What does gross weight comprise?

• A. Weight of aircraft
• B. Weight of all persons and goods
• C. Weight of all fuel
• D. The combined total of aircraft, passengers and goods, and fuel

Answer: (D)

Gross weight is the total weight of the aircraft with everything on board. It includes the aircraft itself (the airframe and fixed systems), plus all payload such as passengers and their baggage or cargo, and all fuel. This total is the figure that flight and performance calculations use—things like takeoff distance, climb performance, and whether you’re within the aircraft’s certified weight limits depend on it. So the correct idea is that gross weight is the combined total of the aircraft, the people and goods, and the fuel. The other options only account for a portion of the total weight (airframe only, passengers and goods only, or fuel only), which is why they don’t represent gross weight on their own.