This MOSAIC acronym has become the buzzword of the year and for good reason. It’s about time that the FAA’s July 2023 notice of proposed rulemaking on the MOSAIC initiative might significantly change the way sport pilots fly. There has been a lot of confusion around MOSAIC and there is a lot to sift through, so by demand, here’s a quick-hitting summary of what the proposed ruling could mean for sport pilots.
REVISED LSA SPEED AND WEIGHT
The proposal would put sport pilots in the left seat of a much wider variety of single-engine models. As an example, the existing 1320-pound weight and 120-knot top speed limits that have been in place for LSA models would finally go away. Instead, fixed-wing LSA aircraft would have a clean stall speed of 54 knots calibrated airspeed and a maximum cruise speed (in level flight) of 250 knots. While sport pilots would still be limited to carrying one passenger, they could fly models with up to four seats.
Those limitations mean that sport pilots can finally fly more mainstream two-place trainers, including Cessna 150s and 152s, four-placers including the Cessna 172, basic Cherokees and in plenty of others that don’t exceed the stall limitations.
It’s not just about cruising and stall speeds. Under the MOSAIC proposal, sport pilots would be able to fly models with retractable landing gear, constant-speed propellers and complex models after getting the proper instructor endorsement.
The proposal also would remove the current LSA limitation of having a “single piston” engine, paving the way for sport pilots to fly electric models.
PRIVILEGES AND RISK
Interesting is that the proposal considers a safety continuum. According to the NPRM, “The FAA bases the rigor of certification requirements and operational limitations on a safety continuum that looks at the exposure of the public to risk for each aircraft and operation; as the risk increases due to increased operating privileges and aircraft capability, the requirements and corresponding rigor of requirements and procedures for aircraft and airman certification increase.” Get all that?
Worth mentioning is that the fatal accident rate data compiled since 2011 for LSAs show that light-sport category models fall between experimental and normal category aircraft. Considering that, the MOSAIC proposal seeks to resolve an issue with restricted category aircraft, change the issuance of special airworthiness certificates for experimentals and also add a new experimental purpose for former military aircraft.
You can read the 90-page MOSAIC document at tinyurl.com/SAF-MOSAIC. EAA and AOPA said they will continue to study the NPRM for focused comments to the FAA.
Published on July 27, 2023, there is a 90-day public comment period and that clock runs out near the end of October. We’ll keep tabs on the MOSAIC NPRM and report back regularly.
