Definition
The range of distances between the forward and aft center of gravity limits, measured from a reference datum, within which the airplane must be loaded for safe and controllable flight. Loading the airplane so the CG falls anywhere inside this range keeps stability, control authority, and stall behavior within the values the manufacturer certified.
Plain English
Every airplane has a forward limit and an aft limit for where its balance point is allowed to sit. The CG range is the space between those two limits. As long as the loaded airplane balances somewhere inside that space, it will handle the way it was designed to.
Context Anchor
Seen in weight-and-balance planning and in stall discussions, because where the airplane is balanced affects how it handles and recovers.
Derivation
CG comes from “center of gravity,” meaning the point where an object’s weight is balanced. “Range” means a span between two limits. Together, CG range means the allowed span where the airplane’s balance point may be.
Why Pilots Care
Staying inside the CG range keeps the aircraft from becoming unstable or losing elevator effectiveness, especially near stall speeds.
Analogy
Think of balancing a pencil on your finger. There is a small area where it balances well; too far one way or the other, it tips. An airplane also has an approved balance zone.
Intuition Check
CG range does not mean how far the airplane can fly. It means the approved forward-to-rear zone where the airplane’s balance point must stay.
Example Sentence 1
After adding the two rear passengers and their bags, she recalculated the loaded CG and confirmed it sat just inside the aft end of the CG range.
Example Sentence 2
An aft CG near the limit can make stall recovery more difficult because the nose tends to pitch up on its own.