What is Basic Empty Weight (BEW)?

• A. The aircraft weight without payload, usable fuel, or crew.
• B. The aircraft weight including payload.
• C. The maximum takeoff weight.
• D. The weight of fuel only.

Answer: (A)

Basic Empty Weight is the airplane’s baseline mass when all fixed, permanent equipment is on board but there is no payload or usable fuel (and the crew is not counted in this baseline). It represents the aircraft’s empty configuration, providing a reference point used to determine how much payload and fuel can be added while staying within weight limits. If you include payload, you’re adding cargo or passengers, which goes beyond BEW. If you talk about maximum takeoff weight, that’s the total limit for takeoff, not the baseline. If you’re weighing fuel only, that’s just a portion of the aircraft’s weight, not the whole BEW.