ABOVE: The FAA hope that MOSAIC rules will foster innovation in the Light Sport Aircraft category
The US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy announced during the 2025 AirVenture event at Oshkosh the new Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rules. The new legislation is designed to remove outdated regulations that have impeded innovation and safety in the growing recreational Light Sport aviation sector.
“This new rule will promote better designs, safer materials, and upgraded technology in the recreational aviation sector,” said Duffy. “Our recreational pilots and plane manufacturers have correctly noted outdated regulations were inhibiting innovation and safety. No more. Let’s bring this industry into a new age!”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford added that “it enables industry to meet the growing demand for more versatile aircraft with higher performance capabilities while maintaining high standards of safety. For over a decade, pilots around the country, including myself, have been advocating for the MOSAIC to become a reality. This is a huge win that will fundamentally transform general aviation. It will ensure light sport aircraft are more versatile and accessible, foster innovation in the light sport aircraft category, and make it easier for more people to become pilots.”
Among other things, the MOSAIC rules remove the previous weight limit, which allows for more safety features and safety-design flexibility, encompassing aircraft with higher speeds, more seats and retractable undercarriage. It also allows new types of propulsion and modern avionics. The changes will also enable LSAs to be used for aerial work, such as infrastructure and forest inspections, photography/filming, and agricultural surveillance. Pilots operating under Sport Pilot privileges can also fly a broader range of aircraft from now on.
PHOTO: FLIGHT DESIGN
