Since I soloed in a Taylorcraft more than 50 years ago, and fly my own Champ regularly, I was granted one of the first FAA Sport DPE approvals. It was a wild and woolly world in 2004 as the FAA figured out how to regulate this diverse world of sport flying machines. Many newly accepted flying machines were “heavy ultralights.” So many new sport aircraft were experimental and I personally limited my work to flying machines that had wheels (my feet are *not* the landing gear) and no “John Denver fuel selectors.” Dual controls are optional in sport, so pick your poison in this environment. You can even test single-seat machines from the ground with a limitation! The ASTM, factory-built Sport planes created a more predictable configuration, and now the new challenge will be pilot training.
MOSAIC became the law on July 18, 2025 (and now the FAA is busy writing the guidance?) This new set of regulations will allow sport pilots to fly about 70% of the GA Part 23 approved fleet with certain limitations (and hopefully we get a Sport PIlot ACS?):
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Up to four seats (for airplanes) but still one passenger.
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No weight limit (performance is limited by stall speed instead; 59K CAS clean.
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A maximum speed of 250 knots
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Retractable landing gear and constant-speed propellers
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Alternative powerplants, including electric and turbine engines
One of the first pilots I tested flew his Luscombe all the way from South Carolina as a student pilot to get his evaluation. The new MOSAIC challenge will be expanding pilot privileges safely (writing the rules now?) This will be a challenge for educators – as well as pilots – if we are to pull this off safely. I just got an email from a member asking “how do I (hypothetically) transition a sport pilot into a Cessna 182?” (great question). Let’s examine this process as it might occur (safely). And if anyone has more info, add it to the comments please.
Sport pilots were historically limited primarily by weight, but now the limits are mostly speed. MOSAIC allows sport pilot to fly standard category aircraft with clean stall up to 59K and max cruise limited to 250K. But assuming the plane falls within these limitations, a sport pilot certificate could potentially have a lot of limitations that need to be removed with training and endorsements. Flying a heavier plane like a Skylane is quite a change from an LSA. This is an opportunity (and challenge) for the aviation educator. The historic sport limitations would preclude safe and reasonable operation of this machine. Can these privileges be added safely in a serial à la carte fashion? Adding speed, airspace, communication, altitude, plus complex systems is a real educational challenge (with potential liability implications).
No Controlled A/S Skills, Limited Cross Country
A sport pilot is not required to be trained or tested on ATC communication skills (just non-towered operations) and their cross country training is truncated. This was one way the FAA shortened the sport training time: “no complex radio skills” and “no serious cross-country training.” This is why my first applicant’s journey of 600nm was so challenging. Sport Pilots need an endorsement to operate in Class B, C, and D airspace. More training will be necessary under MOSAIC in both these areas. Historically, a sport pilot could not fly at night or above the clouds…will instrument training be required under MOSAIC?
No Night or Instrument Training
It seems the real training challenge is building a sport pilot into a private à la carte, one endorsement at a time – but without a medical requirement (or flight test). Would it be easier to just add the training necessary to create (and test) a private pilot and eliminate the basic med requirement for an initial FAA medical? We definitely are in for a wild ride ahead for both pilots and aviation educators (as well as insurance adjusters). The critical safety check will be personal caution and a humble attitude. Crashing is always painful and expensive – let’s do this safely!
Join our live 
SAFE webinar on Oct 26th at 8pm on training superior Commercial Pilots. (Moved back a week due to my pilot workload.N) With the disappearance of retractable training/testing and also “real solo,“ Commercial is rapidly becoming “Private Pilot 2.0” even testing in the same basic trainers. What can be added to define professionalism at the commercial level?
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Most of the issues have been around ‘medical’… someone has a hospital visit and next thing you know it could be thousands to prove you are not sick and able to fly. I self grounded when I got a kidney stone… I haven’t had an issue in 5 years, but the price of proving it to the FAA is more than the value of hobby flying.
We don’t want sic people flying… or driving. Teaching people to to fly and when not to fly is a part of training. Pilots don’t learn to fly to kill themselves. Instructors train pilots not to kill themselves.
With the retirement mandated at 65 for ATP, and all the medical restrictions for part 135 pilots, I can’t recall a crash due to a pilot being sick. The medical over watch of commercial may have been needed 50 years ago… I believe it is clearly an over extension of government reach now. Especially with medical record privacy. The ‘medical’ is likely no longer needed at all.
Instructors should be able to determine if a person has the ability to fly… medical, mental, physical, etc… some very heathy people have no business in a plane or car. Some people are just clumsy, can pay attention, etc… this is where instructors need to step in and say… you know, maybe flying just isn’t your thing.
Instructor requirements and self evaluation has changed over the decades… time for the medical to go away and let instructors step in as advisors to the pilots during reviews.
Unfortunately, some pilots are not too honest (with themselves or others): http://bit.ly/SAFE-Stupid