MOSAIC: Looking at New Era for Light Sport Aircraft

Light sport aircraft (LSAs) arrived on the aviation scene in 2004. One brand took off impressively and has led the fleet in delivered aircraft ever since.. 

“I read the whole 717 pages, so you didn’t have to.” That’s what I wanted to write. But I didn’t read every word. Hardly anyone will. 

Instead, pilots prefer to get right to the point. That’s exactly what I’m going to do here. If you want even faster info delivery, simply check the nearby charts. 

We already knew a great deal of how MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) would define airplanes. One detail that inspired considerable discussion was stall speed. 

What we now know is the FAA bumped it up, all the way to 61 knots with flaps, although not for everybody. The great news for many Plane & Pilot readers: That will cover lots of legacy general aviation (GA) airplanes, and many older models carry affordable price tags. 

We knew far less about how the FAA would define airman privileges and operating limitations. Digesting every line will take more study, but those aforementioned charts and the following summary get to the heart of it quickly. 

Light sport aircraft (LSAs) have been limited to two seats and 1,320 pounds for land-based designs (1,430 for seaplanes). MOSAIC raises the maximum to four seats for airplanes but limits sport pilots to one passenger in airplanes. All other aircraft categories stay with two seats. 

The FAA did not define maximum weight for aircraft—instead relying on stall speed. This single point generated perhaps the sharpest interest among both pilots and producers. 

Previously, LSAs had a clean (no flaps) stall of 45 knots. That still applies to all categories except airplanes. Fixed-wing airplanes can stall up to 61 knots with full flaps, but a sport pilot certificate user is limited to 59 knots without the use of flaps. That gap is greater than it sounds. 

All other categories of aircraft remain limited to 45 knots, but flap configuration is not specified (except for gliders at 45 knots VSO). Not all LSA types have flaps. 

Gone is the 120-knot speed limit for LSAs. MOSAIC allows light sport category aircraft airspeeds up to 250 knots CAS, and the new rule dropped any specified maximum for sport pilots, relying on training and endorsement for safe operations. 

Where previously only single recip- rocating engines and fixed or ground- adjustable propellers were permitted, MOSAIC removed these restrictions for aircraft. Sport pilots also reap these benefits but require training and endorsement for manually controlled propellers. 

Similarly for fixed gear on LSAs, the new regulation does away with this limitation for sport pilots once they receive training and endorsement. 

Aircraft meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for simplified flight controls opens the door to more aircraft categories and allows helicopters into the MOSAIC LSA mix. 

Required medical certification was as important to many pilots as stall speed and other MOSAIC changes. 

Daytime operations for sport pilots continue to be permitted with just a valid U.S. driver’s license. For night operations, the new rule now requires sport pilots to qualify for either BasicMed or a standard FAA medical. 

Overall, MOSAIC represents a major philosophical shift for the FAA. 

A transition from prescriptive (that is specified weight, speed, and gear type) to performance-and training-based regulations provides greater flexibility. Expanding the use of industry standards allows greater and faster innovation in aircraft design. 

Access will increase for sport pilot certificate users, thanks to reliance on training and instructor endorsement rather than conventional check rides with designees. 

Plus, you know what? Other than a one-year delay we could blame on COVID-19 a couple of years back, the FAA has been on schedule with MOSAIC. Go enjoy the benefits.