The Federal Aviation Administration has finally revised its 66-year-old assumptions about U.S. passenger weight. Here are a few reasons why

8.5 Pounds the average U.S. adult male weight increased, 1991 to 2000


170 Pounds the FAA assumed an average male passenger weighed,
1938 to 2003


184 Pounds the FAA currently expects an average male passenger to weigh, according to an August 2004 revision of weight assumptions


14.8 billion Gallons of jet fuel consumed by domestic air travel in 2000


350 million Gallons that could have been spared in 2000 if the average
U.S. adult weight remained at 1991 average


3.8 million Tons of carbon dioxide emissions generated by burning
350 million gallons of jet fuel


$275 million Cost of 350 million gallons of jet fuel in 2000


23.5 million Additional gallons of fuel required if every domestic-flight passenger in 2000 was served the Hardee´s 2/3-pound Monster Thickburger en route


Sources: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; U.S. Department of Transportation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
Federal Aviation Administration; Hardee´s Food Systems; National Academy of Sciences; National Research Council















0 Comments



Download Our iPhone App

Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing



Follow Us On Twitter

Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed



Become a Fan On Facebook

Share links with friends, comment on stories and more


December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

Check out the best of what's new here.

Popular Science Photo Pool


Share your photos in the Pop Sci pool at www.flickr.com!
tags_sprite.png
POP_embeddedForm_cover_May09.jpg