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In commercial passenger flights , flight crews need to deal with one additional factor . While cargo does not move at all during the whole duration of the flight , passengers changing seats before departure or during cruise may actually cause substantial changes in the payload ’ s weight balance . Even as few as 12 passengers changing seats from the back to front rows of seats can account for up to one metric ton of weight being shifted to the front of the airplane . If this issue is not addressed in a timely fashion , the nose may lift much later than expected during takeoff , potentially resulting in a runway overrun on departure .
Conversely , should the same passengers move from front to back , the balance will shift toward the back of the aircraft , potentially causing a more severe stall during takeoff , from which it will be more difficult to quickly recover .
Therefore , please , never change seats from back to front , or vice-versa , until boarding has been finished and without the flight crew ’ s permission . This isn ’ t to prevent you from recording that amazing takeoff , but rather for your safety .
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8 Most freight airplanes feature two cargo doors in the lower deck , as well as a larger one at the rear of the fuselage , which grants access to the main deck .
9 It is crucial that passengers don ’ t walk under the wings during stairs boarding or deboarding . It ’ s for your safety ; if an object falls off the wing , it can cause severe injuries .
10 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner includes a system that warns the ground staff if the parking brake is on or off .
11 Airlines can transfer their brand identity even to aviation handling , like KLM ’ s ground equipment , which is tinted in blue like their iconic livery .
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Especially on relatively empty flights , seating is arranged with the deliberate aim of placing the center of gravity very slightly behind the wings . Any airplane can become uncontrollable if its center of gravity is widely removed from its center of lift , and large numbers of passengers moving around the cabin may have that exact effect .
Next time you fly with your favorite airline , make sure to ask a crewmember , who will surely help you to find a comfortable space inside the cabin once the gravity balance of the plane has been found and secured .
PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE
The handling staff of our Boeing 747-400 freighter has now fully completed the loading of the more than 110 tons of cargo . Now , it is time to dispatch the last crucial pre-departure documents , close doors , start engines , and take off .
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After all the load has been correctly defined and distributed on board , I have to issue the flight ’ s loadsheet . This is probably the most important document associated with any flight , as it contains information that most crucially defines the airframe ’ s expected behavior during the different phases of the flight and how the Pilots need to interpret it .
On the loadsheet , Pilots will find the number of passengers on board , their distribution according to age and gender , the total cargo divided into compartments , the amount of fuel loaded , and , most important , the weight and balance details upon which the aircraft will take off , cruise , and land .
This is one of the reasons why every flight needs to be managed by a turnaround coordinator . I am the one who ensures that the fuel being loaded exactly matches the amount requested by the operator , that passengers and baggage are boarded in their assigned spaces , and that the
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