Generally, I’m not a fan of seeing how “the sausage” is made.
In this case, how aviation regulation is made.
But after a recent conversation with Aithre owner Jim Ruttler, I’m both intrigued and enlightened about how the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) “sausage” is made.
Why did Jim get involved?
Ruttler got involved because he noticed something missing.
No oxygen standard existed for the new MOSAIC framework.
That may sound like a small technical issue, but for aircraft manufacturers hoping to build high-flying turbocharged airplanes under MOSAIC, it was a big deal. Without a standard, there may have been no approved pathway to install built-in oxygen systems in Part 22 aircraft.
Yikes.
“At that point I realized if I hadn’t done this, then there would be no availability of oxygen for Part 22 aircraft,” Ruttler told me. “Even if the manufacturers wanted to put it in.”
That’s the part many pilots may not yet fully appreciate about MOSAIC. The FAA writes the broad rules, but ASTM committees are developing many of the detailed standards manufacturers will actually use to comply.
And those committees? They’re filled with industry people. Manufacturers, pilots, air show buddies, competitors, friends, and the like.
“I figured that the members of the ASTM committee were going to draft these up, and then that would be adopted by the FAA,” Ruttler said. “When I showed up at ASTM, I learned everybody got a vote. And I was shocked to see friends there.”
That quote stuck with me.
Because it changed the mental picture I had of the process.
The FAA is involved — but not alone
Another surprise for Jim was how the FAA participates in the process.
Not from above. Inside it.
“At the very end the FAA showed up as a voter and said, ‘We like what we see, but we’d like to see more,’” he said.
After reviewing Jim’s first draft, the FAA wanted more detail on installation guidance and maintenance documentation. Reasonable stuff.
But the agency didn’t simply dictate the outcome.
That’s an important distinction.
This isn’t industry running wild without oversight. And it’s not pure top-down regulation either. It’s more collaborative than I realized.
Messy sometimes? Sure.
But maybe healthier too.
One negative vote can stop everything
Here’s the part that blew me away: “If there’s one negative vote, just one, then the ballot does not proceed,” Ruttler explained.
One vote.
That means consensus really matters. Competitors, manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, and regulators all have leverage.
If you recall, MOSAIC was announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025.
ASTM consensus standards for a few dozen topics, not just built-in oxygen systems, all had to be submitted to the FAA by mid-April 2026 to be part of the July 26, 2026, final MOSAIC rules.
“The FAA has been working on this for five years, but they essentially gave this committee less than a year to do all these standards,” Ruttler said.
That helps explain why industry people like Van’s Aircraft’s Rian Johnson, Streamline Design’s Adam Morrison, professional pilot and light-sport enthusiast Linda Sallers, and many others have been working nonstop behind the scenes.
Most pilots will never know their names. But they’re helping shape the future of light aircraft.
Why this matters
Pilots love to complain about regulations. Sometimes deservedly so.
But listening to Jim, I kept coming back to one thought: This process only works if knowledgeable people actually participate.
Otherwise, gaps happen.
Like not including oxygen system standards.
And if nobody notices? Well, suddenly manufacturers and pilots are stuck trying to operate inside rules that accidentally overlooked real-world flying.
That’s why this matters.
This is how the future of MOSAIC aircraft is being built — one standard, one vote, one volunteer at a time.
That’s worth understanding.
And honestly, worth appreciating as well.
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