Given placards indicate MINIMUM PILOT WEIGHT 135 lb and MAXIMUM 220 lb, and seat ballast can be used as necessary; if the pilot's weight is 115 lb, what adjustment should be made?

• A. Add 20 pounds of seat ballast.
• B. Remove ballast from the seat.
• C. Add 5 pounds ballast.
• D. No ballast change is needed.

Answer: (A)

To stay within the aircraft’s approved weight range, you adjust ballast to bring the total weight up to at least the minimum placard value. A 115 lb pilot needs 20 lb of ballast to reach 135 lb, which is exactly the minimum. So add 20 lb of seat ballast to bring the total weight to 135 lb, safely inside the allowed range. The maximum is 220 lb, so this total is well below the limit.