Ready or Not . . . Here Comes MOSAIC!

10 Jul 2025 Ready or Not . . . Here Comes MOSAIC!

For several years now, the aviation industry and FAA have been collaborating on the latest rulemaking efforts from the FAA, known as Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC). We are looking forward to the new rules in 2025 with a likely push for clarity and industry education at AirVenture 2025, which is just around the corner!

The current Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) rule, which sports a fabulous safety record, is based on self-declarative compliance to industry consensus standards, rather than traditional prescriptive regulations that mark aircraft certification of the past. In the refreshed LSA rules, this flexible performance-based paradigm will be expanded even further in terms of aircraft size, complexity, propulsion options, and operations. For example, clean stall speed is expected to be used to constrain aircraft instead of gross weight, and the envelope of aircraft systems opens up to include variable-pitch props and retractable landing gear, systems we have clear recollections of discussing back in 2004! We are grateful for the movement of the industry and regulators toward flexible, modular, requirements-based certification like we talked about in this post from 2021.

The expanded definition of an LSA will be accompanied by a more diverse set of operations including aerial work. But what does this mean for you?

Sport pilots will have more aircraft options, as will FBOs and flight schools. However, this is all predicated on the compliance of manufacturers who will be affected by new standards and all new aircraft requirements,. Existing LSA manufacturers will need to plan for a transition period as we move toward the new rule and acceptance of accompanying standards.

Is your aircraft company ready for MOSAIC?

Streamline Designs conducts comprehensive MOSAIC-readiness assessments to evaluate a manufacturer’s design, performance, quality systems, and continued operational safety (among other things) in accordance with the new rule (once released) and accompanying ASTM consensus standards. A part of this service includes a gap analysis and recommendations for MOSAIC compliance, in terms of existing LSA documentation or for new designs. Contact us at info@enablingflight.com if you are interested in a MOSAIC-readiness assessment.