Big People in Small Planes

[SammyG]

Ok so I have a very delicate situatioun here.

One of my superiors at work, a very sweet lady, wants me to take her up flying. I took up a couple of co-workers the other day and she got wind of it and thought it would be fun to go too.

I would love to take her up. I like her a lot and would like to show her how fun it is to fly.

Problem is....The biggest plane I can fly is a C-172....and unfortunately...this lady is...umm....obese.

I know its cause of a medical problem, so its nothing that I blame or judge her for. But still, just by looking at her, I just know she has to be over 300 lbs.

Whenever she brings up the subject about how I "need to take her up flying" someday, I try to gracefully avoid the subject without outright saying "no" to her.

But if she keeps dropping hints about wanting me to take her up....how in the world do I deal with this???

 

[iflyjets4food]

Just you and her? How much do you weigh? Last time I checked a 172, it had a useful load of around 800lbs. Do some creative loading, fly the airplane with less than full tanks. You'll be doing this a lot in bigger airplanes.

 

[Petrov]

IF shes over 300 LBS she wont fit in the door, if she does you wont be able to pull back on the yoke because of her gut and proably wont be able to touch the trim either because its gonna be blocked in by her fat rear end.

 

[SammyG]

Just you and her? How much do you weigh? Last time I checked a 172, it had a useful load of around 800lbs. Do some creative loading, fly the airplane with less than full tanks. You'll be doing this a lot in bigger airplanes.

I weigh around 165 lbs. The plane would want to tip over to the right side during takeoff and landing, right?

Also, 300 lbs is just an estimate on my part.

 

[iflyjets4food]

Nah, I took a guy for an aerial photography shoot one time who weighed easily 350 lbs. A 172 is so narrow that it doesn't throw off the lateral balance much to have someone heavier on one side. You don't worry too much about flying a 172 solo do you? You on one side and no weight on the other doesn't change things too much. Ultimately you have to make the decision, and if you aren't comfortable, don't do it.

 

[Murdoughnut]

Just don't let your friends see you.

 

[JCJ]

It should be OK

Just don't let your friends see you.

Yep

but really, if she'll fit in the aircraft and there are no potential problems with her size interfering with unhampered access & movement of the controls, you should be OK.

Most 172's the full fuel payload (a different number than useful load, which must include fuel weight) is in the 700 lb range.

Do a careful and accurate W & B. Check fore-aft CG window, but it'll probably be OK. CG left & right of midline likely won't be an issue for the reasons indicated above. if so, you can have her move seat full back and lean inboard across the centerline duting critical phases of flight, but I am a big guy and I fly solo in a 172 with no problems with lateral stability. Brief an egress plan in advance - if there's a need to leave the a/c quickly, you won't get out past her for obvious reasons.

Ask her PRIVATELY what her weight is and be sure she knows how important an accurate answer is. There may be a tendency to round that number down some in persons of size. I won't tell you how I know that, but let me just tell you I know that.

If you have access to and are qualified in a 182, it has a little more room. The full fuel payload is less, though (although most 182 drivers don't keep the tanks completely full for that reason)

With careful planning it should be OK

 

[dhc8fo]

make her sit in the back seat(s) if she can get past the front seat. then you don't have to worry about the centerline.

we can't take my father in law flying for this reason. we had to just come out and tell him that he is just too big for our little plane. sorry, but it is a fact. he is well over 350 and would break my seatback getting in and maybe even my flaps since they are the step up! (cherokee).

 

[JCJ]

make her sit in the back seat(s) if she can get past the front seat. then you don't have to worry about the centerline.

we can't take my father in law flying for this reason. we had to just come out and tell him that he is just too big for our little plane. sorry, but it is a fact. he is well over 350 and would break my seatback getting in and maybe even my flaps since they are the step up! (cherokee).

Good idea. Should work in a 172. Obviously do a careful W & B for both overall weight and CG window (expecially important with light pilot in front and heavy pax or cargo in back.

 

[hoop]

make her sit in the back seat(s) if she can get past the front seat. then you don't have to worry about the centerline.

we can't take my father in law flying for this reason. we had to just come out and tell him that he is just too big for our little plane. sorry, but it is a fact. he is well over 350 and would break my seatback getting in and maybe even my flaps since they are the step up! (cherokee).

dhc8fo,

I have a similar situation..... I am a new private pilot, and have a friend that is around 350lbs, and I'm 260. He's been hounding me to take him flying, and I've worked up the WB and CG on it, and we are about 30lbs under max gross weight, and out of CG if he sits in the front( pa-28 filled to tabs). I've thought about putting him in the back, but just didn't feel comfortable about it. Is this a common practice with people this big? Being a new private pilot, I feel doing this is pushing my luck, so to speak, and I'm uncomfortable about it. Everyone else I've flown (not many) have been under 200lbs, and not an issue. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

PS Sorry for the hijack SammyG!