A recent missive from Sebastien Heintz at Zenith Aircraft Company details how Zenith builders and owners can benefit from the new MOSAIC rule from the FAA.
Known as Sport Pilot 2.0, the new rule, which went into effect Oct. 22, 2025, updates the 2004 Sport Pilot rule.
The most important change is that the new rule removes the arbitrary weight limits of the original Light Sport Aircraft category, which limited LSAs to 1,320 pounds gross weight. Now, sport pilots can fly heavier and larger aircraft at higher speeds, Heintz noted.
“While many Zeniths are operated by sport pilots, the vast majority of the aircraft are registered and operated as Amateur-Built-Experimental (AB-E) aircraft, some with a design gross weight significantly higher than the old LSA limit of 1,320 pounds,” he said.
As examples, he points out the STOL CH 750 and CH 750 Cruzer have design gross weights of 1,440 pounds, 120 pounds more than the old LSA limits.
He said that owners of CH 750 that are registered as Amateur-Built-Experimentals can opt to increase the gross weight to the design gross weight of 1,440 pounds if they previously registered their aircraft at the lower 1,320 pounds LSA limit.
“This requires the owner to follow the ‘major change’ process outlined in their aircraft’s operating limitations, including returning to Phase 1 flight testing to demonstrate the aircraft at the new weight and making the necessary logbook entries to reflect the change,” he explained.
“We are thrilled that Zenith owners and pilots are now able to benefit from this new FAA rule,” he added. “This provides them with additional utility and capability, maximizing the value of owning a Zenith.”
It is important to note that increasing the weight and/or speed of any aircraft decreases its strength (under load, weight or aerodynamic) and that builders, owners and pilots need to respect all of the design limitations of the aircraft, he added.
Based on FAA registrations, Zenith is the number one seller of LSAs in the United States. According to the 2025 State of the Industry report from the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA), Zenith holds the top three places on the list with 1,030 registered aircraft among three different models.
The Zenith STOL CH 750 is a two-seat, all-metal light-sport utility kit airplane developed by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz. Designed specifically for the Sport Pilot/LSA category and introduced in the early 2000s, the CH 750 is often nicknamed the “Sky Jeep” for short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance.
A decade later, Zenith introduced the CH 750 Cruzer, a faster “on-airport” companion to the original STOL version.
The newest CH 750 variant is the STOL CH 750 Super Duty, which falls under the new definition of a Light Sport Aircraft despite its 1,900 pounds gross weight. It features a rear third jump seat, bigger wheels and increased load carrying capability thanks to larger wings and more power, company officials said.
Zenith Aircraft also manufactures a low-wing cross-country cruiser model, the Zenith CH 650.
Zenith Aircraft Company, based in central Missouri since 1992, produces complete DIY kit airplanes for amateur builders. Builders can build from the complete kit, component “buy-as-you-build” kits, or can scratch-build their entire airplane from blueprints.
For more information: ZenithAir.com
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