MOSAIC is now Active: Everything you need to know for FAA Sport Pilot Rule Changes

What is actually changing with the FAA’s MOSAIC rules for Sport Pilot and how does it specifically affect Sport Pilot students?

In this video, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about the MOSAIC announcement and the rules coming into effect, including what is MOSAIC and what it stands for.

When does MOSAIC actually go into effect, because it isn’t in effect as of the recording of this video. What are the changes of MOSAIC? What are the rule changes? How MOSAIC affects current sport pilots? Do you need additional training for new privileges? If so, what is that training? And how MOSAICs affects student sport pilots? And how and when the FAA written and check exams will change and update for MOSAIC.

Let’s start off with what is MOSAIC. MOSAIC stands for Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificate which is just a cool sounding pneumonic to mean a set of FAA rule changes that significantly expands capabilities of light sport aircraft or LSAs that sport pilot certificate holders are allowed to fly as well as expanding the privileges of sport pilot certificate holders of all initial pilot certifications given between private sport and recreational private is by far the largest with about 96 to 98% of all certificates given. This is prior to  MOSAIC of course, but the rest is mostly sport pilots. The draw of sport pilot certificate is that it does not require a medical certificate. However, prior to  MOSAIC, the limitations on light sport aircraft made it very limiting what sport pilots could fly or could do. For example, many sport pilots could not fly more modern aircraft with autopilots, full glass cockpits because those technologies were too heavy to be housed in a light sport aircraft with the low maximum weight limit. The same goes for aircraft with different kinds of engines, retractable gear, or controllable pitch propellers.  MOSAIC gets rid of a lot of those limitations.

So, when does MOSAIC go into effect? The FAA announced MOSAIC was approved at the EAA Air Venture Air Show, aka Oshkosh, on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025, while I was there. However, I did not see the announcement, unfortunately, but I did hear about it and everyone was talking about it. The MOSAIC rule, as of me recording this video right now, is not the law yet. It does not go into effect until 90 days after the announcement, which is October 22nd, 2025. So, depending on when you’re watching this, it may or may not be in effect, but we’ll talk about everything. Now, this does not necessarily mean that all written tests and check rides will change for Sport Pilot because there’s usually a lag between rule changes and when the FAA Airmen Testing updates the testing standards. But we’re going to talk about that a little bit, what it means for students.

So, what exactly are these rule changes in MOSAIC? Let’s go over this in a handy table to show each of the MOSAIC changes. First, the aircraft limits for light sport aircraft are changing. As I mentioned previously, they were previously capped at a maximum of 1,320 lbs in two seats, but the weight limit is now gone, and they now have limits that are performance-based, and the seat capacity has gone up to four seats. However, even though sport pilots will be able to fly four seat aircraft under MOSAIC, they are still only allowed to carry a maximum passenger of one. So, one maximum passenger. Unfortunately, that rule did not change. The new performance limits are a maximum stall speed in the clean wing configuration of 59 knots calibrated air speed, which we call VS1, and a maximum stall speed in the landing configuration of 61 knots calibrated air speed, which we call VSO or VS0. The maximum air speed limit at continuous power or VH is also increased from 120 knots in most cases to 250 knots calibrated air speed. Prior to  MOSAIC, Light Sport aircraft could only fly fixed gear and fixed propellers. But now LSAs include aircraft with retractable landing gear and controllable pitch propellers. Additionally, sport pilot certificate holders can now fly during the night when they were previously restricted to day flight only. Sport pilots will need to get an endorsement and a couple other things in order to do this. However, sport pilots are still restricted to flying VFR both day and night. And we’ll talk a little bit more about night in a sec.

Prior to MOSAIC, all commercial operations were prohibited for Sport Pilot, but after MOSAIC, some are going to be allowed. And again, we’ll talk about this more here in a sec. Now, you might be wondering, I thought you had to have commercial license to do commercial operations. Yes, this is true. But there were some exceptions to this rule for private pilots. And some, not all, of those exceptions have now been passed to sport pilots under the  MOSAIC rule change. Things like patrolling, surveillance, and search and rescue are now determined aerial work under sport pilots in MOSAIC. And finally, on the subject of a medical certificate required, there is no change. You still do not require a medical certificate to fly to be a sport pilot. However, there are some privilege add-ons that require one or having basic med, which again we’re going to talk about here in a sec. So, if you want to add on some things, they might require more things.

Let’s now talk about what changes for current holders of sport pilot certificates, there will be. Well, nothing about your current certificate is invalidated, and you do not have to reapply or take any additional tests. All these new privileges are automatically added unless that specific privilege requires additional training and or an endorsement.

So let’s talk about those additional privileges and what it would require from you as a sport pilot to be able to have an exercise these privileges. Just as before with your sport pal certificate, you could take additional training with a qualified instructor and get an endorsement from that instructor in your logbook to do things like flying controlled airspace or fly a tail wheel aircraft. Well, the same thing is true for some of these new privileges under MOSAIC. Here is another handy table of both new and old privileges for sport pilots and what is required to have them.

First off, for night operations, this is a new privilege from MOSAIC that requires ground and flight training as well as an endorsement from your instructor and either an active basic med or third class medical certificate in order to fly at night. Retractable gear is also new and requires ground flight and endorsement and training must be completed on normal and emergency procedures. Then the same thing for controllable pitch propellers. So both those combined into a complex aircraft, you’ll need ground flight and endorsement with specific training on over speed and RPM management in order to get that privilege. For higher performance aircraft that are heavier, faster, and have more seats, you can now fly with them as a sport pilot, but no endorsement is required and only a familiarization is required as long as they meet the new LSA standards. Very similar for aircraft with autopilots and advanced avionics. Technically, this is not new since MOSAIC as there were never any specific limitations. But as I mentioned before, the low weight limit of the old LSA definitions made it very rare to find aircraft with these features in it that could fit that definition. For flying other types of propulsion, like electric motors, you won’t need an endorsement, but manufacturers might require specific training. And as we know, a good pilot is going to get proficient in any new type of aircraft with the help of someone who knows the aircraft first. For operation in controlled airspace, that’s B, class B, class C, class D or surface class E airspace. This is not new and it is unchanged. Similar to flying complex aircraft, you need ground flight or AT on ATC procedures and communications and you need an endorsement of that training to be able to fly in there. for tailwind aircraft. Again, this is not new under MOSAIC and remains the same. You need ground flight and an endorsement from an instructor for aerial work for compensation that is now allowed under the exceptions under MOSAIC for smart pods. The FAA is a bit fuzzy on what training you’re going to need. They do state that for new privileges that training and endorsements are needed and they group aerial work under the new privileges. So, it is implied from the FAA that there is training required. They go on to say that aerial work operations must be ground and flight tested and put into the PO by the manufacturer of each aircraft. So your aircraft has to be approved for the type of work you want to do. And perhaps that’s where they are going to do the training. They’ll leave the training up to the manufacturers. I just can’t be sure yet with the wording that they have in there.

Now for glider towing, it’s still not allowed under MOSAIC. You’re going to need a private pilot certificate. Same goes for carrying more than one passenger. As I mentioned previously, you got to have a private pilot certificate at least to be able to do that. And then the same for an IFR. You would need an to add an IFR rating to your private pilot certificate in order to fly in nonVFR conditions. Sport pilots are not allowed under  MOSAIC. Even though it was maybe rumored that this would change under MOSAIC, but it did not.

So, after all that we know now, what about for student pilots? When and how will the FAA change their written exams and check rights? Well, as we know, MOSAIC goes into effect October 22nd, 2025, and therefore, any student pilots prior to this date should be aware of the rule changes, but will you be tested on it? Let’s break it down in another handy table. This table breaks down each scenario for a student pilot, what the FAA says about that scenario, and how we can best interpret it at this time of this video. So, if your Sport Pilot written exam is prior to October 22nd, 2025, then because the rule does not go into effect until then, you can be rest assured you will not be tested on these new rules because simply they haven’t gone into effect. Now, if your Sport Pilot written exam is on or after October 22nd, 2025, then the FAA says the exams quote have been reviewed and revised where necessary and will become active on October 22nd, 2025. So, we interpret that as you will be tested on MOSAIC rules on or after this date and you should prepare to be tested on. So, what about your check ride? If your check ride is prior to October 22nd, 2025, then because it does not go into effect then then you shouldn’t be tested on it. However, we do know that FAA examiners DPEs have a mind of their own. I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone taking their check ride prior to October 22nd before  MOSAIC goes into effect that examiners around the US could be US could be asking about  MOSAIC rule changes. So you need to be prepared for that. If your check ride is on or after this date, the FAA says that they will update the sport pilot practical test standards aka the PTS on October 22nd 2025 or quote as soon as possible thereafter. So, I interpret this as there may be delays after the rule is in effect, but that there are usually delays until it gets into the standards and testing. However, as I just mentioned, I wouldn’t be surprised if examiners ask about this even if the PTS has yet to be officially updated, and students should be prepared to answer questions on MOSAIC. So, that has been everything you need to know about the FAA’s new MOSAIC rule changes.

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