Baggage weight reduced to fit MLW

[tknudsen]

Here are the correct weights for Toliss A320-214 aka CEO by their manual and setup in this case for Easyjet by their real pax count of 186.

Toliss A320 have max 188 pax each pax weight of 100kg (includes baggages)

This profile then divides pax weight into pax and baggages aka 84kg and 16kg (you can do variation here and still be the same issue) to meet this limit by Toliss and to fill out the two boxes in Simbrief. This works kinda well.

So when you try to generate the full load 186 pax, on a short flight, the baggage weight is reduced to meet Minimum Landing Weight? Why is that?

Max passenger weight is 18600 for 186 pax and 18800 for max load - This should include both pax and baggage. Since Easyjet (this profile) do not have cargo, baggages are loaded into several compartments C1-C5 etc. My question is this:

How is MLW calculated here as if you use these weights the logical thinking is

Empty weight 44220 (this is x-plane minimum weight)

Pax weight 18600

Block Fuel 5994kg

and add these togeather, it will = 68 814kg

Stay with me please..

Dead on Weight (DOW) is Operation Empty Weight = 44220

add Payload 16580kg = Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW) = 60800kg

add Fuel 5794kg ( this is subtracted taxi fuel of 200kg which is fuel actually loaded aka 5994kg block) = Take of Weight (TOW) = 66594

now remove Trip fuel = 2094 and you get landing weight (taxi fuel is included in block fuel but estimated to be used on ground, fyi seldom is) = 64500k which is limited (marked by L)

Here is the kicker, payload have been reduced aka baggage weight to fit MLW (image below)

18600-16580 = 2020kg

So that means baggage weight in this case must be 2020/186 = 10,9kg rounded.

Why is almost 11 kilo baggage is removed?

As far as I can see the block fuel should be 5773 (-10.9kg) + 200kg taxi = 5973kg block

This means TOW would be 66573kg - trip 2094 = 64479kg

which is below MLW of 64500kg and you would not need to reduce any baggage weight

[Rodeo314]

@tknudsen

As far as I can see the block fuel should be 5773 (-10.9kg) + 200kg taxi = 5973kg block

Trip + contingency + alternate + final reserve is the absolute minimum fuel to legally fly this route. You simply cannot just decide to remove fuel to meet other weight restrictions, hence the need to adjust payload instead.

Regards,

Tim

[tknudsen]

You should safely calculate how much fuel you would need to do the trip, either you do the absolute minium or add extra fuel to execute diversions, holding, weather offsets etc. Based what the OFP gives you, it doesn’t mean that is the fuel you end up taking off with, it’s an estimate to the pilot, pure and simple.

Now there are limitation’s, this is true and known. With that in mind, I’d say in a perfect world, each pax and their baggages are weighed in at checkin and a calculated loadsheet provided to the pilots. However no airline would ever exist if they had to say to the passengers “ We kindly appologies, but we had to leave your baggages behind”

In real, every weight and balance is perfectly calculated, then again each plane is also configured correctly. Toliss weight’s and perhaps more sim type airplanes are not very realistic. In case of Toliss, it’s a perfect blend between many airline setup combined with limitations in X-Plane. A perfect example of this is pax and cargo distributions but also DOW/OEW)

Where the real plane distibutes passenger into cabin zones such as i.e. OA, OB and OC, they also group passenger by gender such as male, female, child and infants with a key weight of each. Cargo is also distributed into compartments, baggages are counted and divided into compartments. Examples can be C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5 depending on the airplane configuration, type and airline.

Point here without elaborating more, there are room for balance and improvement and I wonder how Navigraph calculates this and the reason why baggage weights are dropped.

Also the fact that 11kg of fuel isnt very noticable in the long run, it is however important for cost efficiency for airlines. For example if you set cost index to 0 when passing 10000 feet, you save a lot of fuel during climb aka a lot of money. Another caviot is that if you take i.e. 1 ton extra fuel in Simbrief, no baggage weights are reduced, so I’m eager to understand why this is happening and how can I avoid it rather than complain..