MOSAIC Questions Linger in Light Sport Aircraft Community

Many pilots have questions about the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification proposed rulemaking underway at the FAA. Here are some answers.

Dan Johnson

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 01:37 PM ET

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The long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (MOSAIC) boasts the potential to revolutionize the LSA market, bringing about a significant increase in their usefulness and creating new opportunities for sport pilots. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The MOSAIC NPRM proposes a significant expansion of Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) capabilities by replacing prescriptive weight limits with a 54-knot clean stall speed (VS1), allowing for larger and potentially multi-engine aircraft.
While aircraft capabilities increase, Sport Pilots under MOSAIC will generally remain restricted to one passenger and face requirements for a medical certificate for privileges like night or IFR flight, a point of contention given the success of the driver's license medical for current LSA operations.
Concerns have been raised regarding the potential for increased restrictiveness in obtaining Light Sport Repairman Mechanic (LSRM) credentials, which could exacerbate the existing shortage of qualified LSA maintenance personnel.

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Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Plane & Pilot.

I don’t know about you, but I can guess that Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) fatigue is setting into a lot of quarters. Some pilots have done an extraordinary job of digging into the FAA’s 318-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) document to distill essential parts that need to be addressed. Many pilots get exhausted just looking at the NPRM.