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!

 

[indianboy7]

hoop...throw 50 lbs of ballast in the back and take out a gallon or three...that should help. As for the fat lady..dont' ask her what she weighs...just estimate it at 350 and load the plane accordingly. Sand bags work great.....most fbo's have 'em laying around for that reason. If she can fit, she can go......Then a week later, you better find a 120lb hottie to take flying....just to vindicate yourself.....imp: :beer:

 

[SammyG]

Then a week later, you better find a 120lb hottie to take flying....just to vindicate yourself.....imp: :beer:

Hahaha, already got that covered. If it weren't for scheduling issues, 120 lbs would be going up first imp:

 

[Murdoughnut]

If she can fit, she can go......

That could definitely make for an akward moment if she doesn't fit, though. Just tell her that you've secretly always felt a deep emotional connection to her, and as such, your wife is uncomfortable with you being together with her in a space so small. She'll either understand and bow out gracefully, or try to jump your bones. Hope for the prior.

 

[FN FAL]

Ok so I have a very delicate situatioun here.

One of my superiors at work, a very sweet lady...

Lady? Can't you get the Sargent Major to take care of it?

Sargent Major, are the men HAPPY? ...Well, thrash them about some more then!

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Rip out the rear seats and strap her down with a harness.

 

[gkrangers]

Rip out the rear seats and strap her down with a harness.

LOL, thanks, just what I needed after waking up.

 

[NW_Pilot]

Just hope the ACLU and other groups that require places to have accessibility for the disabled never get their hands on GA. All one needs to say to the wrong person is "sorry your to big I cannot take you" get fired or their ass sued off for discrimination. I can just see it now.

 

[futurama08]

charge her for 2 seats.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Jokes aside, if she's 350 lbs but still able to enter and exit under her own
power, then that should be ok. If she needs help just to talk, you have
an evacuation problem.

Also keep in mind that the seat belt may not fit. This is also a very sensitive
situation. If you think there will be a problem, send everyone else inside
"because she needs to focus on the flight, not her family right now". This
will limit the embarhassment.

Through all of this, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you remain professional
at all times. If you make her comfortable physically and mentally and she still
feels like a normal citizen, it is likely she'll give her friends and family (potential
customers) a good recomendation.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Also keep in mind that the seat belt may not fit. This is also a very sensitive
situation.

Good point. We had a student who was fairly wide and required a seatbelt extension. Make sure one is available before the two of you go out the airport.

 

[pilotguy733]

*lol* This thread has just gotten too interesting...

SammyG and hoop - you will have to give an update and let us know how it went.

 

[dhc8fo]

dhc8fo,

Is this a common practice with people this big?

I have no idea. I don't take people who are too big for my seats. I have only had to deal with my father in law on this issue so far. I just made a huge deal about how tiny our plane is and how important it is to have a balanced genter of gravity.

Usually, if you tell someone that having the plane out of CG could cause a crash under the right conditions, they are quick to change their mind. (I am more tactful than that though)

I have this problem when I fly corporate. One of the planes I have has a TERRIBLE useful load/CG problem. I just straight up tell the guys that I am there to ensure a safe flight, and unless the biggest guy sits in the most forward chair (facing backwards, which he hates), then we can't go because we are putting ourselves into a situation where we could kill ourselves under the right circumstances. No one complains. It also gives them a little healthy respect for things they never thought about with flying since they aren't pilots.

Just do your numbers, move some stuff around, ballast is a great idea, I do that often. If your numbers are good, then take the poor guy flying. The tabs on a PA28 is 36 gallons, right? Go fly the plane for an hour or so and then come back and take him up for an hour. Plenty of fuel left for that and then you will probably be in CG.

 

[dhc8fo]

Hey SammyG, do you know anyone with a bigger plane? Then you can take her up with someone else and not have to tell her that she is too fat. Just maybe tell her that the 172 is broke/taken/whatever.

Then you may even get MORE kudos becuase you went out of your way to find her a way to fly when you were not able to fly her yourself (little does she know that it was WAY more out of your way)....

 

[Amish RakeFight]

The tabs on a PA28 is 36 gallons, right? Go fly the plane for an hour or so and then come back and take him up for an hour. Plenty of fuel left for that and then you will probably be in CG.

36 would be correct.
Tabs on a PA28 are 17 usable each side. 18 total.

 

[McNugget]

Just remember, it ain't over till the fat lady sings!

 

[gearjockey]

If you do gitter dun, please post pictures!

 

[PacoPollo]

Take her on the middle of the day when its hot outside. That way she can shed
a few xtra pounds in the 172.

 

[FN FAL]

Take her on the middle of the day when its hot outside. That way she can shed
a few xtra pounds in the 172.

If she is a sweet lady, maybe he should take her out dancing more often, preferably before the flight.

 

[navigator72]

I used to fly scenic tours in C172's and I flew some very very large people. We had this unwritten rule "If you can get them in the plane, it will fly" I did on occasion tell people that they were too big, It wasn't an easy thing to say but what are your options? One problem with flying with big people is the seatbelt, the standard seatbelt won't fit around them (use a seatblet extender).

 

[crash-proof]

Hey SammyG, do you know anyone with a bigger plane? Then you can take her up with someone else and not have to tell her that she is too fat. Just maybe tell her that the 172 is broke/taken/whatever.

Then you may even get MORE kudos becuase you went out of your way to find her a way to fly when you were not able to fly her yourself (little does she know that it was WAY more out of your way)....

I agree, a 172 won't cut it.
This may work though..

http://www.cybermodeler.net/aircraft/c-97/images/guppies2.jpg