45 lbs over gross...would you go?

VWGhiaBob

VWGhiaBob

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VWGhiaBob
So at the last minute, a "heavy" friend asked to go on my flight tomorrow am. Trouble is, I fueled tonight, not knowing he would be there, and now I'm 45 lbs over gross.

Part of me knows I'll be fine...in fact I'll be well within max weight on landing. Plus it will be a cool takeoff at 1,000 feed DA on a 4,100 ft runway. Still the Standard Operations Procedure pilot in me says "no". After all an SOP is an SOP.

My solution: I'm getting up at 4:45am to have a fun dawn flight to burn off some fuel.

I wonder if I'm being to literal here, and am curious how many of us faced with this situation would just go.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
So at the last minute, a "heavy" friend asked to go on my flight tomorrow am. Trouble is, I fueled tonight, not knowing he would be there, and now I'm 45 lbs over gross.

Part of me knows I'll be fine...in fact I'll be well within max weight on landing. Plus it will be a cool takeoff at 1,000 feed DA on a 4,100 ft runway. Still the Standard Operations Procedure pilot in me says "no". After all an SOP is an SOP.

My solution: I'm getting up at 4:45am to have a fun dawn flight to burn off some fuel.

I wonder if I'm being to literal here, and am curious how many of us faced with this situation would just go.
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Just make a long taxi.....you should be fine!!!;)

Plus a 10x check on mags on run up....your golden!!!
 
VWGhiaBob said:
So at the last minute, a "heavy" friend asked to go on my flight tomorrow am. Trouble is, I fueled tonight, not knowing he would be there, and now I'm 45 lbs over gross.

Part of me knows I'll be fine...in fact I'll be well within max weight on landing. Plus it will be a cool takeoff at 1,000 feed DA on a 4,100 ft runway. Still the Standard Operations Procedure pilot in me says "no". After all an SOP is an SOP.

My solution: I'm getting up at 4:45am to have a fun dawn flight to burn off some fuel.

I wonder if I'm being to literal here, and am curious how many of us faced with this situation would just go.
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I wouldn't do it over gross. Why? Because it's not legal. If there were any sort of mishap with an ensuing investigation, you're toast. Think about it, even if you have adequate performance given, say a cool morning, over being 100 pounds under gross on a warm afternoon, the fact that you were over gross would not be good.
Burn off the extra fuel and have a good flight!
 
Pick up a 5 gallon gas can. Offload 5 gallons. Leave the extra 2 gallons for taxiing and you'll be fine. Seriously, don't come on here asking if it's ok to break the rules. You already know the answers: Yes the plane will probably fly fine. No you probably won't get caught. Yes it's still illegal.
 
Is this in the SR22?
If so, what else you hauling that would cause a 200 lb passenger to put you over gross?
 
As a pilot that flies for a living I know how to get rid of an over weight condition.
 
Brad Z said:
Pick up a 5 gallon gas can. Offload 5 gallons. Leave the extra 2 gallons for taxiing and you'll be fine. Seriously, don't come on here asking if it's ok to break the rules. You already know the answers: Yes the plane will probably fly fine. No you probably won't get caught. Yes it's still illegal.
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Best answer yet.....:thumbsup:
 
Depends.... Normal operations and all that? Nah, I have a few minutes to drain some fuel. No big deal.

But if you have seen rhe movie "2012" where the world is ending, yea.... I'll take off over gross for sure. Or if like a tidal wave is sweeping across the ocean and I live on the coast. Yep.
 
If you are considering flying at 45 over, where is your limit? 50? 100? 200?

You are on the slippery slope. Personally, I'd drain 5 gallons. 10 if I had two cans.

-Skip
 
Jim Logajan said:
Is this in the SR22?
If so, what else you hauling that would cause a 200 lb passenger to put you over gross?
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Yes, Jim...SR22, and I have all seats full...4 adults. An SR22 can't do that with full fuel.

My decision is to go flying this morning at dawn...absolutely gorgeous So Cal am...

KWHP VTU KWJF KWHP, then pick up passengers for a trip to Avalon! (Any excuse to fly...even to burn off excess fuel!).
 
Yeah, but it's a pretty day, so you go to Lancaster? Well, I guess Foxy's is good, but the scenery is rather forgettable.

Tehachapi is a MUCH nicer place if you're headed that way.
 
no worries....you're probably more like 100 lbs over gross, since most aircraft are 20-50 lbs heavier than recorded.....and as Ron sez, be a legal beagle.:nono:
 
VWGhiaBob said:
I'll be well within max weight on landing.
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Unless you have a problem that requires landing shortly after takeoff.

Also, how would you ascertain whether you're within the CG boundaries? The usual charts only specify CG limits up to the legal max gross weight.

My solution: I'm getting up at 4:45am to have a fun dawn flight to burn off some fuel.
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Good solution! Sure, you'd probably be fine anyway, because the legal max gross has a large margin of error. But margins of error should be respected, not squandered.
 
It's a Cirrus. Of course it can do anything you try to do. You have the chute as the bailout for having to ask such questions.

Just be sure to follow the checklist to release the parking brake before taxiing since that is a huge safety item for you.
 
You have the right idea, show up an hour early, do an early run up and a few laps around the pattern and some proficiency training and burn the fuel down to where you need it. Yes, it will cost you a few more dollars to do the right thing, but you're flying and that is why you spend the money anyway. If you can't afford to do aviation right, you shouldn't take passengers, because they are counting on you to do things right.
 
There is another way of thinking about it: is there any chance that something might happen on this flight that would cause you to dearly wish you still had that extra seven and a half gallons of fuel on board? :dunno:
 
If you are 45 over, you likely are 75 over.....

People lie on weight, bags get stuffed a bit more, people wear boots, somebody grabs a couple of bottles of water, etc...
 
I realize it's too late on this flight, but it's the reason I very seldom, I won't say never, top off when I park. I almost always wait and fuel before departure. :D
 
N747JB said:
I realize it's too late on this flight, but it's the reason I very seldom, I won't say never, top off when I park. I almost always wait and fuel before departure. :D
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Me too. Waiting for the fuel truck is my preflight and coffee time.
 
He could just remove the parachute. It should NOT EVER be needed.

David
 
The max takeoff weight isn't a recommendation. Unload some fuel. Why start a flight worrying about the flight.
 
flhrci said:
He could just remove the parachute. It should NOT EVER be needed.

David
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I may be wrong but I believe it is needed in order for the aircraft to be airworthy since it is part of the type design. I'm pretty sure you can't just remove it.
 
Post Mortem from the OP...

Of course I didn't go over gross.

Got up at 4am. Took off from KWHP (near Burbank CA) just before dawn. Didn't even know my new home airport used a CTAF at that hour. Flew about 1.5 hours rich of peak (ground speed 185 knots) to KVCV - Victorville. The morning in the desert was incredibly beatitful....serene, no traffic, smooth.

It was a memorable flight for sure.

Got down to well under gross with 4 passengers and flew to Catalina Island at 9am...another incredibly beautiful flight.

Gotta say this about Cirrus SR22: It still climbs like a bat out of hell, and has a short take-off roll, even at gross. LOVE this plane. (Full disclosure...the picture was from a week ago.)

And I also LOVE turning flying "challenges" into adventures, all while staying safe. This is a flying day I'll remember forever!
 

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Brad Z said:
Pick up a 5 gallon gas can. Offload 5 gallons. Leave the extra 2 gallons for taxiing and you'll be fine. Seriously, don't come on here asking if it's ok to break the rules. You already know the answers: Yes the plane will probably fly fine. No you probably won't get caught. Yes it's still illegal.
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That sums it up.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
Post Mortem from the OP...
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I never knew there was Internet connectivity after death. ;)
("Post mortem" translates to "After death," so your sentence translates to "After death from the OP.")

Got up at 4am.
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I'd be too dead tired to get up at that hour.

Glad to see you and your passengers enjoyed the flying.
 
Jim Logajan said:
I'd be too dead tired to get up at that hour.
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Whenever I have a 4am flight I just stay up. By far easier and more natural to my sleeping cycle than trying to force myself to bed and get up early.
 
I used to take off and fly over loaded......legally. Not jumpers, not ag, not fire fighting, but passenger with baggage and US mail.

And yes, I would increase VR speeds.
 
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