FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATM)Aircraft Performance and Weight and BalanceEasy
A dispatcher is completing a weight and balance manifest for a domestic flight in February and does not have actual passenger weights available. IAW FAA Advisory Circular 120-27, Aircraft Weight and Balance Control, what standard average adult passenger weight (no checked baggage) should be used for this winter-period flight?
- A170 lb
- B190 lb
- C195 lb
- D179 lb
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 195 lb
AC 120-27 establishes standard average passenger weights that vary by season to account for heavier winter clothing. The winter standard adult weight (November through April) is 195 lb, compared to 190 lb used in the summer months (May through October).
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is close to a child standard weight category, not an adult.
- B. 190 lb is the summer, not winter, standard adult weight.
- D. This figure does not correspond to the AC 120-27 seasonal adult standard.
Standard Average Passenger Weights
FAA-published assumed weights (AC 120-27) used for weight and balance when actual passenger weights are unavailable, adjusted seasonally for clothing.
- Summer standard adult weight: 190 lb
- Winter standard adult weight: 195 lb
- Standard weights simplify W&B when actual weighing is impractical
Memory trick: Winter coats add weight — 195 in winter, 190 in summer.