Fuel load refers to what?

• A. The expendable part of the load of the airplane. It includes only usable fuel, not fuel required to fill the lines or that which remains trapped in the tank sumps.
• B. The total weight of fuel including unusable fuel.
• C. The oxygen and fuel combined for emergency use.
• D. The fuel required to fill the lines and tanks for starting.

Answer: (B)

Fuel load is the total weight of fuel on board, including any fuel that cannot be used. This matters because every bit of fuel adds weight to the airplane, which affects performance, range, and weight-and-balance calculations. Usable fuel is the portion you can burn, but unusable fuel remains in the tanks or lines and still contributes to the aircraft’s weight, so it’s included in the fuel load. The other ideas aren’t correct because they either exclude the unusable portion (which still weighs something) or mix in unrelated items like oxygen or startup fuel.