There are 3 weight classes—small, large, and heavy.
- Small: These include aircraft of 41,000 pounds or less maximum certified takeoff weight.
- Examples of small aircraft include the Beechcraft Baron (BE58), Cirrus SR-22 (SR22), and the Cessna Caravan (C208).
- Large: These include aircraft of more than 41,000 pounds, maximum certified takeoff weight, up to 300,000 pounds.
- Examples of large aircraft include the Boeing 737-800 (B738), Embraer EMB-190 (E190), Lockheed Hercules (C130), and the Fighting Falcon (F16)
- Heavy: These include aircraft capable of takeoff weights of more than 300,000 pounds whether or not they are operating at this weight during a particular phase of flight.
- Examples of heavy aircraft include the Airbus 340 (A343), Boeing 777 (B772), and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster (C17)