Use of ballast - MEL

[DuckBucket]

"Unit Load Devices (ULDs) may be carried provided no cargo is carried on or in these devices. For ballast purposes, use of bags (made of glass fibre or kevlar) of sand or ingots of nonmagnetic metals (such as lead) is acceptable."



What does your company use for Ballast? Nothing about that note would indicate to me that it is an exhaustive list. As long it is not a DG and "non-flammable" in an obvious sense and you don't make any money off of it, I would say it is appropriate to be used for ballast. Thoughts?

[SeptRepair]

Most common I have seen is refereed to as an FO. Load and unload themselves.

[fish4life]

Water jugs in Blue Jerry cans, they go up north as 3lbs empty and come back 50lbs full. Also they are tough enough to freeze without splitting

[plhought]

Sealed 5 gallon pales full of sand. Or plastic wrapped milkcrate filled with sandbags.

[Meddler]

Not sure if you re talking about ballast that might get hauled in and out of the aircraft regularly. That sounds like a pain. But if it's staying in there, lead shot or bullets work well. Compact, heavy, fairly cheep and easy to fit into of shaped spaces.