Which statement about Basic Operating Weight is true?

Which statement about Basic Operating Weight is true?

• A. BOW includes payload and fuel
• B. BOW excludes payload and fuel
• C. BOW includes crew but excludes payload
• D. BOW excludes crew

Answer: (B)

Basic Operating Weight is the aircraft’s weight with all the standard items needed to operate the airplane, but without counting the payload or the fuel that will be used during the flight. This means it includes the empty aircraft plus the crew and the equipment and fluids required for operation, but it does not include passengers, baggage, cargo, or any usable fuel. Because of that, the statement that BOW excludes payload and fuel is the correct description. In practice, you add payload to the Basic Operating Weight to get the Zero Fuel Weight, and then you add fuel to reach the Takeoff Weight.

Basic Operating Weight is the aircraft’s weight with all the standard items needed to operate the airplane, but without counting the payload or the fuel that will be used during the flight. This means it includes the empty aircraft plus the crew and the equipment and fluids required for operation, but it does not include passengers, baggage, cargo, or any usable fuel. Because of that, the statement that BOW excludes payload and fuel is the correct description. In practice, you add payload to the Basic Operating Weight to get the Zero Fuel Weight, and then you add fuel to reach the Takeoff Weight.