Why is it important to verify the loaded center of gravity is within the aircraft's approved CG envelope before flight?
AFAA regulations require a written W&B calculation before every commercial flight.
BA CG outside approved limits can cause reduced stability, loss of control authority, or structural loads the aircraft was not designed to handle.✓
CCG only matters for UAS over 55 lbs: small UAS are not sensitive to CG position.
Why →The CG envelope defines positions where the aircraft's stability, control effectiveness, and structural loads are within design parameters. Outside this envelope: aft CG may be uncontrollable, forward CG requires excessive control force, and asymmetric loading can impose structural loads. The flight controller can compensate for minor CG offset but not severe imbalance.
The trap →Written weight-and-balance calculations are a manned-aircraft requirement, not a Part 107 one, but the physics does not care about the paperwork. And small UAS are certainly not CG-insensitive: payload position matters at any size.
SOURCE → PHAK Chapter 10, Weight and BalanceCHECKED JUL 16ACS IV.A.K2MED