Re: Huh?
Back of the envelope calculation here: if 150mph wind produces 70535 kg force (max takeoff weight of a 737 according to page 1 of the internet) of equivalent lift and lift force is proportional to airspeed squared, that constant of proportionality is 3.13kg per (mph^2).
So at a modest windspeed of 10mph, that would be 313 kg equivalent of lift. Or about 1.7% of a 737's maximum fuel load.
Not sure if that's a big figure or not. Either way, it doesn't seem to hard to take a fluctuating weight measurement and establish the maximum value, assuming that was when the wind speed dropped to zero by chance. Granted, the flight crew probably need this weight figure way before anybody starts boarding, so they can calculate the fuel load needed. Maybe this is why planes don't weigh themselves, because it won't work operationally?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
