What is meant by landing gross weight?

Landing gross weight refers to the total weight of the aircraft at the time it touches down on the runway. This weight includes everything on board the aircraft, such as the aircraft itself, passengers, cargo, and remaining usable fuel. It is crucial for pilots to be aware of this weight, as it affects the landing performance of the aircraft, including the required landing distance and the overall safety of the landing procedure.

Understanding landing gross weight helps inform decisions about approaches, flap settings, and braking procedures, ensuring that the aircraft can land safely and efficiently under varying conditions. This weight is important for adhering to specific limitations and regulations set by aviation authorities, which ultimately contributes to the safety and operations of the flight.

In contrast, the other options refer to different weights during different stages of flight. The weight without usable fuel focuses on the aircraft's empty weight, the weight at takeoff pertains to takeoff gross weight, and maximum weight before takeoff is concerned with the aircraft's weight limits in terms of structural integrity and performance metrics required for safe flight operations.