EU-OPS 1 - Extract 1 — Page 17, Lesson 20

I want to walk you through the mass and balance documentation requirements under EU-OPS 1, specifically Appendix 1 to OPS 1.625. This is the regulatory backbone for what must be written down and carried for every flight you operate. Let's start with the contents. The mass and balance documentation must contain twelve specific items, and I want you to know each one cold because this is what an auditor or an examiner will check. First, the aeroplane registration and type — that's the identity of the machine itself. Second, the flight identification number and date. Third, the identity of the commander — that's you. Fourth, the identity of the person who prepared the document. Note the distinction: the commander is not necessarily the person who prepared it, and both identities must be on the document. Fifth, the dry operating mass and the corresponding centre of gravity of the aeroplane. Dry operating mass is the aeroplane ready for flight but without fuel and without payload — and its CG position must be recorded alongside it. Sixth, the mass of the fuel at take-off and the mass of trip fuel. These are two separate figures: what you have on board at the moment of take-off, and what you expect to burn for the trip. Seventh, the mass of consumables other than fuel — things like galley supplies, potable water, or catering that are consumed during the flight. Eighth, the components of the load, including passengers, baggage, freight and ballast. Ninth, the take-off mass, landing mass and zero fuel mass. Zero fuel mass is the mass of the aeroplane with all payload loaded but before any fuel is added. Tenth, the load distribution — how that load is spread through the aeroplane. Eleventh, the applicable aeroplane CG positions. And twelfth, the limiting mass and CG values — the maximum and minimum figures that must not be exceeded. Now, there's a flexibility clause. Subject to the approval of the Authority — that's the national aviation authority — an operator may omit some of this data from the mass and balance documentation. So the full list is the default, but with Authority approval, parts can be left off. Next, the last minute change. This is a critical operational concept. If any last minute change occurs after the completion of the mass and balance documentation, it must be brought to the attention of the commander, and the change must be entered on the documentation. But there's a limit built in: the maximum allowed change in the number of passengers or hold load acceptable as a last minute change must be specified in the Operations Manual. If that number is exceeded, new mass and balance documentation must be prepared. So there's a threshold — small changes get entered on the existing document, but once you cross the specified limit, you start fresh. Now let's look at computerised systems. Where the documentation is generated by a computerised mass and balance system, the operator must verify the integrity of the output data. He must establish a system to check that amendments of his input data are incorporated properly in the system, and that the system is operating correctly on a continuous basis. And here's the concrete requirement: this verification is done by checking the output data at intervals not exceeding 6 months. So every six months at most, the output must be verified against what the system should be producing. Then there's the onboard mass and balance systems. If an operator wishes to use an onboard mass and balance computer system as a primary source for despatch — meaning the aeroplane's own computer is the authority for releasing the flight — he must obtain the approval of the Authority. It's not automatic; it requires explicit approval. Finally, datalink. When the mass and balance documentation is sent to aeroplanes via datalink, a copy of the final mass and balance documentation as accepted by the commander must be available on the ground. So even though the document is transmitted electronically to the aircraft, there must be a ground-side copy of the final version that you, as commander, have accepted. Let me tie this together for you. The whole philosophy here is accountability and traceability. The document identifies who prepared it and who commands the flight. It captures the masses and CG positions at every relevant stage — dry operating, fuel, take-off, landing, zero fuel. It records the load and its distribution. It states the limits. And for the systems that generate or transmit this data — computerised, onboard, or datalink — there are verification and approval requirements to ensure the data you're relying on is correct. The six-month verification interval and the Authority approval for onboard systems are the two hard regulatory gates you need to remember. One more thing on the last minute change: notice the flow. The change is brought to the commander's attention, it's entered on the documentation, but only up to the limit specified in the Operations Manual. Beyond that, you redo the whole document. That's your protection against an aeroplane being despatched with a load that's no longer accurately reflected in the paperwork.