Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) major overhaul of the U.S. light-sport (a category of lightweight and simple-to-fly aircraft used mostly for leisurely flying) ecosystem. Published as a final rule on July 24, 2025, MOSAIC updates rules for the design, manufacture, airworthiness certification, operation, maintenance and alteration of light-sport category aircraft, and it expands what sport pilots can operate.
What MOSAIC changes for pilots and operations
On the pilot side, MOSAIC expands sport pilot privileges under 14 CFR 61.316 and explicitly breaks the old one-to-one tie between “sport pilot” and the former 14 CFR Part 1.1 “light-sport aircraft” definition. The FAA highlights new allowances for operating aircraft with retractable landing gear, manually controllable-pitch propellers, and certain complex/high-performance aircraft so long as the pilot completes the required training and receives instructor endorsements.
MOSAIC also adds night privileges for sport pilots with training and endorsements, but the FAA notes a key caveat: night operations require an FAA medical certificate or BasicMed (not just a driver’s licence medical). The MOSAIC page also points to a new helicopter class privilege, limited to light-sport-category helicopters with simplified flight controls (SFC).
Key dates, aircraft certification changes, and what you can’t ‘convert’
MOSAIC was designed to roll out in phases. The FAA’s MOSAIC hub describes two major effective-date buckets: changes tied to sport pilot/repairman/maintenance took effect in 2025, while the new framework tied to certification of light-sport category aircraft took effect July 24, 2026, including removing the old Part 1.1 definition and shifting certification into an updated structure that includes 14 CFR Part 22.
A core concept is using FAA-accepted industry consensus standards as a means of compliance for Part 22. In mid-July 2026, the FAA published a notice accepting key ASTM “integration” standards (including ASTM F3815-26a for aeroplanes, plus standards for gliders, powered lift and gyroplanes) for use with Part 22 and related regulations.
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