FAA ISSUES NPRM ON MODERNIZATION OF SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION
August 3, 2023
On July 24, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) to amend the rules for the certification and operation of light-sport category aircraft. The FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (“MOSAIC”) NPRM enables certification of light-sport category aircraft with simplified flight controls and electric propulsion systems. The proposed amendments would also remove the weight limit for light-sport category aircraft and increase the cruise and stall speed allowances for these aircraft. Under the proposed rule, aircraft seeking a special airworthiness certificate would be required to comply with aircraft design, production, and airworthiness requirements using industry consensus standards, instead of complying with the current definitional requirements codified in 14 CFR 1.1.
In addition, MOSAIC proposes to expand certain privileges for sport pilots. The proposed rule would allow sport pilots to operate airplanes with up to four seats, allow sport pilots to operate at night, and permit operations in aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear. The proposed rule also introduces a new rotorcraft-helicopter privilege for sport pilots and sport pilot instructors and would permit sport pilots to use aviation training devices (“ATD”) and flight simulation training devices (“FSTD”) to meet certain experience requirements for a sport pilot certificate. To benefit from this increase in privileges, sport pilots would be required to complete more robust training and receive additional endorsements.
The FAA is currently accepting comments on the NPRM until October 23, 2023, in the applicable docket available here.
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