With the same placards, if the pilot's weight is 125 lb, what adjustment should be made?

• A. Add 10 pounds of seat ballast.
• B. Add 30 pounds ballast.
• C. Remove ballast.
• D. None required.

Answer: (A)

Ballast is used to keep the glider’s weight and balance in the approved range as pilot weight changes. When the pilot is lighter, the center of gravity tends to move aft unless you compensate by adding ballast forward. The placards specify how much ballast to add for different pilot weights to maintain a proper balance.

With a 125 lb pilot, you add ballast in the forward seat to move the CG back toward the desired position. The recommended amount in this case is 10 pounds. Adding 30 pounds would overshoot the balance, and removing ballast or doing nothing could leave the CG outside the acceptable range for this lighter pilot.