Which change to an aircraft would trigger reweighing for weight and balance?

• A. Replacing the landing gear with identical weight.
• B. Replacing a small non-structural component with identical weight.
• C. A repaint of exterior.
• D. An extensive repair or alteration that could change weight.

Answer: (D)

Weight and balance reweighing is required whenever a modification or repair could change the airplane’s weight or its center of gravity. Small, non-structural swaps or identical-weight replacements leave the total weight and its distribution essentially unchanged, so they don’t trigger reweighing. A repaint adds only a negligible amount of weight and typically doesn’t affect balance enough to require a reweigh. However, an extensive repair or alteration that could change weight has the potential to shift the aircraft’s weight or CG, so the weight-and-balance data must be updated accordingly.