Aircraft like the Cessna 150 could qualify in the light sport category under proposed rule changes. [Credit: Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA's proposed Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) program aims to significantly update rules for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).
Key proposed changes would drastically increase LSA limits, including maximum takeoff weight to about 3,000 pounds, maximum speed to around 250 knots, and stall speed to 54 knots.
These revised parameters would allow a much wider variety of aircraft, such as popular Cessna 140s, 150s, and even some larger planes like Cessna 172s and Piper PA-28s, to qualify under LSA rules, expanding accessibility for pilots.
If the buzz of pilots chatting at your local airport seems louder than usual, it probably has something to do with the FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) program.
The agency released a preview of its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the program, which is aimed at reworking some of the rules governing the light sport category of aircraft.
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Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4
