Refer to figure.

A forward Centre of Gravity (CG) may occur when a heavy pilot and passenger take off without baggage or proper ballast located aft of the rotor mast. This situation worsens if the fuel tanks are located aft of the rotor mast, because as fuel burns the weight located aft of the rotor mast becomes less.

To recognize this condition, in a hover with no-wind conditions you will experience a nose down attitude leading to excessive rearward cyclic displacement.

A forward CG results in a nose-down fuselage attitude (low nose), which presents the horizontal stabiliser to the airflow at an inefficient angle, increasing its profile drag and aerodynamic load, producing an even greater downforce. Therefore, when the CG is forward, aft cyclic will be required to counteract the CG position.

If the CG is too far forward, there may be insufficient aft cyclic to hold the helicopter in a given position, particularly in the hover. It may be unable to flare, thereby increasing the landing distance and it may be impossible to achieve a level-skid landing, causing damage to the skids.