What term represents the combined weight of passengers, baggage, and cargo?

What term represents the combined weight of passengers, baggage, and cargo?

• A. Payload
• B. Useful Load
• C. Gross Weight
• D. Empty Weight

Answer: (A)

Payload refers to the weight of everything the helicopter carries that isn’t fuel—primarily passengers, baggage, and cargo. It represents the portion of the useful load allocated to occupants and cargo. The useful load, which combines payload and fuel, is the total weight the helicopter can carry beyond its empty weight. When you add fuel to the payload, you get the Useful Load; adding that to the empty weight gives the Gross Weight. So the combined weight of passengers, baggage, and cargo is the payload, not including fuel. For example, if the empty weight is 4,000 lb, passengers and baggage weigh 600 lb, and fuel weighs 100 lb, the payload is 600 lb, the useful load is 700 lb, and the gross weight is 4,700 lb.

Payload refers to the weight of everything the helicopter carries that isn’t fuel—primarily passengers, baggage, and cargo. It represents the portion of the useful load allocated to occupants and cargo. The useful load, which combines payload and fuel, is the total weight the helicopter can carry beyond its empty weight. When you add fuel to the payload, you get the Useful Load; adding that to the empty weight gives the Gross Weight. So the combined weight of passengers, baggage, and cargo is the payload, not including fuel. For example, if the empty weight is 4,000 lb, passengers and baggage weigh 600 lb, and fuel weighs 100 lb, the payload is 600 lb, the useful load is 700 lb, and the gross weight is 4,700 lb.