The way in which an aircraft is loaded is critical to the safety of the flight. Too heavy at the rear and it could tip onto its tail. Too heavy at the front and the pilots will struggle to get the aircraft airborne. As a result, cargo and baggage are loaded in a way in which they will balance out how passengers are sat in the cabin.

The load sheet provides the pilots with information as to how the aircraft has been loaded. From this, we are able to set the trim of the horizontal stabilizer to ensure that all takeoffs handle in the same way.