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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge
Elements and Performance Criteria
- Plan an aircraft load
- Aircraft design and mass, launch, landing and zero-fuel weights (ZFW) are reviewed and applied to load planning activities
- Operational load planning factors affecting a restriction on mass, operational (phase of flight), environmental, equipment, airspace and area of operations are considered and applied as required to aircraft load planning
- Aircraft operating mass and passengers mass limits are summarised within load planning documentation
- Mass of minimum fuel based on ZFW, quantity, fuel type and specific gravity (including fuel quantity conversions) are reviewed and applied to load planning calculations
- Available payload based on specific conditions affecting a flight, including maximum take-off weight (MTOW), regulated take-off weight (RTOW), minimum fuel and taxi fuel requirements, are determined
- Manual load sheet, including payload location and last-minute changes, is prepared
- Load sheet, including payload location and last-minute changes, is interpreted and automated
- Apply mass and balance control to flight planning
- Mass and control limitations are included in flight planning calculations
- Required fuel and payload quantities, including minimum fuel reserves, maximum allowable payloads and fuel quantity limitations, are considered when calculating mass and balance
- Calculated aircraft mass centre of gravity (CG) is within aircraft limits and is established for take-off, cruise and fuel economy calculation purposes
- Ground handling of baggage and cargo is minimised through load distribution and loading sequence planning
- Mass and CG is derived and calculated using basic data methods and is applied to flight planning calculations
- Comprehensive load sheet is compiled that includes all required flight performance and load planning data
- Identify constraints affecting load planning
- Aircraft, route, fuel required, and performance limitation planning factors are assessed for potential constraints to load planning activities
- Hazards are identified, risks assessed, and hazard management implemented
- Operator advance index tables and potential impact of mass and fuel minima during seasonal change are identified and considered
- Unusual conditions when advanced allotment tables may be exceeded, the operational impacts and associated contingency planning factors are considered
- Load planning constraints and limitations are prioritised based on operational and regulatory requirements
- Operational load planning factors affecting a restriction on mass, operational (phase of flight), environmental, equipment, airspace and area of operations are considered and applied as required to aircraft load planning
- Aircraft operating mass and passengers mass limits are summarised within load planning documentation
- Mass of minimum fuel based on ZFW, quantity, fuel type and specific gravity (including fuel quantity conversions) are reviewed and applied to load planning calculations
- Available payload based on specific conditions affecting a flight, including maximum take-off weight (MTOW), regulated take-off weight (RTOW), minimum fuel and taxi fuel requirements, are determined
- Manual load sheet, including payload location and last-minute changes, is prepared
- Load sheet, including payload location and last-minute changes, is interpreted and automated
- Apply principles of aircraft balance and longitudinal stability to load planning
- Aircraft point of balance is calculated using aircraft data and aircraft balance principles, and is applied to load planning calculations
- Identify aircraft structural limitations
- Fuselage structural limits over, forward and aft of the wing, and mass limitations for associated loading zones are considered and applied to load planning activities
- Maximum allowable package sizes are determined using aircraft tables
- Methods of restraint and the effect on passengers and crew, damage and CG, including principles of inertia and forces applied to load, are considered and applied to load planning activities
- Advantages and limitations of certified and non-certified cargo loads and containers, and methods of load security are considered when calculating aircraft load limitations
- Identify aircraft mass and performance planning safety factors
- Aircraft certification standards, including categories, state/territory-based variations, operating mass or CG never exceeding limits, and aircraft flight manual restrictions are considered and applied to aircraft mass and performance calculations
- Environmental considerations, including certified aircraft operating envelope, pressurisation capabilities, system limitations and aircraft flight manual envelope charts, are considered and applied to aircraft performance calculations
- Determine aircraft mass and speed limitations
- Boundaries of aircraft operating envelope for a specific mass are determined using flight strength diagrams, illustrating effect of wind gusts, margins of speed limits, and turbulence penetration considerations
- Calculate take-off requirements
- Critical engine failure speeds, flap positions and reduced thrust take-off stopping distance at critical engine failure speeds is calculated
- Calculate climb performance
- En route considerations affecting climb performance, such as take-off mass, en route alternate selection and terrain, are considered and applied to aircraft performance calculations
- Approach and landing requirement planning factors, including terrain and obstacle avoidance, and effects of mass, altitude and temperature, are considered and applied to aircraft performance calculations
- Calculate landing area requirements
- Landing distance based on varying environmental conditions, effect of obstacles and braking systems is calculated
- Determine aircraft buffet boundary and speeds
- Permissible buffet for a range of aircraft speeds for combinations of mass and altitude, including safe operating margins, is calculated
Range Statement