Is MOSAIC In Your Future?

Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 10:10 AM ET

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The STsw evolved from an earlier incarnation of the CT that sported a longer wing, but the change to the "sw" -- for "short wing" -- improved the bird's landing characteristics by reducing its tendancy to float on approach, a product of the CT's clean lines and efficient airfoil.

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's proposed MOSAIC initiative, highly praised by AOPA and EAA, aims to modernize Special Airworthiness Certificates and significantly expand opportunities for sport pilots.
The proposal removes the previous 1320-pound weight and 120-knot speed limits for Light Sport Aircraft, replacing them with new criteria based on a clean stall speed of 54 knots, a maximum level flight speed of 250 knots, and a four-seat capacity.
These changes would allow sport pilots to fly a much wider range of aircraft, including many non-LSA airplanes like certain Cessnas, and permit complex features like retractables or electric propulsion after appropriate endorsements.
The FAA justifies this expansion by citing the positive safety record of existing light-sport aircraft operations, applying a "safety continuum" approach to certification and operating privileges.

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Both the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) are hailing the FAA’s late July 2023 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the long-sought MOSAIC initiative. The acronym stands for “Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates,” and both organizations have been working with the FAA on it for years.

The proposal would significantly revise upward the pool of aircraft eligible for operation by sport pilots while also expanding the kinds of operations allowed. For example, the 1320-pound weight and 120-knot top speed limits for light sport aircraft (LSA) certification would go away, replaced with a new definition limiting fixed-wing aircraft to a clean stall speed (V_S1) of 54 knots calibrated airspeed, a maximum level flight speed (V_H) of 250 knots and four seats. A sport pilot would still be limited to only a single passenger, however.