. The trim sheet (or equivalent computer calculation) shows how the CG was derived.
421 words, about 2 min07Cargo and Baggage Loading: Floor Loads, Restraint and Distribution
Each cargo hold has a floor load limit in kg/m² (or kg/ft²) and often a running load limit in kg per metre of floor length. A concentrated load must be spread over enough contact area and enough floor length to stay inside both.
408 words, about 2 min08Fuel and Oil: Mass, Density and Balance Effects
Fuel is bought and loaded in litres (or US gallons) but mass and balance work in kilograms. Mass = volume × density.
373 words, about 2 min