Secretary Of Transportation Duffy Makes Announcement At OSH!

The rumor mill started churning last week with ANN's breaking news, but today, July 22, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy made it official: MOSAIC IS HERE! And where else would Duffy make the announcement but only in a press conference at the world’s largest aviation celebration currently underway at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Secretary Duffy said, "I can’t think of a better place than at the largest general aviation airshow in the U.S. to announce that we’re unleashing American ingenuity. This new rule will promote better designs, safer materials, and upgraded technology in the recreational aviation sector. Our recreational pilots and plane manufacturers have correctly noted outdated regulations were inhibiting innovation and safety. No more. Let’s bring this industry into a new age!"

Bryan Bedford, the newly confirmed FAA Administrator said, "This landmark rule aims to increase the availability of safe, modern, and affordable aircraft for recreational aviation, flight training, and certain aerial work. It enables industry to meet the growing demand for more versatile aircraft with higher performance capabilities while maintaining high standards of safety."

Secretary Duffy gave ample credit to former Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, who is now the Deputy Administrator and played a key role in getting the public comments reviewed and implemented in the rule.

Rocheleau and Duffy both thanked Representative Sam Graves (R-MO), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who remarked, "For over a decade, pilots around the country, including myself, have been advocating for MOSAIC to become a reality. This is a huge win that will fundamentally transform general aviation. It will ensure light sport aircraft are more versatile and accessible, foster innovation in the light sport aircraft category, and make it easier for more people to become pilots.

"That’s why I included a requirement in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 for the FAA to issue this final rule. I want to thank Secretary Duffy and Deputy Administrator Rocheleau for carrying out this requirement so promptly.  I commend them for their commitment to improving our aviation system – from modernizing the air traffic control system and boosting the hiring of air traffic controllers, to moving forward with actions that are critical to general aviation in America."

What does MOSAIC do again? In short, it implements a broad range of significant changes to the Light Sport Aircraft or LSA category and to Sport Pilot privileges as it expands a safe alternative for experimental amateur-built aircraft.

The initial details:

• Removes the weight limit, which allows for more safety features and safety-design flexibility
• Includes aircraft with higher speeds, more seats and retractable landing gear
• Allows for new types of propulsion and modern avionics
• Allows aerial work with LSA such as infrastructure and forest inspections, photography/filming, and agricultural surveillance
• Allows pilots operating under Sport Pilot privileges to fly a broader range of aircraft
• Reduces regulatory requirements by expanding the types of aircraft that qualify as LSA and the types of aircraft pilots can fly under Sport Pilot privileges

LSAs include small, lightweight aircraft such as airplanes, helicopters, gliders, powered parachutes, weight-shift-control aircraft, gyroplanes, balloons, and airships.

The FAA first proposed the MOSAIC rule in July 2023 and along the way evaluated over 1,300 public comments, which did in fact lead to some changes including higher stall speeds for LSAs and for Sport Pilots, and voluntary compliance with FAA noise standard by manufacturers.

We know people have been waiting for what seemed like forever but the FAA actually got the final rule done before the two-year deadline set in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

The changes for sport pilots and light-sport repairment take effect 90 days after the final rule is published, and changes for LSA certification take effect one year (365 days) after the final rule is published.

FMI:  www.faa.gov/