weight and balance excel spreadsheet

[starshippe]

   for those of u who have not (yet) sprung for an ipad, heres an excel weight and balance spreadsheet that can be used to visualize cg changes resulting from movements in loads or fuel burn off.
   i'm sure there are many weight and balance spreadsheets out there, but not sure how many there are with graphs.
   constructive comments are welcomed and encouraged. pls let me know if i can help modify one for ur aircraft.
   pls read the read me page.
   
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/94343548/N426CP.xls

bill

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

This is good but I'm also impressed by the iPad app called CAP Preflight.  It has ORM and W&B.

[JeffDG]

Good thing you're in a Wing where you're allowed to do W&B without having the form you do it on approved by NHQ.

Looks good.  I have one for my with with a "drop down" list of planes in the wing, so one sheet does all the planes in the wing...lemme know if you want a copy.

[starshippe]

   is it approved by nhq?
   smile
   yes i would like to see how u handle the drop down stuff. we r in the south georgia wing, with 2 aircraft on the coast, so keeping the empty weights and moments would not be too much trouble.
   how do u insure that any changes to any of the aircraft's weights/moments are promulgated (i've been waiting all year to use that word) to all copies of the spreadsheet?

thanks,
bill

[JeffDG]

   is it approved by nhq?
   smile
   yes i would like to see how u handle the drop down stuff. we r in the south georgia wing, with 2 aircraft on the coast, so keeping the empty weights and moments would not be too much trouble.
   how do u insure that any changes to any of the aircraft's weights/moments are promulgated (i've been waiting all year to use that word) to all copies of the spreadsheet?

thanks,
bill

Dropbox, trying to migrate to our wing Google Drive, but slow there...our Stan/Eval Guy is also our Maint guy, but empty weights/moments don't change all that often actually.

[SunDog]

Sometimes I look in the back seat, and if it's empty, I find I can do a lightening-fast W&B. If I notice the right seat is also empty, the calculations go even faster.

It takes me much longer if I notice people in the back, or when someone has violated policy and filled a C-182's tanks all the way up.

Calculating takeoff performance seems to take me much longer, as well, on short, high runways, and/or if it's hot outside. It's weird, but if I have 5,000' of runway on a winter's day, solo, in a C172, I can do W&B and performance calcs incredibly quickly. Then I waste time checking weather, NOTAMS, and thumbing through bold-face, just to kill time until launch.

This is a cool tool, and will help off-set my apparent reduced mental acuity when faced with people entering the airplane, hot days, and shortened runways. It is nicely done, thank you.

For ORM; once you've done 5 or 6, you've done them all, unless you forgot to save copies for future use.

[Eclipse]

For ORM; once you've done 5 or 6, you've done them all, unless you forgot to save copies for future use.

This mentality is why we keep having mishaps.

[a2capt]

Complacency .. Kills.

[SunDog]

You got that right. . .always worth hearing and considering again. I think my point was missed, however. Martha Lunken can have the stage for me, regarding ORM - see this month's Flying magazine.

FWIW, I think ORM has value, in situations it's suited to. And it can be a minor hazard, as well.  Finite time, great weather, hot day - let's check the TO distance again, shall we? All else being " perfect", a better use of time.

[Eclipse]

You're seriously trying to make the argument that ORM is an impediment?

It's a mindset, not a form, and those who think they "know better" often find themselves completing 78's instead of 108's.

[vento]

It's a mindset, not a form, and those who think they "know better" often find themselves completing 78's instead of 108's.

:clap:

[SunDog]

Uh, no. That's not what I said. . .geez, there weren't THAT many words in the post. . .Last try; filling out the FORM can SOMETIMES be a waste of time, and a MINOR impediment, when it occupies finite time better spent on other prep.

Again, CAP has an ORM form, of some value, but not universal in merit or utilty, and dorking with it can occasionally be a waste of time, situationally dependent.  When that situation obtains is determined by the same judgement that would be used to enter the subjective values on the form.

If a pilot retains several copies that suit some common situations, he may save time, time that may be useful for a myriad of worthwhile safety related endeavors. Managing time is an aspect of risk mangement. . .on second thought, maybe you should take a pass on reading Martha's article. . .

[Eclipse]

Yes, managing time is important, that doesn't mean sacrificing required and critical phases of flight, which include preparation.

If I caught a pilot using a pre-filled ORM he'd have some remedial training to do before he flew a CAP aircraft again. That is
essentially falsifying a document, one which is not optional, and is considered by CAP to critical to flight safety. That you'd do that is bad enough, that you'd actually say it out loud and then try to justify it is worse.

If you don't have the time to give the ORM process the thought it requires, FOR EACH FLIGHT, you don't have to time fly a CAP airplane.

Period.

[starshippe]

   ur very welcome. i am glad u find it useful.
   and thanks for the kind words.
   pls let me know if i can help modify it for ur aircraft.

bill

[JeffDG]

Yes, managing time is important, that doesn't mean sacrificing required and critical phases of flight, which include preparation.

If I caught a pilot using a pre-filled ORM he'd have some remedial training to do before he flew a CAP aircraft again. That is
essentially falsifying a document, one which is not optional, and is considered by CAP to critical to flight safety. That you'd do that is bad enough, that you'd actually say it out loud and then try to justify it is worse.

If you don't have the time to give the ORM process the thought it requires, FOR EACH FLIGHT, you don't have to time fly a CAP airplane.

Period.

Citation?

[Eclipse]

Citation?

Of what?

[a2capt]

I'd be inclined to check out the spreadsheet calculations a little closer, myself. It appears that the author has some kind of issues with the keyboard and who knows what kind of syntax errors might be lurking in that spreadsheet.

Appearance is everything. Because in many cases, that's all you've got to go on. Unfortunately, books do get judged by a cover at times.

[SunDog]

Yes, managing time is important, that doesn't mean sacrificing required and critical phases of flight, which include preparation.

If I caught a pilot using a pre-filled ORM he'd have some remedial training to do before he flew a CAP aircraft again. That is
essentially falsifying a document, one which is not optional, and is considered by CAP to critical to flight safety. That you'd do that is bad enough, that you'd actually say it out loud and then try to justify it is worse.

If you don't have the time to give the ORM process the thought it requires, FOR EACH FLIGHT, you
don't have to time fly a CAP airplane.

U read a little selectively sometimes, U know? One last try, then I go do something useful, like wax the cat or fold dishes. .  . . ORM process good; the ORM form sometimes not worth the the time. Not same thing, understand?

Period.

[Eclipse]

Understood.

The form is not optional, and may not be "reused" from one sortie to another, whether you value the process or not.

Clear?

[SarDragon]

I just checked the CAPF 104 to ensure that my recollection is accurate, and found that there are two check boxes for ORM form, one for Brief, and one for Debrief. It seems to be a hard requirement, every single time. I know that the last several times I gone flying on a mission, the ORM form has been a significant discussion.

I fly in California, and we start every single flight with 30 points on the ORM form (mountains). Adding in the next 10-30 points (turbulence and density altitude) comes quickly. That's halfway to Moderate risk, and we still haven't talked about the Human, Machine, or Mission factors. ORM is VERY important here.