Airline pilots! Are lifevests included in the weight and balance basic operating weight of an air carrier?

air carrier aircraft. If yes, if they are removed for an overwater flight, would the equipment list and weight and balance have to be recalculated?





Thanks|||Yes.|||If they were removed from the aircraft that carrier would be in violation of Federal and International law, but yes the weight and balance would have to be recalculated. The difference would be negligible.|||There is a slight distinction in terminology:





The BASIC empty weight (BEW) is defined by the FAA for transports as the weight of the airplane with permanently installed equipment, including trapped fluids and full oil.





The OPERATIONAL empty weight (OEW) is the BEW plus operational items, including crew, crew bags, passenger service items, catering, potable water, lavatory toilet fluid, and emergency equipment.





Once onboard, overwater emergency equipment is seldom removed because of the difficulties in tracking the equipment and the weight change that would result. Such a removal would be a very small percentage of the takeoff weight of the airplane, not worth the effort.





Also, should the need arise for a spare airplane for overwater ops, that airplane would no longer be available, reducing the options for the timely completion of an interrupted flight.





If an airplane is permanently removed from overwater operations, the equipment would be removed and a new BOW would be calculated.