Weight & Balance Question

I have a question that I know the legal answer for but am looking for some
alternative suggestions.

Tomorrow, I want to take my daughter and son-in-law on a flight in a C172M.
We will be flying to an airport almost 50 NM from our departure point. The
problem is this: with a full fuel load, we will be 89 pounds over the max
(2300 lbs). The CG is no problem. The only issue is the weight. I don't want
to leave one of them behind, and I certainly don't want to leave myself
behind :-))).

I am hoping that the plane wasn't refilled after it's last flight but I
won't know until I go to the airport to get the plane. Should it be full
and I don't have the needed 15 gals of fuel dumped, should I be concerned
about being 90 lbs over?

Please be nice in your answers. I feel like an idiot even asking because I
am concerned and if it wasn't for the fact they are visiting us for
Christmas, I would take one at a time on two separate trips!!! And at the
same time, I'm not in a hurry to get us hurt (or worse) just in the name of
having fun.

Thanks.

Harry

In a previous article, "Harry Gordon" said:
Christmas, I would take one at a time on two separate trips!!! And at the
same time, I'm not in a hurry to get us hurt (or worse) just in the name of
having fun.

Somebody tell Harry Gordon that somebody has forged a posting in his name.

If I *were* to contemplate doing such a thing as flying overweight, I sure
as hell wouldn't put my own name on a public admission that I'd
contemplated it ahead of time. If something untoward happens, even if it
were unrelated to the weight and balance or fuel, and the FAA or NTSB
found this post, you could bet that you'll never fly again.


--
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kindled, flamed and, on occasion, extinguished and mourned." -deCadmus

I have a question that I know the legal answer for but am looking for some
alternative suggestions.

There are no alternatives to the legal answer.

I am hoping that the plane wasn't refilled after it's last flight but I
won't know until I go to the airport to get the plane.

This isn't a problem. If it is flying tomorrow before you fly, you phone
the FBO ahead of time and ask them to ensure that the plane is not
refuelled.
If it isn't flown before you fly you are left with 3 choices.
1. Pay for the excess gas to be siphoned out,
2. Fly it solo until you have burned off the gas.
3. Take the passengers one at a time

What you don't do is fly it 90lb overweight. There are a lot of reasons
for that -
It is illegal - not only will you be penalised if you are caught, if you
crash on takeoff you won't even be insured,
You don't know the characteristics of the aircraft at that loading -
stall speed, stall characteristics, your yellow, green and white arcs no
longer give accurate information, and if you have a problem and have to
land soon after takeoff you will be landing overweight which can damage
the aircraft.

In short, it is not one of your better ideas



Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

I'm glad that this question has finally been addressed here. I'm really
getting tired of the flying magizines proudly flauting the W&B issue. the
latest most blauntent one that I can think of is where the 150 hp powered
Cessna 150 was featured with almost no difference between empty weight and
gross weight and yet shows the stout owner and author merrily flying off in
the air to air photos. Does the FAA just use these photo ops to help lure
borderline pilots into doing the stupid things? Shouldn't our magazine
editors/authors and such be some of our best examples instead of the other?
Do these "shining examples" make bordline pilots question the limits of the
regulations and aircraft designs? Anyone has thougths about this? R Little

"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-3A419C.15111925122003@shawnews...
I have a question that I know the legal answer for but am looking for
some
alternative suggestions.

There are no alternatives to the legal answer.

I am hoping that the plane wasn't refilled after it's last flight but I
won't know until I go to the airport to get the plane.

This isn't a problem. If it is flying tomorrow before you fly, you phone
the FBO ahead of time and ask them to ensure that the plane is not
refuelled.
If it isn't flown before you fly you are left with 3 choices.
1. Pay for the excess gas to be siphoned out,
2. Fly it solo until you have burned off the gas.
3. Take the passengers one at a time

What you don't do is fly it 90lb overweight. There are a lot of reasons
for that -
It is illegal - not only will you be penalised if you are caught, if you
crash on takeoff you won't even be insured,
You don't know the characteristics of the aircraft at that loading -
stall speed, stall characteristics, your yellow, green and white arcs no
longer give accurate information, and if you have a problem and have to
land soon after takeoff you will be landing overweight which can damage
the aircraft.

In short, it is not one of your better ideas



Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

I'm glad that this question has finally been addressed here. I'm really
getting tired of the flying magizines proudly flauting the W&B issue. the
latest most blauntent one that I can think of is where the 150 hp powered
Cessna 150 was featured with almost no difference between empty weight and
gross weight and yet shows the stout owner and author merrily flying off in
the air to air photos.

There was one about 18 months ago - can't remember if it was Private
Pilot or Plane & Pilot that showed a 150 conversion to a Texas
Taildragger. Useful load was zip but it showed two huge guys with big
smiles flying through mountains.
Ain't Photoshop wonderful?

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

Thank you, both Paul and Tony. Even when I pressed the "enter" key I was
kicking myself for even asking. There is no way that I would seriously
consider much less actually fly overweight. I guess I was just grasping at
some straws given the outstanding suggestions to other questions I have
gleaned from this newsgroup.

Sorry to waste your time and emotions :-). No further responses are needed.
I will NOT take that flight being overweight. FOR THE RECORD: I AM NOT
FLYING OVERWEIGHT!!!! (Is that good enough, Paul?)

Incidentally, I did a GOOGLE search on this and other newsgroups on this
same subject, and found almost the same question with numerous different
answers/suggestions/ideas. So, I'm not breaking any new ground for
discussion with this. BTW, the bottom line was "dump some fuel".

Thanks again.

Harry

Someone once said that the only dumb question was the one not asked.
Generally, if one person has a question, someone else also has the same
question but is "afraid" to ask it. Well, perhaps someone out there in
"flying land" who reads this newsgroup is considering flying overweight.
Perhaps you should consider the answers I got. Just an after-thought.

Safe flying, everyone.

Harry

Safe flying, everyone.

I have a wonderful device called "Super Siphon". Stick the end in the
tank, juggle it, and fuel starts flowing out.

I've used this a *lot*, and keep it in the trunk of my car.

I have a wonderful device called "Super Siphon". Stick the end in the
tank, juggle it, and fuel starts flowing out.

But I don't know HOW to juggle! I've tried, and I just can't do it! This
"Super Siphon" thing sounds amazing, but why do you have to juggle to make
it work? Does it matter how many other objects you are juggling at the same
time?

why do you have to juggle to make it work?

Tsk, tsk, skeptics everywhere. You just need *faith*.