So I have a very large dog (60kg) and I would like to take him flying locally and if my horse sized dog behaves well take him on longer trips.
For maximum comfort I was thinking of removing a rear seat in my Tecnam P2010TDI.
Seems like a simple enough procedure however what would be the legal aspects of a new Weight and Balance ? Do I have to get a new Weigh and Balance signed off ? Could I simply do the math myself and just keep that onboard ?
Obviously this would be a temporary removal and subsequent re-installation.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Assuming you are operating under EASA, if your aircraft has a POH/AFM/MMEL task to temporarily remove the seat then OK, Otherwise you need an EASA minor or possibly major mod with attendant implications including w&b.
Under FAA it is a different matter.
You need at the very least a new officially signed off W&B sheet (just like when adding / removing equipment).
For year’s I have taken out the Passenger 1 seat on my PA28 Turbo Arrow – a very easy operation – when taking my folding bike(s).
I have always entered the ‘new’ weight of the bikes minus the weight of the seat (always ilbs lighter than a POB) and adjusted the ‘Rear Passenger 1’ in the SkyDemon ’Weight & Balance’ accordingly.
On a (rare) Ramp Check in Belgium, this was readily accepted.
Antonio writes:
Under FAA it is a different matter
Can you elucidate?
Surely, you’re not implying that under FAA regs, every time someone goes fishing/skiing/camping they have to get a new W & B check?
You need at the very least a new officially signed off W&B sheet (just like when adding / removing equipment).
It depends on what the Type Certificate says. If the TC describes 4 seats then AIUI 4 seats need to be present, unless there is an STC for removing a seat.
But maybe there is a regulatory aspect which says the above is BS 
For example anything in Airworthiness Limitations is mandatory and the rest is not (FAA Part 91 – no idea about EASA).
Whether anybody checks, or cares, is another matter. And obviously working out a new W&B is trivial. But that is a totally different debate.
In FAAland you look at the MEL to determine if a certain seat is required. If not, you remove it and recalculate your W&B. Funnily enough, this exact scenario came up during the oral portion of my CPL checkride.
In practice, I strongly doubt anyone cares.
It depends. Some POHs have it, some don’t. The airplane I used for my CPL checkride has one.
Peter_G wrote:
Can you elucidate?
Surely, you’re not implying that under FAA regs, every time someone goes fishing/skiing/camping they have to get a new W & B check?
Hi Peter! No, it is just the general US philosophy that whatever is not forbidden is allowed, unlike Europe, where whatever is not explicitly allowed is forbidden!
It depends on whether the people are owners of their freedom and allow the government certain control over it, or whether the governments own all the freedoms and allow the people certain stuff…
Politics aside:
-Under EASA, any change to the type design needs an OEM SB or a third-party STC or a minor mod approval unless approved via a Standard Change. If the seats are part of the type design (check your EASA TCDS) then strictly and formally you need minor mod or STC. Furthermore, any maintenance action, unless otherwise approved in your maintenance programme for owner-pilot accomplishment, has to be performed by Part 66 personnel. Unless seat removal is a task specified in the POH/AFM/MEL, it is a maintenance action and needs EASA design approval before flight.
-Under FAA Part 91 ops, no need for MEL of course. Seats may or may not be required equipment for your aircraft depending on its certification. Some POH/AFM’s and/or OEM W&B reports list required equipment under the aircraft’s certification.
For example, for our N-reg P210’s POH, you have this explanation, where the “R” suffix is required equipment.
Then for our seats, only the pilot’s seat is "R"equired equipment. all the others seats are either standard or optional equipment and thus are not required for operations (except if there are POB’s for which the POH checklist does require proper acomodation).
As to the ability for removal, then interior furnishing tasks are considered pilot preventative maintenance and are thus allowed for the pilot.
It is still mandatory to comply with POH/AFM limitations including W&B and the obvious way is to have your A&P draft an alternate version of your W&B statement to be carried onboard.
Antonio wrote:
No, it is just the general US philosophy that whatever is not forbidden is allowed, unlike Europe, where whatever is not explicitly allowed is forbidden!
Eh… It’s the same principle in Europe. It’s more a difference of what kind of modifications to the aircraft that require approval.
