Why Aren’t Cessna 140s/150s Considered Light Sport Aircraft?

It seems some pilots can’t wait for the change in weight requirement.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 09:30 AM 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:

Cessna 140 and 150 aircraft cannot currently be flown as Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) because their certificated gross weights exceed the existing LSA limit of 1,320 pounds.
An aircraft's certificated gross weight is fixed and does not change even if it is flown with less fuel or passengers.
The proposed MOSAIC rule, if approved, would increase the LSA gross weight limit to 3,600 pounds, potentially making many current single-engine light trainers, including Cessna 140/150, LSA compliant.

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Question: I understand MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) is in the works and it will increase the weight limit on light sport aircraft (LSA) from 1,320 pounds to 3,600 pounds. That makes some of us wonder why the Cessna 140 and Cessna 150 can’t be flown as LSA right now. They are both two-place and have a stall speed of less than 51 mph. Wouldn’t it be possible to fly them at 1,320 pounds to make them legal to fly as LSAs as the rule stands?

Answer: The LSA rule as it stands limits aircraft to a gross weight of 1,320 pounds for land aircraft.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.