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MOSAIC Is Here: What the New Rules Actually Change for Pilots

MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) is the FAA’s biggest overhaul of the light-sport / sport pilot ecosystem since it launched in 2004. The headline isn’t just “bigger LSAs.”


The real shift is that MOSAIC separates:

  • how certain aircraft are certificated, and

  • what sport pilots are allowed to operate.


That separation is what makes the whole system more flexible going forward—and it’s why you’ll hear more conversations about “sport pilot operating limits” and less about arguing whether something is “an LSA.”


This is a pilot-focused overview: what changed, when it changed, and the “gotchas” that matter on the ramp.



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The Timeline That Matters

MOSAIC rolled in with staged effective dates:

  • October 22, 2025: sport pilot training/certification changes and certain operating/maintenance-related updates took effect.

  • July 24, 2026: major certification framework changes for light-sport category aircraft take effect, including removal of the old “light-sport aircraft” definition from the general definitions section.


Why you care: some sport pilot privilege changes are already in play (late 2025), while the deeper aircraft certification changes ramp in later (mid-2026).


The Big Concept Shift: “Light-Sport Aircraft” Isn’t the One Gate Anymore

Historically, the old LSA definition did two jobs at once:

  1. it defined what could be certificated as an LSA, and

  2. it defined what sport pilots could fly.


MOSAIC breaks that apart so each can evolve without dragging the other around.


What that means in plain pilot language

You’ll increasingly hear two different questions:

  • How is this aircraft certificated? (light-sport category, standard category, etc.)

  • Can a sport pilot legally operate it? (based on sport pilot operating limits, endorsements, and the aircraft’s characteristics)


So instead of “Is it an LSA?”, the smarter question becomes: “Does it meet sport pilot aircraft operating limitations, and do I have the required endorsements?”


What’s New for Sport Pilots: The Practical Changes

MOSAIC expands what aircraft sport pilots can operate, but it doesn’t turn sport pilot privileges into “mini-private.” The new rules are still bounded—just bounded differently.


1) The old weight/speed gate isn’t the main limiter anymore

Instead of using a simple weight cap and a single speed number as the primary gate, MOSAIC shifts the focus toward design/performance characteristics—especially stall speed.


2) Stall speed becomes the bouncer at the door

For airplanes, sport pilot eligibility now leans heavily on VS1 (flaps retracted / no lift devices) with a maximum of 59 knots CAS.


Ramp gotcha: this isn’t a “mods make it legal” game. The stall speed determination is tied to how the aircraft was certificated/approved, so you generally can’t bolt-on your way into sport pilot eligibility if the approved data doesn’t support it.


3) Retractable gear and controllable pitch props are now possible—with training

Sport pilots may operate aircraft with:

  • retractable landing gear, and

  • manual controllable pitch propellers,


…but expect additional training and endorsements tied to those features. In other words: MOSAIC opens doors, but it also adds “keys” for certain doors.


4) Four-seat airplanes can be eligible—while you still carry only one passenger

MOSAIC allows sport pilot operation of some 4-seat airplanes, but sport pilot carriage is still limited to two occupants total (you + one passenger).


So yes: the airframe may have four seats. No: sport pilot privileges don’t suddenly let you fill them.


5) Night flying is possible—but not on driver’s license medical alone

Night privileges are now on the table for sport pilots, but not with the “driver’s license only” medical approach. Night ops require BasicMed or an FAA medical certificate.


If night flying matters to you, build that into your plan early—because it affects more than just currency. It affects how you train and what you buy.


What’s Changing on the Aircraft Side (What Pilots Will Feel)

Even if you never buy a new airplane, MOSAIC’s certification changes influence what manufacturers can build—and what flight schools might park on the line in the coming years.


Light-sport category aircraft: a more capability-friendly framework

Key pilot-facing implications include:

  • A move away from a prescriptive, single-number weight cap as the defining feature

  • Stall-speed-based performance limits used within the certification structure (for example, VS0 up to 61 knots CAS for light-sport category airplanes)

  • A published maximum speed concept for certification (for example, VH up to 250 knots CAS at maximum continuous power)

  • More flexibility around design features that used to be deal-breakers in the old LSA world

  • Airplanes in the framework up to 4 seats (while many other classes remain 2)


Pilot translation: this is intended to enable more modern designs—better useful load, more safety equipment, more real-world capability—without forcing everything into experimental-only pathways.


The “New Endorsement World”: Simplified Flight Controls

MOSAIC introduces a Simplified Flight Controls designation—think automation designed to reduce loss-of-control risk, potentially even when the pilot does something unhelpful.


Operationally, that creates a new training reality:

  • you’ll need make/model-specific training and an endorsement to act as PIC in aircraft with this designation, and

  • instructors typically need the same make/model endorsement before providing instruction in it.


This could become either a major training trend or a niche segment, depending on what manufacturers produce and what insurers accept—but the endorsement structure is already there.


Maintenance and Ops Changes Owners Will Notice

If you own/operate these aircraft (or your club does), MOSAIC also affects the maintenance and compliance landscape—especially around:

  • airworthiness directive compliance expectations,

  • how major repairs and alterations are authorized,

  • and certain operating/right-of-way language intended to keep mixed-performance traffic safer in shared airspace.


The big takeaway: “light-sport” is becoming less about a single rigid definition and more about compliance with a specific framework.


A Pilot Checklist: What To Do With MOSAIC Information

If you’re a sport pilot (or training to be one)

  • Start thinking stall speed + endorsements, not “gross weight.”

  • Verify VS1 (flaps retracted) from approved/credible aircraft documentation.

  • If night flying matters, plan for BasicMed or a medical certificate now.

  • Expect endorsements/training for features like retractable gear and manual controllable pitch props.


If you’re a flight school or club

  • Plan for an endorsement workflow (tracking who’s qualified for what).

  • Standardize “feature training” (gear, prop, new control systems) so it doesn’t become instructor-by-instructor roulette.

  • Expect more aircraft variety over time—and more need for clear checkout standards.


Bottom Line

MOSAIC isn’t just “LSA got bigger.” It’s a structural redesign:

  • sport pilots may access more capable aircraft, with stall speed and endorsements as the gate,

  • manufacturers get a more flexible light-sport category certification framework,

  • and the industry gets a new training frontier through Simplified Flight Controls and feature-based endorsements.



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