Why is center of gravity important in sling-load missions?

• A. Load CG affects stability; improper CG can cause imbalance, increased stall risk, and dangerous oscillations.
• B. CG has no impact on sling-load safety.
• C. CG affects only the color of the load.
• D. CG determines the helicopter's color scheme.

Answer: (A)

Center of gravity placement of the load is critical because the load acts as a pendulum hanging from the helicopter. If the load’s CG isn’t aligned with the lifting point, it will swing more easily in response to gusts, pilot inputs, and rotor wash. That pendulum motion creates side-to-side and forward-backward forces on the helicopter, changing its attitude and increasing the pilot’s workload. Excessive swing can develop into dangerous oscillations that are hard to dampen and can lead to loss of control or other safety hazards. Keeping the load’s CG near the lifting point minimizes pendulum motion, stabilizes hover and flight, and reduces the risk of those dangerous oscillations. The other choices miss the point entirely, since CG does affect stability, and aspects like the load’s color or the helicopter’s color scheme have no impact on sling-load safety.