What is a weight and balance report?

A weight and balance report serves a crucial role in aviation safety by providing a detailed overview of the aircraft’s weight, center of gravity (CG) location, and loading data. This information is essential because it ensures that the aircraft is loaded within its weight limits and that the CG is within specified parameters for safe flight. Proper weight and balance are critical for maintaining the aircraft's stability, control, and overall performance during flight operations.

In contrast, the other options do not encompass the essential aspects of a weight and balance report. While aircraft maintenance history, flight hours, and logs of passenger and cargo details are important for different facets of aircraft operation and management, they do not specifically address the load configuration and stability factors that a weight and balance report is designed to capture. Understanding this distinction highlights the importance of the weight and balance report in pre-flight planning and overall flight safety.