Cessna 152 Weight & Balance Calculator
Interactive Cessna 152 weight & balance: editable stations, live CG and moment, envelope check — sample data you replace with YOUR POH figures.
SAMPLE figures shown — substitute your aircraft's actual empty weight, arms and limits from its current weighing record and POH. 152 overloads are normalized at flight schools precisely because the type forgives them — which is exactly how weight discipline erodes before pilots move to types that don't.
| Station | Weight (lb) | Arm (in) | Moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty aircraft (YOUR W&B sheet!) | 33,210 | ||
| Pilot & passenger | 13,260 | ||
| Fuel (24.5 gal usable = 147 lb max) | 5,040 | ||
| Baggage 1 (120 lb max) | 640 | ||
| Baggage 2 (40 lb max) | 0 |
⚠️ Not for operational decisions. This is a record-keeping and planning aid only — not certified avionics, not a source of regulatory truth. Always verify against official sources (FAA) and your operator's approved documents before flying.
Free cessna 152 weight & balance calculator: editable stations with live gross weight, moment and CG plus an envelope check — pre-loaded with clearly-labelled sample Cessna 152 data you replace with your own POH figures.
About Cessna 152 Weight & Balance Calculator
152 overloads are normalized at flight schools precisely because the type forgives them — which is exactly how weight discipline erodes before pilots move to types that don't. That's the Cessna 152's loading personality, and it's why type-specific W&B awareness beats generic arithmetic: two standard-weight adults and full fuel exceed many 152s' limits — the type that taught the world to fly is also the type that teaches weight discipline. Use this calculator as the live worksheet — edit each station to today's real weights (and your aircraft's actual empty figures, which differ from the samples shown), read gross weight, moment and CG instantly, and see the envelope verdict. Then do what the pros do: recompute for landing, because fuel burn moves CG.
How to use Cessna 152 Weight & Balance Calculator
- 1Replace the sample empty weight/arm with your aircraft's current weighing-record figures.
- 2Enter today's real loads per station (people, fuel, bags).
- 3Read weight, CG and the check; recompute for landing after fuel burn.
Why use Cessna 152 Weight & Balance Calculator?
- ✓Live arithmetic: weight × arm → moment → CG, recomputed per keystroke
- ✓Envelope check against the type's published limits (verify vs YOUR POH)
- ✓Type-specific insight: 152 overloads are normalized at flight schools precisely because the type forgives them
- ✓Editable stations — sample data swaps for your aircraft's in seconds
- ✓Free, instant, browser-only
Frequently asked questions
Are two adults and full fuel legal in a Cessna 152?+
Frequently not: a typical 152 offers ~560 lb of useful load, and two 190-lb adults (380) plus full fuel (147) plus headsets and bags crosses 1,670 lb MTOW on many serials. The honest options are the ones instructors actually use — partial fuel for pattern work, or solo for full-tank cross-countries. The deeper lesson the 152 teaches: 'it flew fine' is not evidence it was inside limits; the envelope is certified, the forgiveness is luck plus margin you can't see.
Why does the tool ship with sample numbers?+
So the arithmetic demonstrates correctly before you customise it — but the samples are typical published Cessna 152 values, NOT your aircraft: empty weight and arm differ per serial (every repair, avionics change and repaint moves them), and the legally controlling figures are your aircraft's current weighing record and POH limits. Treat the first edit — replacing the empty-aircraft row — as part of using the tool, and keep the page with your real numbers in your flight bag.
Do I need to check CG for landing too?+
Yes — fuel burn moves the CG (toward wherever the tanks aren't), and several types are takeoff-legal but landing-illegal on the same flight plan. The two-minute habit: compute takeoff CG, then zero (or reduce) the fuel row and read the landing CG. If either end sits near a limit, the loading needs rethinking before engine start, not in the flare.
Is this tool private — who can see my entries?+
Only you. Entries live in your browser's local storage and never leave your device, so there is no account, no cloud sync and no one else with access. Because the data is device-local, export a CSV backup before clearing browser data or switching computers.
How do I back up or print these records?+
Use the Export CSV button below the table: it downloads your full load sheet as a spreadsheet-ready file. From there you can print a clean copy, archive it with your records folder, or import it into any other system. Exporting monthly is a good habit since the working data lives only in your browser.
Related Aviation tools
FAA PPL Pilot Logbook
Free digital FAA pilot logbook for PPL holders — log flights, auto-total hours and watch 90-day recency, privately in your browser.
● LiveFAA CPL Pilot Logbook
Free digital FAA pilot logbook for CPL holders — log flights, auto-total hours and watch 90-day recency, privately in your browser.
● LiveFAA ATPL Pilot Logbook
Free digital FAA pilot logbook for ATPL holders — log flights, auto-total hours and watch 90-day recency, privately in your browser.
● Live