What This MOSAIC Preview Means

The FAA has released a preview to the ASTM committee, F37, on LSA, publicly available in the Federal Register ahead of the planned NPRM publication of the MOSAIC.

Julie Boatman

Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 10:36 AM ET

Verified

A new world lies just on the horizon after reading through the preview of the NPRM on MOSAIC. [Credit: Julie Boatman]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA released an early preview of the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), initiating a significant overhaul of light-sport aircraft (LSA) certification.
The most impactful proposed change is the elimination of the 1,320-pound weight limit for LSAs, replacing it with a stall speed (V_S1) parameter that could allow aircraft up to approximately 3,000 pounds, fostering larger and safer designs.
The NPRM also suggests increasing the maximum stall speed for airplanes from 45 kcas to 54 kcas and removing the 120 kcas maximum level flight speed, potentially allowing speeds up to 250 kcas.
Further proposed updates include removing restrictions on controllable-pitch props, retractable landing gear, and engine types, while also expanding possibilities for IFR operations and introducing sport pilot privileges for helicopters.

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The news landed with a collective “Really? They’re early?”

The deadline for the release of the FAA document—the notice of proposed rulemaking—that sets in motion the much-needed update to aircraft certification processes and guidance was set last year around this time for August 2023. As recently as a few weeks ago, colleagues in the industry agreed that it wasn’t likely that we’d see the NPRM for the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) before Oshkosh. The hangars and flightline at EAA AirVenture would be filled with folks speculating on whether the FAA would make its target or let another one pass.