Avielevate / DGCA CPL papers / Technical Specific / Weight and Balance
Weight and Balance — DGCA CPL Technical Specific
Chapter 02 of the Technical Specific paper. 80 practice questions in the Avielevate bank, every one with its answer key, filterable into a timed set on this chapter alone.
What this chapter covers
The learning objectives we file Weight and Balance questions under, and how many sit behind each. These come straight out of the bank and are regenerated whenever it changes — they are what is there today, not a claim.
| Learning objective | In the bank |
|---|
| 0502 Mass & Balance | 51 questions |
| 0509 Flight Planning, Fuel & Load Management | 29 questions |
Sample Weight and Balance questions, answered and explained
Real questions from this chapter, with the answer marked and the reasoning written out — the same explanations you get inside the app.
050116 · Weight and Balance
Given: Dry Operating Mass 60,520 kg; performance-limited take-off mass 92,750 kg; performance-limited landing mass 72,250 kg; Maximum Zero Fuel Mass 67,530 kg. Fuel on board at take-off: trip fuel 12,500 kg, contingency and final reserve fuel 2,300 kg, alternate fuel 1,700 kg. Using this data as appropriate, work out the maximum traffic load that can be carried.
- A7010 kg
- B7730 kg 11730 kg
- C15730 kg
- D8250 kg
Why that is the answer
Maximum traffic load equals the maximum permissible zero fuel mass minus the Dry Operating Mass, where the permissible zero fuel mass itself is the lowest of three constraints: the structural MZFM, the ZFM implied by the performance-limited landing mass minus the fuel remaining after landing, and the ZFM implied by the performance-limited take-off mass minus the total fuel carried at take-off. Fuel on board at take-off is trip fuel plus contingency/final reserve fuel plus alternate fuel = 12500+2300+1700 = 16500 kg; fuel remaining at landing (after trip fuel is burned) = 16500-12500 = 4000 kg. The landing-derived ZFM limit is 72250-4000 = 68250 kg; the take-off-derived ZFM limit is 92750-16500 = 76250 kg; the structural MZFM is 67530 kg, the lowest of the three, so it governs. Traffic load = 67530-60520 = 7010 kg, matching option a.
- Given: DOM=60520 kg, Perf-limited TOM=92750 kg, Perf-limited LM=72250 kg, MZFM=67530 kg, Trip fuel=12500 kg, Contingency+final reserve=2300 kg, Alternate fuel=1700 kg
- Fuel on board at take-off = 12500 + 2300 + 1700 = 16500 kg
- Fuel remaining at landing = 16500 - 12500 = 4000 kg
- Landing-derived ZFM limit = 72250 - 4000 = 68250 kg; Take-off-derived ZFM limit = 92750 - 16500 = 76250 kg
- Governing (lowest) ZFM limit = min(67530, 68250, 76250) = 67530 kg (structural MZFM)
- Maximum traffic load = ZFM limit - DOM = 67530 - 60520 = 7010 kg
050417 · Weight and Balance
The maximum certificated taxi (or ramp) mass is the mass an aeroplane may be loaded to before engine start — a value that varies with airfield temperature and altitude, with corrections given in the Flight Manual. Which statement below correctly describes this value?
- AA value that varies only with airfield altitude, with standard corrections listed in the Flight Manual.
- BA value affected only by outside air temperature, with corrections calculated from data in the Flight Manual.
- CA fixed value listed in the Flight Manual.
- DA value that varies with both airfield temperature and altitude, requiring dual correction using tables in the Flight Manual.
Why that is the answer
The maximum certificated taxi (ramp) mass is a fixed, structural figure published in the aircraft's Flight Manual — it is the greatest mass the airframe (undercarriage, brakes, structure) is certified to withstand while manoeuvring on the ground before engine start, and it does not vary with temperature, altitude or other ambient conditions, unlike take-off and landing mass limits which ARE performance-limited and vary with airfield temperature, pressure altitude, runway length/slope and wind. Options describing variation with temperature and/or altitude describe how performance-limited take-off or landing mass is derived, not the certificated ramp mass, which is why they are incorrect here.
050418 · Weight and Balance
During the planning phase of aeroplane loading, which of the following statements is always correct? (LM = Landing Mass, TOM = Take-off Mass, MTOM = Maximum Take-off Mass, ZFM = Zero Fuel Mass, MZFM = Maximum Zero Fuel Mass, DOM = Dry Operating Mass)
- ALM = TOM - Trip Fuel
- BMTOM = ZFM + maximum possible fuel mass
- CMZFM = Traffic load + DOM
- DReserve Fuel = TOM - Trip Fuel
Why that is the answer
During the planning phase of a flight, the aeroplane's mass decreases steadily as fuel is consumed, so the Landing Mass is always equal to the Take-off Mass minus the fuel burned on the trip: LM = TOM - Trip Fuel. This relationship holds for every flight by definition of what 'trip fuel' means (the fuel planned to be burned from take-off to landing at the destination), regardless of the specific masses involved, which is why it is always correct rather than situational. The other statements are not universally true: MTOM does not simply equal ZFM plus maximum possible fuel, because take-off mass is capped independently by structural and performance limits that can be reached before maximum fuel is loaded; MZFM equals DOM plus MAXIMUM traffic load only when the traffic load itself is at its maximum, not as a general identity; and 'Reserve Fuel = TOM - Trip Fuel' mislabels what is actually the Landing Mass, not a fuel quantity, with a mass figure.
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Frequently asked
How many Weight and Balance questions are there for the DGCA CPL Technical Specific paper?
Avielevate's bank carries 80 published Weight and Balance questions for Technical Specific, mapped across 2 learning objectives. Every one has its answer key, and explanations are being written across the whole bank.
How much of the Technical Specific paper is Weight and Balance?
The DGCA does not publish a per-chapter breakdown of its papers, so nobody can honestly tell you — and we will not guess. What we can tell you is what students who have just sat a paper reported meeting, which is measured rather than rumoured: that is the exam recall report inside the app.
What is the best way to revise Weight and Balance?
Sit a short timed set on this chapter alone, tag how sure you were of each answer, then drill the two that actually leak marks: the ones you got right while guessing, and the ones you got wrong while confident. Avielevate does that tagging for you and puts anything you got wrong back in front of you on a spaced schedule.
The rest of the Technical Specific paper
One account covers every chapter of every paper.
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