Summary
Load controllers are responsible for the load plan of an airplane, i.e. for the weight & balance during operation. For a large freighter airplane this means that the roughly forty pallets and containers with different sizes, contents and weights are assigned to the appropriate cargo bays.
The better the airplane is balanced, or trimmed, the more fuel-efficient it flies. At the same time a wide range of restrictions and regulations has to be satisfied to secure safe operation and to circumvent catastrophies such as tail tipping.
For example, the weight of each pallet is not allowed to exceed the weight limit of the cargo bay it is assigned to; horses and frozen cargo can not be stored in the same compartment due to temperature requirements; over-sized cargo that doesn't fit into a cargo bay has to be compensated for by under-sized cargo; flamable liquids are not allowed to be stored next to oxidizers; ideally it should be possible to unload transit station pallets without touching the load of further destinations.
To assist load controllers with this challenging and demanding task, Key Codes has developed a computer program called LoadCode, which is capable of computing optimized load plans:- LoadCode computes a load plan in 15 seconds on average, whereas a load controller typically needs 15 minutes.
- LoadCode satisfies all of the regulations set by the airline, by the aviation authorities, and by the airplane manufacturer.
- Evaluation of nearly 400 flights learns that fuel-efficiency can be improved by 0.2% to 1.0%, which amounts to approximately EUR 75,000 - EUR 300,000 per airplane per year.
- LoadCode also aims at minimizing ground handling costs by computing load plans that as much as possible allow for efficient loading and unloading of cargo.
Load controllers indicate that the use of LoadCode leads to improved load plans.