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Aviation glossary

Station

What is station?

FAA handbook figure illustrating station

A station is a location along the airplane's length, measured in inches from a fixed reference point called the datum. Weight-and-balance calculations use station numbers to describe where seats, fuel, baggage, and other items are positioned. Think of it as an address on a ruler running nose-to-tail—the higher the number, the farther aft (toward the tail) the location.

Also known as: fuselage station, arm

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