Definition
The forward and aft boundaries within which the airplane's center of gravity (CG) must remain for the airplane to be safely controllable and structurally sound. These limits are established by the manufacturer and published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). Loading the airplane so the CG falls outside these limits can produce unrecoverable handling characteristics, including resistance to spin recovery.
Plain English
The forward and rearward points between which the airplane's balance point must sit. If the balance point is outside these points, the airplane may not handle or recover the way the manufacturer designed it to.
Context Anchor
Seen in the airplane’s weight-and-balance information, Pilot’s Operating Handbook, Airplane Flight Manual, and before any stall or spin practice.
Derivation
‘CG’ is short for center of gravity — the single point where the airplane's weight effectively acts. ‘Limitations’ here means the manufacturer-set boundaries, not a general weakness. Together: the allowable range for the balance point.
Why Pilots Care
Placing the center of gravity outside these limits can make spins easier to enter and far harder or impossible to recover from, directly affecting whether a spin remains a training exercise or becomes an unrecoverable emergency.
Analogy
Think of balancing a ruler on your finger. If the weight shifts too far toward one end, the ruler no longer balances in the expected way. An airplane has approved balance boundaries for the same basic reason.
Grounding Statement
Before spin practice, the pilot must verify that the airplane is loaded within its CG limitations; if it is not, the maneuver should not be attempted.
Intuition Check
“Limitations” does not mean helpful advice or a general recommendation here. It means approved boundaries the airplane must stay within for safe operation.
Example Sentence 1
Before loading the rear baggage compartment, the pilot ran the weight and balance to confirm the airplane stayed within its CG limitations.
Example Sentence 2
An aft center of gravity beyond the published CG limitations can prevent recovery from an upright spin.