The FAA has released a long-awaited rulemaking proposal to do away with Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) weight limits and other restrictions on pilots who fly them, a move general aviation advocates have been championing for years.
The rulemaking proposal released for public inspection July 19, 2023, is the product of a years-long effort to modernize aircraft certification, known as the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (MOSAIC) initiative. The initiative is an effort to overhaul the LSA rules established in 2004 and enable certification of new technologies that lead to safer and more capable aircraft.
“This rule would amend aircraft, pilot, maintenance, and operational requirements to increase both the safety and performance of these aircraft while mitigating risk,” the FAA noted in the proposed rule. “The FAA recognizes that this is a balancing act — where the risk is increased due to greater capability in one area, mitigations may be required from the other areas.”
The proposed rule also points out the “successful safety record” of LSA, which “validates certification requirements established in the 2004 final rule and provides support for expanding the scope of certification for light-sport category aircraft and operations.”
General aviation advocates heralded the new rules.
“MOSAIC had its genesis with a conversation between EAA and FAA officials nearly a decade ago, as we focused on safely creating more aviation opportunities for those who wanted to participate,” said Jack J. Pelton, CEO and chairman of the board of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). “Now that the NPRM is being released, we will study it closely and supply focused comments to ensure that the goals of this EAA-inspired initiative remain in the final language developed by the FAA. It will also undoubtedly be a topic of conversation as we gather for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh next week.”
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 kicks off July 24 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Wisconsin.
Officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) note the rulemaking proposal extends to more than 300 pages, with effects on experimental amateur-built aircraft and restricted category aircraft. It also proposes changes to right-of-way rules around Class G airports to eliminate present distinctions among various types of “powered” aircraft currently referenced in FAR 91.113.
AOPA officials noted the association “pushed hard to expand the light sport aircraft definition, relax most current operating limitations, and allow certain operations for hire reserved for certified aircraft.”
Officials with both EAA and AOPA note that changing the limitations of LSAs from an arbitrary weight to performance-based metrics will allow for larger and more capable aircraft and permit a wider range of students and instructors to fly them, significantly increasing access to flight training.
The new rules are expected to:
- Increase stall speed to 54 knots
- Increase the maximum speed to 250 knots CAS
- Allow controllable-pitch propellers
- Allow retractable landing gear
The increase in stall speed will enable increased aircraft weights for more robust airframes, installation of safety enhancing equipment, higher fuel capacity, and more seating capacity, AOPA officials noted. The change also will allow airplane designs up to about 3,000 pounds to be included in this rulemaking, they added.
MOSAIC will also enable innovation by removing the restriction that powered LSAs must have a reciprocating engine. This will enable future electric, hybrid, distributed power, and other new propulsion technologies, EAA officials said.
The FAA also proposes allowing sport pilots to fly four-seat aircraft, but the current limitation of one passenger remains unchanged:
“To enable the design and manufacture of light-sport category aircraft that are safe to fly with increased capacity and ability, this proposal would apply new design and manufacturing requirements,” the FAA wrote in the proposed rule. “This would allow growth and innovation within performance-based safety parameters. This proposal also expands aircraft that sport pilots can operate. Under this proposal, sport pilots could operate airplanes designed with up to four seats, even though they would remain limited to operating with only one passenger.”
MOSAIC also includes an expansion of the sport pilot certificate.
“By leveraging sport pilot’s system of training and instructor endorsements, we believe that current and future sport pilots can expand the privileges of their initial certificate to operate larger and more capable aircraft,” EAA officials said. “This would apply to both sport pilots and higher-rated pilots operating under the privileges of a sport pilot certificate, enhancing a pathway for existing pilots to remain active in general aviation.”
Pilots operating under sport pilot can fly under a valid driver’s license, as long as the most recent medical was not denied and any special issuance medical has not been withdrawn, AOPA officials noted.
Sport pilots will also be able to take advantage of controllable pitch propellers, retractable landing gear, and night VFR operations with appropriate training and endorsements under the proposal.
The new rules also will allow sport pilots flying LSA to perform some commercial operations, such as product demonstration for engines or other modifications. These privileges would also extend to experimental aircraft that have flown at least 50 hours, provided that the applicant has established an inspection and maintenance program, AOPA officials noted.
I wholeheartedly agree with the MOSAIC rules regarding LSA. But, why doesn’t the FAA just lower the requirements of the Class 3 medical cert for Private Pilots? You basically have to be an astronaut to retain and keep your cert. Many of the FAA policies are just plain outdated and draconian! Forget the LSA cert for Sport Pilots and just make it like say: “Private Pilot/LSA only”. Like having an automobile license with restrictions? And add endorsements/certs as you go along.
This would be a more viable stepping stone to either returning to the Private Pilot licensing and status, or at least allowing flying with of course reasonable restrictions. And if rules can be streamlined, the FAA could count legitimate flight time as time towards giving you a choice of upgrading your license, or simply staying in LSA. Look all I want to do is fly around in uninhabited desert (except for coyotes and snakes) and let those who have a higher license use it to the best of their abilities. Maybe hit a few backwater airfields. I have no interest in high altitude, high performance flying. Maybe even have LSA airplanes with avionics that have special lockout programs that warn and tell you “Hey your getting close to Class B or other airspace” and won’t let you fly near it. We are that advanced. And even with a simple plane and good training, it could work out for those who just want to return to the cockpit, or want to discover flight, but either cannot pass a Class 3, or lack the funds for training, wet rental, and all the other fees.
WHEN ?? will this 3600 lb deal take effect for real !! on lsa stuff ?
It won’t help much. My uncle owns a dying flight school. He sees most of the students dropping out because the ones that just want to be vfr private pilots and they can’t pass their medical due to adhd or some other asinine reason that the FAA has excluded them. A certain percentage get too scared or become ill while making tight turns yes.. but the number one thing is not even cost it’s medical barriers. It should be up to the person to make decisions regarding whether they would be a responsible pilot.. when has anyone read that a pilot crashed because he had adhd? Never.
Dose anyone know when this will become a reality ?
What about changes to allow LSA aircraft to be IFR certified?
I’m pretty certain the Zenith 650 is IFR cert’d – probably others as well
I’m a healthy 47yr old and returning to aviation after a 20yr hiatus. Got my license when it was more affordable but couldn’t afford to fly in my 20’s and later …now its more feasible. Then the COVid affect hit. I’m shopping planes in a grossly inflated(?) market. Just came back from OSH and I’ve heard everything from “We’ll never see $40K C172’s ever again” to “Just wait, its all going to plummet”. I’ve also heard that Mosaic will dramatically affect plane prices (coming down). Curious what the arguments are for plane prices going up/down. Also, what’s the timeline on Mosaic becoming law? I’m ready to pull the trigger on a $100K budget. Looking at everything from C172’s, P180’s, Tigers, RV-7 …to building a Zenith 650. Only need 2 seats with a 500lb + useful that can cruise 120kt. Half the community is telling me to wait it out… others saying get in now while you can. Thoughts?
I’m a private pilot and own a Cherokee 140 those that mean i can fly my plane under those rules if I choose too
Cherokee 140 stall speed is slightly too high, I thought the same thing. A 54 stall speed feels as arbitrary as the original limits. They should have just based it off horsepower, and left the rest of it alone. A 200hp max would free up a huge amount of aircraft, and make an LSA a stepping stone to a private pilot and endorsements.
Silly me. Please remove my previous comment. Apparently the altitude limitation is 10,000 feet MSL or 2,000 feet AGL, whichever is higher. I obviously missed the “whichever is higher” part.
Is there any plan to raise the 2000 ft AGL limitation presently in place? If there’s any overly stringent restriction presently in place, that’s it.
Just curious if let’s say a PA28-140 or a C172 will become LSA at this point thus allowing some newer avionics that are now sold for that current market?
I would love to fly 3 passengers too but if 1 is all the faa will allow to get this update passed so be it. We can always build on 3 passengers in the future. This is a very good start for sport pilots. I am a private pilot flying under the sport pilot rules becuse most of my flying is under 50 miles and day light and I don’t care to go into control airports. I fly my Taylar mono plane which I built and a Ercoupe. My boy owns Cherokee 150. I’d love to be able to fly it again.
Why not fill the seats with people? All things being equal, what’s the difference between an additional 400 pounds of baggage and 400 pounds of people? I would love to put 3 grandkids in a rented Cessna 172 and fly from Milwaukee to Green Bay.
It’s because Sport Pilot does not require a medical. With that in mind, the FAA is mitigating the perceived resulting risk by limiting the number of people at risk to two at most, including the pilot. If you want to fly three grandkids, they want you to have a medical, to reduce the risk of having three passengers at risk.
I never thought I would see the LSA come to fruition even though Mark Baker told me it would.
I never thought that Basic Med would come to fruition.
And now this?
Americans are getting small doses of more freedom.
Thank the Lord the FAA is not run by the FBI or the IRS.
Thank you AOPA, EAA and any other advocacy groups that helped to make these small steps in this direction.
I always was told “the governments not happy, until you’re not happy”. Still applies to most things I suppose.
The LSA rule of 2004 as finally gotten a breath of fresh air.
I am happy to hear that the stall speed will be raised to 54 knots which will help but how about allowing the use of flaps to meet it? That one requirement drives wing area to unreasonable values, well beyond what you see on most modern aircraft except maybe STOL designs. If controllable pitch props and retractable landing gear are allowable, that simple change would seem to be reasonable. My friend who is in AU points out that the rest of the world does think so and has always allowed flaps for the stall speed determination..
I’m absolutely staggered, flabbergasted and astonished that the effa ey ey has actually done something helpful, evolved and forward-looking instead of reactionary, punitive and retrogressive. FAA motto: “we’re not happy till you’re not happy” still applies, however, since one action does not relieve the effects of many years of abuse, bad decisions and horribly misguided, arrogant and anti-people bureaucracy.
I have waited a long time for this to come true I may get back to flying again soon
I am glad to see that the “FAA” has the foresight to connect and listen to aircraft associations that have a direct impact on any rules that will help make aviation more accessible and safe for all current and future “LSA” pilots.
It is this continuing cooperation between the ‘FAA’, and the ‘EAA” and the “APOA” that have mutual respect for each other that will insure the “future of aviation” long into the future.