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Aviation glossary

Useful Load

What is useful load?

Illustration related to useful load
Image: David Wright — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Useful load is the difference between an aircraft's maximum takeoff (or gross) weight and its basic empty weight. In other words, it's everything you're allowed to add: the pilot, copilot, passengers, baggage, usable fuel, and drainable oil. Think of it as your total "carrying capacity" — the weight budget you have to work with once the airplane itself is accounted for.

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