Weight & Balance

Load your aircraft, see the takeoff weight and centre of gravity, and check both against the certificated envelope for the category you are flying in - instantly. Under EASA it is called mass and balance; the sums are the same.

Aircraft

C172S limits, station arms and sources · all aircraft

Loaded result

Within limits

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP · Normal category · data checked 2026-10-12

Takeoff weight

2,265lb

285 lb under MTOW (2,550 lb)

Takeoff CG

41.10in

Limits 38.15 to 47.30 in at 2,265 lb

PointWeight (lb)CG (in)Limits (in)

Ramp (as loaded)max 2,5582,27341.1238.2-47.3

Takeoffmax 2,5502,26541.1038.2-47.3

Landingmax 2,5502,15740.7537.1-47.3

Ramp moment 93,470 in-lb aft of the datum · 8 lb allowed for start, taxi and runup · 108 lb trip fuel burned off for the landing point

The printed sheet carries the aircraft, the date, every station, all three points of the flight and the full safety notice - free, no sign-up, and it prints offline.

CG envelope

Takeoff and landing plotted against the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP normal-category envelope.

Normal envelope
Takeoff
Landing
Fuel burning off

Each point is labelled IN or OUT, and both must sit inside the envelope.

The bar through the takeoff point is how far the CG slides as the adjustable seats run through their published travel: 40.65 to 42.45 in. Both ends stay inside the envelope.

Datum: the lower portion of the front face of the firewall. All arms are inches aft of that (POH Section 2, p. 2-7). Full limits and sources

Loading

Weights in pounds; fuel in US gallons. Arms are fixed by the airframe.

Empty weight- from YOUR aircraft W&B record (edit these)

Weight (lb)

Arm (in)

Illustrative only - a mid-range 172S basic empty weight and arm. It is not any real airframe. Replace both numbers from your aircraft W&B record.

Front seats (pilot + passenger)· arm 37.0 in · lb

POH Figure 6-3: occupant CG 37 in with the seats set for an average occupant, range 34 to 46 in over the seat travel.

Rear seats· arm 73.0 in · lb

Fuel (usable)· arm 48.0 in · gal · max 53.0 gal

= 240 lb

Baggage area 1· arm 95.0 in · lb · max 120 lb

Baggage area 2· arm 123.0 in · lb · max 50 lb

Trip fuel burn· gal · plots your landing CG

Final reserve to land with· gal · only used to check a fuel fix

Your rule sets it: under 14 CFR 91.151 (VFR), at least 30 minutes at normal cruising speed by day and 45 at night; the EASA and UK minutes are on the fuel reserves page.

Loadouts

Saved on this device only - a loadout is never sent to us.

Breakdown

Weight x arm = moment, per station.

StationWeight (lb)Arm (in)Moment (in-lb)

Empty weight (from your W&B record)1,66340.066,520

Front seats (pilot + passenger)34037.012,580

Rear seats073.00

Fuel (usable)24048.011,520

Baggage area 13095.02,850

Baggage area 20123.00

Ramp total2,27341.1293,470

Less start, taxi and runup fuel-848.0-384

Takeoff total2,26541.1093,086

Weight and balance planning sheet

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP · Normal category

KeepBlueUp · keepblueup.com

Prepared 12 Oct 2026 20:24

Build 25787a2 · 2026-10-12 · C172S data 2026-10-12

Registration

Flight date

Route

Pilot in command

All weights in POUNDS, arms in INCHES aft of datum, moments in INCH-POUNDS - the units these limits are certificated in. Datum: the lower portion of the front face of the firewall. All arms are inches aft of that (POH Section 2, p. 2-7).

Loading

Station	Weight (lb)	Arm (in)	Moment (in-lb)
Empty weight (from your W&B record)	1,663.0	40.0	66,520
Front seats (pilot + passenger) (range 34.0 to 46.0 in)	340.0	37.0	12,580
Rear seats	0.0	73.0	0
Fuel (usable)	240.0	48.0	11,520
Baggage area 1	30.0	95.0	2,850
Baggage area 2	0.0	123.0	0
Ramp weight and moment	2,273.0	41.12	93,470
Less start, taxi and run-up fuel	-8.0	48.0	-384
Takeoff weight and moment	2,265.0	41.10	93,086
Less trip fuel (18 US gal)	-108.0	48.0	-5,184
Landing weight and moment	2,157.0	40.75	87,902

Against the normal-category limits

Point	Weight (lb)	Max (lb)	CG (in)	Forward limit	Aft limit	Verdict
Ramp (as loaded)	2,273.0	2,558	41.12	38.23	47.30	CG in limits
Takeoff	2,265.0	2,550	41.10	38.15	47.30	CG in limits
Landing	2,157.0	2,550	40.75	37.07	47.30	CG in limits

Seat position

The arms above are the handbook figures for seats set for an average occupant. With every adjustable seat run to an end of its travel, the takeoff CG lies between 40.65 in (fully forward) and 42.45 in (fully aft), against limits of 38.15 to 47.30 in. Both ends stay inside the envelope.

Result

WITHIN LIMITS as computed

Where these limits come from

Cessna Model 172S POH / Information Manual, Section 2 (Limitations), Jul 8/98 - Normal and utility weight limits, both CG envelopes, the baggage placards, the datum and the fuel quantities.
Cessna Model 172S POH, Section 6 (Weight & Balance / Equipment List) - Station arms (Figure 6-3), the front-seat occupant CG range, the usable-fuel arm and the start/taxi/runup allowance (Figure 6-5).
FAA-H-8083-1B, Aircraft Weight & Balance Handbook - The moment/arm method and the datum convention.
These are the 172S limits (180 hp, 2,550 lb). Earlier 172s are different aeroplanes for weight and balance: the 172N is 2,300 lb, the 172P 2,400 lb, and the 172R 2,450 lb, with different envelopes. Check the model on your POH title page before you use this.

Safety notice. KeepBlueUp is a planning and training aid, not an official source. It is not an approved or certified electronic flight bag, and it is not a substitute for the POH/AFM, the current weight-and-balance record for the aircraft you are flying, current charts, or an official weather briefing. No output here authorises a flight. As pilot in command you remain solely responsible for verifying every figure against official sources (14 CFR 91.3 and 91.103; EASA Part-NCO). This printed sheet is a planning aid produced from figures you entered. It is not a certificated weight-and-balance record and it does not replace one. Check the empty weight and arm above against the current weight-and-balance record for the aircraft you are flying before you use any number on this page.

Checked against aircraft W&B record (initials)

Signature