Weighing in on weight-and-balance apps

Weight-and-balance apps seem to be very popular with pilots. The last time I did a column on them June 6, I received a flood of others they say I missed. So here are five more recommended by members. These are not endorsements of any app.

FlightScale ($3.99  in iTunes and $1.99 in Google Play)—This tablet app allows users to add aircraft data, including the envelope limits, and see the weight and center of gravity plot on a live graph. The app includes three different templates that allow users to enter data for analysis.

EZ Load ($3.99 in iTunes)—This iPhone/iPad app was designed for users of smaller general aviation aircraft to do accurate checks of weight and balance. Users enter the necessary information for each aircraft type and the app provides four primary and one auxiliary view: list, main, graph, description, and info.

Avilution Weight and Balance ($4.95  in Google Play)—This smartphone app can compute aircraft weight, balance, mean aerodynamic chord, and center of gravity. The weight/balance range information is shown on a chart.

Aircraft Weight and Balance ($9.99 in Google Play)—This smartphone app is preloaded with the Cessna 152, Cessna 172, and Piper Cherokee, but you can add and remove aircraft as needed. Features include ability to enter fuel by weight instead of volume, compute weight shift/ballast suggestions when needed, and share reports via email or save to an SD card.

NextGen Systems Weight & Balance (free in iTunes)—This iPhone app allows users to customize the parameters of almost everything and include all of their airplanes under a single program. Features include building an airplane (this will cover more than 80 percent of the general aviation fleet), creating a load sheet with graph, and offering in-app tech support and tutorials. While the app is free, users must pay between $3.99 and $4.99 for each aircraft type.

Do you have FBO or aviation services apps that you enjoy using?  Please pass them, along with any others, my way here.  I want to make sure that the Android users continue to be represented in this column, so please keep the Google Play app recommendations coming! The complete list of apps I’ve reviewed since October 2012 is in AOPA’s online archive.