Plan the loading of an aircraft

This standard is about planning the loading of an aircraft. This involves calculating an optimal load taking into account the aircraft capacity and the planned flight. You should be able to plan the loading of an aircraft to best utilise the available space whilst ensuring all safety requirements are met. This also involves assessing the way in which an aircraft can be loaded to ensure the minimum handling and restraint of the load, identifying potential loading difficulties, producing, issuing and distributing loading documentation, and communicating load information to colleagues such as loading team leaders and aircraft dispatchers. You should also be able to complete the mass and balance calculations and produce loadsheets and, if required, balance charts for the aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements.

This standard is for those whose role it is to plan and complete the mass and balance calculations for aircraft such as a load planning officer.

When you have completed this standard, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge of and ability to:

• Plan the loading of an aircraft

1. Accept and document a load or special load in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
2. Locate and use the required loading information to plan the loading of an aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
3. Confirm that the load or special load does not exceed aircraft structural limitations
4. Respond to load volumes which exceed the space available in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures
5. Assess the risks associated with the load and with the loading process when planning the loading of an aircraft plan in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
6. Assess the requirements for restraining or spreading the load when planning the loading of an aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
7. Identify and respond to potential loading difficulties when planning the loading of an aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
8. Complete the mass and balance calculation when planning the loading of an aircraft and confirm that all weights and loading instructions are within operational limitations
9. Plan the allowed traffic load and loading process for an aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
10. Communicate planned load information to colleagues in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
11. Action any last-minute changes (LMC) to a completed mass and balance calculation and amend the load documentation in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
12. Produce, issue and distribute load documentation in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
13. Construct and send a load message to en route/transit stations as required in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements
14. Collate, record and store the required documentation relating to aircraft load planning and loading process in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements

1. The relevant legal requirements in relation to aircraft mass and balance and the importance of complying with them
2. The terminology, International Air Transport Association (IATA) codes and documents relating to the aircraft and load
3. The types of load information used for load planning and where it can be located
4. Your organisation’s and the airport/airfield’s procedures for planning the loading of an aircraft
5. The importance of adhering to aircraft mass and balance limits and structural loading limitations, and where to locate the required information in relation to the aircraft type when planning the loading of an aircraft
6. The potential consequences of unbalanced and unsecured loads
7. The designators and locations of relevant aircraft compartments
8. The use of actual or standard weights for passengers and baggage
9. The different types of dangerous goods, restricted items and special loads and associated loading and separation requirements to be considered when planning the loading of an aircraft
10. Your organisation's and airport/airfield procedures for responding to load volumes which exceed the aircraft space available
11. How to complete mass and balance calculations and produce a loadsheet and balance chart if required
12. How to highlight critical mass and balance information (weights and centre of gravity indicator) on a loadsheet and, if required, a balance chart
13. How to calculate and plan an allowed traffic load
14. How to allocate a load to aircraft compartments and maintain the required centre of gravity
15. The sequence of en route/transit stations, if relevant, and the effects on load planning
16. How to identify and respond to potential loading difficulties when planning the loading of an aircraft
17. Your organisation's and the airport/airfield’s loading procedures for minimising load handling and the requirement for load restraints
18. Your organisation's and the airport/airfield’s loading procedures to ensure that dangerous goods, restricted articles and special loads are load planned in line with relevant legal requirements
19. Your organisation's and airport/airfield procedures for loading bulk, pallets and Unit Load Device (ULD)
20. Your organisation's procedures for last minute changes (LMC) to the planned load and the maximum weight allowance for an LMC
21. The destination and standard operational codes and abbreviations in use
22. How to complete and transmit load messages
23. Your organisation’s and the airport/airfield’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for collating, recording and storing documentation relating to aircraft load planning and loading process

Documents related to the aircraft and load include:

a) Mass and balance

b) Type of load

c) Aircraft areas

d) Pallets

e) Unit load devices 

f) Special loads

Risks associated with the load include:

a) Dangerous goods

b) Restricted items

c) Uneven weight distribution 

Load information includes:

a) Aircraft weights

b) Fuel load and usage

c) Passengers

d) Baggage

e) Cargo

f) Other loads 

Loading procedures for minimising load handling and the requirement for load restraints account for:

a) Sector requirements

b) Priority loads

c) Separation

d) Restraint 

e) Special load requirements

Traffic load
is the total mass of passengers, baggage and cargo, including any non-revenue load.

IATA
International Air Transport Association

AHM
Aircraft Handling Manual

LIR
Loading Instruction and Report

LMC
Last minute changes

ULD
Unit Load Device

The International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) set out the standard worldwide abbreviations and codes to use when communicating and documenting information in an aviation environment