More Training Aircraft in Reach with FAA's Proposed MOSAIC Rule

If the NPRM transitions to an official rule, several of the aircraft that currently make up the training fleet could be legally flown with a sport pilot certificate.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 04:17 PM ET

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If the MOSAIC NPRM transitions to an official rule, several of the aircraft that currently make up the training fleet, such as the Cessna 150, could be legally flown with a sport pilot certificate. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The 2004 sport pilot rule, intended to make aviation more affordable and accessible, has resulted in a relatively small number of sport pilots compared to private pilots.
The FAA has proposed the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule to enhance the safety and performance of light sport aircraft operations.
A key change in the MOSAIC proposal is increasing the weight limit for light sport aircraft from 1,320 pounds to potentially 3,000 pounds, based on stall speed.
This expansion would allow sport pilots to operate a wider range of common training aircraft, potentially increasing rental opportunities, revenue for flight schools, and overall aviation accessibility.

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When the sport pilot rule was released in 2004, it was touted as a way to make aviation more affordable, starting with lower training costs because the sport pilot certificate can be acquired with a minimum of 20 hours of flight time—half of what is required for the private pilot certificate.

The 2004 rule also didn’t require the additional cost of an aviation medical certificate, which might encourage more people to seek training to earn their certificates. Whether or not it went that way is in the eye of the beholder.