Round of Advisory Circulars Impact Pilots, Instructors, and Light-Sport Repairmen

The FAA has released an updated set of advisory circulars to support the transition to the long-awaited Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule, offering new direction for pilots, instructors, and light-sport repairmen.

The documents, published November 14, aim to align long-standing guidance with the performance-based system that will replace the outdated light-sport framework when MOSAIC takes effect in 2026.

The first revision is with AC 61-65, with version K becoming the primary reference for endorsements and certification procedures for pilots and flight and ground instructors. The circular incorporates the revised sport-pilot privileges introduced under MOSAIC and includes newly approved endorsement language for expanded operations, reflecting the broader range of aircraft that sport pilots will be allowed to operate under the new standards.

The new AC 65-32B updates the qualification and privilege structure for light-sport repairmen, mostly using some wording adjustments to clarify how repairman certificates correspond to the much-expanded group of aircraft expected to enter the market under MOSAIC. The revision also includes an explanation of how repairmen can work with experimental amateur-built aircraft within the new regulatory boundaries, hoping to ensure that maintenance privileges match the more flexible aircraft definitions while maintaining clear limits on authorized tasks.

AC 61-146 is the only newly issued circular on the docket. It focuses specifically on sport-pilot training, certification, and operating requirements and outlines a structure for instructors to use for training in both initial and recurrent qualification. The circular also addresses aircraft approved with simplified flight controls and what limitations apply to pilots who qualify to use these systems. This AC will be especially important for helicopter operations where simplified control configurations carry distinct regulatory requirements with them.

For those who aren’t fully up to date, MOSAIC is the FAA’s effort to modernize the light-sport segment by eliminating the decades-old weight caps and replacing them with performance criteria. This shoves a wider range of aircraft, including models with higher performance and more complex systems, into the pool of those that can be operated at the sport-pilot level. Getting these three ACs on the same page as the final rule is just one step toward preparing the training and maintenance communities for the regulatory transition.

FMI: www.faa.gov