In the United States of America and throughout the world, people fly every place every day. Air travel is widespread—there’s no doubt about it. Commercial airline companies fly millions of passengers on tens of thousands of aircraft day in and day out.
In general, the weight of one person or one piece of luggage is of little consequence to the operation of a commercial jet, especially because commercial airlines have developed statistical information to estimate the average weight of passengers and additional cargo on planes. However, accurate aircraft weighing is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of aircraft operations.
Statistics are used to determine safe weight loads for airplanes and specific trips, and safety margins are built into the values produced. Knowing the exact aircraft weight is essential for safe flight, compliance with regulations, load planning, fuel management, and maintenance activities.
Weight Capacities on Small and Large Commercial Jets Using Aircraft Weighing Systems
Large jets, including commercial aircraft, can have passenger capacities ranging between 60 and 400 passengers and these planes carry the vast majority of commercial traffic. Aircraft weighing scales play a crucial role in determining the exact weight of commercial aircraft, ensuring precise measurements for empty weight, operating weight, and maximum takeoff weight.
Increases in fuel costs have caused airlines to rely on hub networks to reduce the number of flights they have. Many flights that come into main hubs are satisfied by smaller regional aircrafts. Airlines are substituting bigger planes with smaller ones in as many routes as possible because larger jets consume higher amounts of fuel. Small aircraft typically have 20 to 45 seats.
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A new type of service has emerged called Air Taxis. This service has become popular recently and the purpose of it is to provide air services for less popular routes. Air Taxis are used on a supply and demand basis. It’s typical for Air Taxis to have only 5 to 8 available passenger seats.
Weighing Light Aircraft
The statistical information airline companies use to monitor the weights of massive jets is one thing, but the information is not always useful for small aircraft. Using aircraft weighing equipment for small aircraft ensures accurate weight measurements, which is crucial for safety and efficiency. The statistical model used to measure airplanes must offer a high level of certainty that planes are capable of carrying their loads and the aircraft will have enough fuel to get them wherever they’re going.
If there are only 5 passengers on an Air Taxi, then it does not make sense to assume the total weight of the passengers is near the average weight of passengers normally on the aircraft. There is a possibility that all 5 passengers are well above the average weight. Therefore, it would only be safe to design the flight parameters based on this assumption.
Aircraft weighing systems are essential for accurately determining the weight of small aircraft, ensuring that the correct weight is used for flight planning and safety.
To maximize the benefit of every individual flight, it’s useful to know the correct weight of each passenger and their luggage. If the 5 passengers were equal to the statistical average weight, then it is possible to carry more cargo or reduce the amount of fuel loaded on the plane, achieving better fuel economy.
Air Taxis Use Platform Scales To Measure Passengers and Luggage
Many Air Taxi services use electronic platform scales for weighing aircraft, including the weights of passengers and their luggage. Platform scales are designed to measure people and other large items, and the scales send the weight readings to nearby computers that have custom applications for tracking the weight measurements of all items going onto a particular plane. The measurements of luggage and other cargo can be weighed on platform scales too. Knowing the exact aircraft’s weight is crucial for safe flight and compliance with regulations.
The platform scales used by airline companies must be large enough for passengers of every size to feel comfortable standing on the scale platforms. Arlyn Scales’ 3200 Series Platform Scale is ideal for the weighing purposes of airline companies. A platform that is 20-inches by 27-inches and very low profile (1 & 7/8 inches), this particular scale is easy for passengers to step onto. The capacity of this scale is 1,000 pounds and it has a readability of .2 pounds. Passengers of every size can be weighed accurately. This size scale is also useful for weighing cargo.
Standard 3200 Platform Scales
The most basic platform scale offered by Arlyn Scales is the aluminum-constructed Standard 3200 Platform Scale, which is part of the most comprehensive line of aircraft weighing scales. This scale is available in numerous platform dimensions. Each dimension option is available with 2 different maximum capacity/resolution choices. Every scale’s platform sits 1 & 7/8 inch off the ground.
These scales are suitable for accurately weighing various types of aircraft, including single engine aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and even large passenger airplanes like the Airbus A380.
Platform Dimensions Available:
- 20-inches by 27-inches
- 22-inches by 27-inches
- 27-inches by 60-inches
- 30-inches by 30-inches
- 36-inches by 36-inches
- 48-inches by 48-inches
Maximum Capacity and Resolution Combinations Offered:
- 500 pound maximum capacity and .1 pound resolution
- 1,000 pound maximum capacity and .2 pound resolution
If a customer’s desired platform dimensions are not seen above, then he or she can give Arlyn Scales a call to make accommodations for a custom-made platform size. Keep in mind: the bigger the platform size, the higher the price will be. Also, scales with 1,000-pound maximum capacities are more expensive than scales with 500-pound capacities.
Software Specific To Individual Airline Companies for the World’s Largest Passenger Aircraft
Every airline company has its own proprietary software program for tracking weight measurements. Platform scales by Arlyn Scales are provided with USB ports that can transmit the weight data collected to airline companies’ computer systems. It is crucial to have these scales periodically inspected, calibrated, and certified by a professional scale company to ensure accuracy and compliance with FAA requirements.
Arlyn Scales provides customers with a Windows-based software utility that reads weight collected from the platform scales we manufacture. The software can target any field in the users’ proprietary software. The data is automatically entered into the software’s fields and the information is transmitted from the scale to the software program. This allows the scales to be compatible with a range of user applications.
Platform scales by Arlyn Scales can be used in many types of locations. The scales are provided with a power adaptor and a rechargeable battery pack. The pack can last as long as 7 days on a single charge. When the scales are plugged into power outlets, the scales can operate and the battery packs attached will automatically recharge, as well.
Buy Platform Scales For Airline Weighing Purposes From Arlyn Scales Today
Arlyn Scales is a leader of design and technology within the weighing industry and has been for over 30 years. Our collection of quality, durable, and highly accurate industrial scales is vast. View Arlyn Scales’ large selection of industrial scales on our website.If you have questions and would like to talk to Arlyn Scales’ professional and knowledgeable staff, then call us at 866-467-0809 or fill out our online contact form. Our fully electronic aircraft weighing systems utilize top-of-jack load cells to ensure accurate and dependable weight data for various types of aircraft. Our scales are capable of weighing the world’s largest passenger aircraft, including the Airbus A380.
