Ask the Captain: Do pilots notice a difference in takeoff for near-empty planes versus full flights?
At the start of the pandemic, planes flew with very few or no passengers. Do you notice a significant difference in performance in takeoff in near-empty planes versus planes full of passengers?
– Vance Carpenter
The number of passengers definitely can change the performance of any airplane. Before every takeoff, the pilots compute the weight and balance of the airplane. This gives them the proper speeds for critical decisions and when to raise the nose and start the climb.
Passenger weights are a part of the overall weight, hence the fewer passengers, the less the weight. Lighter airplanes lift off the runway at a lower speed, climb faster, cruise higher and land at a slower speed.
There is definitely a significant difference in a lightweight airplane (few passengers and bags) and a full flight.
