ATPL MASS & BALANCE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is specific gravity? - Correct Answers -the ratio of the density of a liquid to the
density of water at +4'C
What does All-Up Mass (AUM) comprise of? - Correct Answers -Basic Empty Mass
(BEM); Variable Load (VL); Traffic Load (TL) & Fuel (F)
What is the Basic Empty Mass (BEM)? - Correct Answers -The empty, clean aircraft
with:
any unusable fuel;
full quantity of operating liquids (such as hydraulic fluid & engine oil);
safety equipment (fire extinguishers, flares emergency oxygen and survival equipment
as appropriate);
Supplementary electronic equipment
What does the Variable Load include? - Correct Answers -The crew and their baggage;
The catering and other removable passenger service equipment;
Food, beverages and potable (drinking) water;
Lavatory chemicals, and any other special operational equipment
What is Traffic Load? - Correct Answers -Total mass of passengers, baggage and
cargo, specialist equipment, ballast and any non-revenue load
What is fuel and what are it's components? - Correct Answers -The useable fuel in
tanks, includes:
Taxi Fuel
Trip Fuel
Contingency Fuel
Alternate Fuel
Final Reserve Fuel
Extra Fuel
Additional Fuel
What is the requirement for Final Reserve Fuel? - Correct Answers -Jet/Turbine Engine:
30 minutes @ 1500ft
Piston Engine: 45 minutes @ 1500ft
Anything below this is classed as a Fuel emergency
, What are the consequences of an excessively aft CG? - Correct Answers -Reduced
stability
Light and overly responsive controls; which can lead to the airframe being easily
overstressed
Insufficient nose-down authority
Spin recovery difficult or impossible
What is the "datum" of an aircraft? - Correct Answers -The datum is an imaginary
vertical plane or line from which all fore and aft measurements are taken. It is
established by the manufacturer and can be at the nose, firewall, wing leading edge, a
point in space in front of the nose, etc.
Where can Datum and Balance arm data be found? - Correct Answers -The
manufacturer's Aeroplane Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilot Operating Handbook (POH)
What is Take-Off Mass? - Correct Answers -Mass of an aircraft at the start of take-off
run from the departure airport
What is Landing Mass? - Correct Answers -Mass of an aircraft at touchdown at the
destination airport
What is the Ramp/Taxi Mass? - Correct Answers -The mass of an aircraft before the
engine starts
What is Gross (In-flight) Mass? - Correct Answers -The mass of the aircraft at any point
during flight
What are the two types of Maximum Masses and what is the lowest of them known as?
- Correct Answers -Maximum Structurally limited mass and Performance limited mass.
Regulated Mass
What Maximum structural Masses are there? - Correct Answers -Ramp/Taxi Mass
Take-Off Mass
In-flight Mass
Zero Fuel Mass
Landing Mass
What Performance Limited Masses are there? - Correct Answers -Take-off Mass
Landing Mass
What the difference between Structural Limitations and Performance Limitations? -
Correct Answers -Structural mass limitations protect the aircraft's structure, keeping
stresses and strains within the designed limits, with a margin of safety
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is specific gravity? - Correct Answers -the ratio of the density of a liquid to the
density of water at +4'C
What does All-Up Mass (AUM) comprise of? - Correct Answers -Basic Empty Mass
(BEM); Variable Load (VL); Traffic Load (TL) & Fuel (F)
What is the Basic Empty Mass (BEM)? - Correct Answers -The empty, clean aircraft
with:
any unusable fuel;
full quantity of operating liquids (such as hydraulic fluid & engine oil);
safety equipment (fire extinguishers, flares emergency oxygen and survival equipment
as appropriate);
Supplementary electronic equipment
What does the Variable Load include? - Correct Answers -The crew and their baggage;
The catering and other removable passenger service equipment;
Food, beverages and potable (drinking) water;
Lavatory chemicals, and any other special operational equipment
What is Traffic Load? - Correct Answers -Total mass of passengers, baggage and
cargo, specialist equipment, ballast and any non-revenue load
What is fuel and what are it's components? - Correct Answers -The useable fuel in
tanks, includes:
Taxi Fuel
Trip Fuel
Contingency Fuel
Alternate Fuel
Final Reserve Fuel
Extra Fuel
Additional Fuel
What is the requirement for Final Reserve Fuel? - Correct Answers -Jet/Turbine Engine:
30 minutes @ 1500ft
Piston Engine: 45 minutes @ 1500ft
Anything below this is classed as a Fuel emergency
, What are the consequences of an excessively aft CG? - Correct Answers -Reduced
stability
Light and overly responsive controls; which can lead to the airframe being easily
overstressed
Insufficient nose-down authority
Spin recovery difficult or impossible
What is the "datum" of an aircraft? - Correct Answers -The datum is an imaginary
vertical plane or line from which all fore and aft measurements are taken. It is
established by the manufacturer and can be at the nose, firewall, wing leading edge, a
point in space in front of the nose, etc.
Where can Datum and Balance arm data be found? - Correct Answers -The
manufacturer's Aeroplane Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilot Operating Handbook (POH)
What is Take-Off Mass? - Correct Answers -Mass of an aircraft at the start of take-off
run from the departure airport
What is Landing Mass? - Correct Answers -Mass of an aircraft at touchdown at the
destination airport
What is the Ramp/Taxi Mass? - Correct Answers -The mass of an aircraft before the
engine starts
What is Gross (In-flight) Mass? - Correct Answers -The mass of the aircraft at any point
during flight
What are the two types of Maximum Masses and what is the lowest of them known as?
- Correct Answers -Maximum Structurally limited mass and Performance limited mass.
Regulated Mass
What Maximum structural Masses are there? - Correct Answers -Ramp/Taxi Mass
Take-Off Mass
In-flight Mass
Zero Fuel Mass
Landing Mass
What Performance Limited Masses are there? - Correct Answers -Take-off Mass
Landing Mass
What the difference between Structural Limitations and Performance Limitations? -
Correct Answers -Structural mass limitations protect the aircraft's structure, keeping
stresses and strains within the designed limits, with a margin of safety
