SIFT Army Aviation Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

When a helicopter is nose down while attempting to hover, it typically indicates that the center of gravity is forward loaded. A front-loaded center of gravity means that the aircraft’s weight is distributed more toward the front, which causes the nose to pitch downward. This situation requires the pilot to apply additional control inputs, usually through the use of the cyclic stick, in order to maintain a level flight attitude.

In contrast, a rear-loaded center of gravity would likely cause the helicopter's nose to pitch upward, as the weight distribution is shifted toward the tail. A neutral center of gravity may lead to balanced flight characteristics but would not specifically cause a nose-down attitude. Misaligned rotor blades could result in a variety of handling issues, but they do not directly create a nose-down condition during a hover unless coupled with other factors. Therefore, the correct answer is that a front-loaded center of gravity is the likely cause of the helicopter being in a nose-down position while attempting to hover.