MOSAIC Brings Big Changes to Aircraft Maintenance

There was a time, not so long ago, when aircraft maintenance was performed pretty much universally by A&P mechanics. The Airframe and Powerplant certificate was a proud acquisition earned through work experience or a structured classroom and lab curriculum. Both routes required a training period of a year or more per certificate.

Some A&Ps went on to earn the much-coveted Inspection Authorization (IA) status, which bestowed upon them the privilege and responsibility of conducting annual inspections.

But there is a third option that has existed for many years: The Repairman certificate. This is often held by individuals who have not earned an Airframe or Powerplant certificate, but do perform specific work they have trained to do with a high level of expertise. Often these repairmen work for an air carrier or a repair station. Their privileges are quite limited, but they are professionals who are generally well paid for their work.

Yet times change, privileges can be extended beyond their initial limits, and new faces begin to show up on the airport grounds, wrench in hand.

In the wake of the MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rules coming into play, the A&P still exists. Many would say it continues to be the gold standard for aircraft maintenance technicians. However, MOSAIC brings with it new rules and unfamiliar reference material to deal with.

While maintenance on traditionally certificated aircraft is still done under the regulatory oversight of 14 CFR Part 43, many manufacturers now produce aircraft under the ASTM International Consensus standards. This puts the manufacturer in the driver’s seat when determining methods and materials to be used for major alterations and repairs. But in an effort to reduce the burden on owners for minor repairs and alterations, the well-established Part 43 standards can be employed without approval from the manufacturer.

That liberty opens up a great many options for aircraft owners and aircraft mechanics working on Light-Sport Category Aircraft in the modern age. No longer limited to 1,320 pounds, legacy aircraft that fit the old Light-Sport Aircraft definition, as well as those that fit into the new Light-Sport Category Aircraft basket, can be maintained with confidence with fewer limitations than were previously in place. 

The Human Element

That goes for the human element as much as it does the processes and materials being used.

Maintenance requires more than just rules and regulations. It also requires manpower.

With current A&P staffing shortages in the industry presenting as much of a limitation as the much ballyhooed pilot shortage, Congress and the FAA went one step further to create a more efficient and effective method of getting maintenance done. They expanded the privileges of repairmen as they pertain to Light-Sport Category Aircraft.

To get more up to speed on this truly new and potentially profitable opportunity, anyone interested in becoming a Repairman for Light-Sport Category Aircraft would do well to download a copy of AC 65-32B, “Certification of Repairmen (Light-Sport).”

Seriously, download a copy. It’s free and filled with information that’s well worth knowing.

It is Title 14 CFR Part 65 that establishes requirements for the certification of airmen other than flight crew members. Specifically, it includes details on how to earn a Light-Sport Repairman Rating for Inspection or Maintenance. 

Just as there is a distinction between the two for Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics, as well as A&Ps with an Inspection Authorization, the same is true in the Light-Sport world.

There has been a significant expansion of the aircraft the repairman certificate includes as well. A Light-Sport Repairman Certificate can now be issued for Airplane, Rotorcraft, Glider, Lighter-Than-Air, Powered-lift, Powered Parachute, or Weight-Shift-Control aircraft. If specialization is your thing, your ship has just come in.

As for the duration of the Light-Sport Repairman Certificate, it falls right in line with pilot certifications. Once earned, the certificate remains effective until it is surrendered, suspended, or revoked.

The basic qualifications for earning a certificate under MOSAIC require the repairman must be at least 18 years old. They must speak, read, write, and understand English. Completion of a training course applicable to the rating being sought is mandatory, and the applicant must pass a written test administered by the outfit that offered the training course.

The final step is to present evidence in the form of documents to the FAA, which will then issue the appropriate certificate.

Easy peasy, right?

Inspection

It gets better. The Inspection Rating Course is mandated at just 16 hours long. Although limited in scope to the inspection of a specific aircraft, the course is designed to be applicable to an individual aircraft owner with no background in aviation maintenance or inspection.

The critical word in that paragraph is “owner.” This Light-Sport Repairman Certificate with an Inspection Rating allows the recipient to perform annual condition inspections only on the aircraft they own.

Additionally, the aircraft must be of the same category and class aircraft for which the owner completed training.

In essence, if you complete the training program for Light-Sport Repairman Certificate-Airplane, you would not be able to perform an annual condition inspection on a Light-Sport Category gyrocopter, even if you owned it.

But that’s a problem that could be rectified by undergoing a second 16-hour training program.

In addition to the requirement that the repairman own the aircraft, it must possess an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate. Aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate are off the table. You might consider them to be wearing a large “Do Not Touch” sign. 

Maintenance

It’s critical to understand that maintenance and inspection are not the same thing.

The Light-Sport Repairman Maintenance Rating is a more in-depth course of study.

Typically, these are 120 hours in length, spread over a 15-day period. That longer curriculum translates into some considerable benefits. With a maintenance rating, the certificate holder can work on a variety of aircraft within the category and class they are certificated for. While the aircraft must still carry an Experimental Aircraft Certificate, it is no longer a requirement these repairmen own the aircraft they are working on.

Did a big light just go on overhead? The Light-Sport Repairman certificate-Maintenance just might be the most expedient, quickest way to get a well-paying job in general aviation.

Another significant benefit is this: A maintenance rating holder can supervise other maintenance rating holders — a privilege that creates a true career opportunity for someone with a penchant for Light-Sport Category Aircraft and a bit of managerial skill.

For those who wish to get into major repair and alteration work, that is possible under MOSAIC’s rules. There is a requirement for additional training, as is appropriate for anyone preparing to undertake a major repair or alteration. But the option is available.

That’s a big deal. A really big deal to anyone who wants to establish themselves as a provider of maintenance and inspection services at their local airport or airpark. 

Fast Track To A Career

Which brings us to the point so many miss when considering the recently widened privileges of the Light-Sport world. MOSAIC brings interested individuals a new and far more affordable means of establishing a career in aviation if they wish.

While becoming an A&P can take years, the Repairman with an Inspection Rating can be obtained in a matter of days for a relatively small fee. This allows owners of Light-Sport Category Aircraft to begin learning the ins and outs of their own aircraft in a hands-on way with the full support of the FAA and MOSAIC.

The maintenance rating expands our potential enormously, and can be earned in weeks. This opens the door to a wider selection of tasks we can perform and a way to get into an aircraft maintenance shop as a real contributor and genuine beneficiary.

Everybody likes to earn a dollar. Now, with minimal investment of time and money, it’s possible for enthusiasts to become full-time participants.

If the goal of MOSAIC was to offer a less expensive pathway into general aviation with fewer restrictions and lower cost — mission accomplished.

And consider this often-overlooked opportunity: If one takes the opportunity to use their downtime to work under the supervision of an A&P, or an A&P with Inspection Authority on Standard Category aircraft, that opens the door to one day earning your full-blown A&P certificate through work experience.

Yes, you could become a well-paid, highly respected A&P mechanic and get paid while building the experience needed to qualify for that highly-sought-after certificate.

There may not be a better deal for a brighter future anywhere. Because flight is optional. Maintenance is mandatory.

A new path has opened up. MOSAIC is providing amazing new opportunities to anyone willing to put in the work, learn the material, and step into the shop as a professional participant in general aviation.