Maximum Landing Weight
What is maximum landing weight?
Maximum landing weight is the greatest weight at which an airplane is approved to touch down during landing. It is often lower than the maximum takeoff weight because the landing gear and airframe can only absorb so much impact force—which is why some aircraft must burn off or dump fuel before landing after an early-return emergency. Think of it as the heaviest the plane can safely "hit the runway" at, not just float in the air.
Also known as: MLW, max landing weight
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