Are flight deck crew included in the Basic Operating Weight (BOW), and are bags included?

• A. Bags included in BOW
• B. Flight deck crew included in BOW, but bags are not
• C. Bags not included in BOW
• D. Both flight deck crew and bags included in BOW

Answer: (B)

Basic Operating Weight is the aircraft’s weight with the flight crew and the standard equipment necessary for flight, before you add any mission-specific payload. The flight deck crew’s weight is included in BOW because their presence is a fixed factor that must be part of the airplane’s weight-and-balance calculations for every flight. Bags, on the other hand, are considered payload and vary from flight to flight, so they are not included in BOW. Instead, baggage and other payload are added to the BOW to form the loaded or gross weight before fuel is added to reach the required takeoff weight. This distinction helps ensure accurate weight and balance and compliance with maximum takeoff limits.