Will MOSAIC Allow LSAs To Do More?

The industry has lobbied the FAA to allow light sport aircraft to perform more aerial work tasks.

Dan Pimentel

Friday, May 20, 2022 at 08:52 AM ET

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Fred Gomez with USDA mounts a camera under a Pipistrel Sinus MotorGlider. [Photo: Jonathan Scott]

Key Takeaways:

Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs) are highly fuel-efficient and suitable for a wide range of aerial work applications globally, but their "for-hire" uses are severely restricted in the U.S.
Organizations like LAMA, USUA, and researcher Jonathan Scott are lobbying the FAA to expand LSA aerial work allowances through the MOSAIC rewrite, presenting data from USDA testing that proves their economic, environmental, and operational advantages over larger aircraft and even drones.
Expanding allowable aerial work for LSAs in the U.S. could lead to significant benefits, including substantial cost savings (e.g., fuel), reduced emissions, increased LSA sales, and new job opportunities for pilots and ground crews.

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In a 2016 white paper “Aerial Work for Light-Sport Aircraft,” the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) in conjunction with the United States Ultralight Association (USUA) made a strong case that light sport aircraft are ideal for many types of aerial work, such as:

aerial photography
pipeline patrols
search and rescue
crop spraying
wildfire spotting

The fuel efficiency of LSAs is a major factor in these types of aircraft now being used worldwide for many aerial work applications. However, in the United States, LSAs currently are severely limited in what “aerial work” they can do, with the only “for hire” uses of an LSA today being:

Will MOSAIC Allow LSAs To Do More?

The industry has lobbied the FAA to allow light sport aircraft to perform more aerial work tasks.

Key Takeaways:

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