You weighed all this stuff, right? What about the stuff you normally carry?

An Aviation Safety Staff Report

One hot Saturday in July, I was introduced to aircraft weight and balance, as practiced by some pilots. I was banging on a coffee machine in the FBO, trying either to get something in the cup or my money back, when a FSDO inspector stopped by. I knew he hadn’t come to help me, but we were on reasonably friendly terms.

“Can you give me a hand, getting a scale out of my car?” he asked. …