Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Parts 1, 21, 22, 36, 43, 45, 61, 65, 91, 119, and 147</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2023-1377; Amdt. Nos. 1-80, 21-109, 22-1, 36-55, 43-63, 45-32, 61-159, 65-66, 91-381, 119-22, and 147-10]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AL50</RIN> <SUBJECT>Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> FAA is amending rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, maintenance, and alteration of light-sport aircraft. The amendments enable enhancements in safety and performance and increase privileges under a number of sport pilot and light-sport aircraft rules. These enhancements include increasing suitability for flight training, limited aerial work, and personal travel. This final rule expands what aircraft sport pilots may operate. This final rule also amends the special purpose operations for restricted category aircraft; amends the duration, eligible purposes, and operating limitations for experimental aircraft; and adds operating limitations applicable to experimental aircraft engaged in space support vehicle flights to codify statutory language. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective October 22, 2025, except for amendatory instructions 3, 8, 9, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23 through 26, 71, 72, 75, 76, and 80, which are effective July 24, 2026. The incorporation by reference of certain material listed in this final rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of October 22, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> For information on where to obtain copies of rulemaking documents and other information related to this final rule, see section VII of this document. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For technical questions concerning this action, contact James Newberger, Aircraft Certification Service (AIR-632), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-1636; email <E T="03">james.e.newberger@faa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Summary of the Costs and Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Authority for This Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. History of Light-Sport Category Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Summary of the NPRM</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Discussion of Comments and the Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. General Overview of Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Differences Between the NPRM and the Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. FAA Safety Continuum</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Separation of Limits for Light-Sport Category Aircraft and Sport Pilots</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Special Airworthiness Certificates for Light-Sport Category Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Design, Production, and Airworthiness Requirements for Non-Type Certificated Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Miscellaneous Provisions for Issuance of Special Airworthiness Certificates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Sport Pilot Certification and Privileges</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Repairman Certificates (Light-Sport)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Maintenance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Operations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Experimental Airworthiness Certificates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Restricted Category Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">N. Noise Certification of Aircraft That Do Not Conform to a Type Certificate</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">O. Import and Export of Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">P. Other Out of Scope Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">Q. Effective and Compliance Dates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">R. Benefits and Costs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Regulatory Notices and Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Executive Order Determinations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Additional Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Electronic Access and Filing</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Incorporation by Reference Material</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">End Notes</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">List of Acronyms Frequently Used in This Document</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ACS—Airman Certification Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">AGL—Above Ground Level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ASTM—American Society for Testing and Material International</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAS—Calibrated Airspeed</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR—Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOD—Department of Defense</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EAB—Experimental Amateur-Built</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">eVTOL—Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FAA—Federal Aviation Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FADEC—Full Authority Digital Electric Control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR—Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FSTD—Flight Simulation Training Device</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GA—General Aviation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IBR—Incorporation by Reference</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IFR—Instrument Flight Rules</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IMC—Instrument Meteorological Conditions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LOC-I—Loss of Control—In-flight</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LSA—Light-Sport Aircraft</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LSAMA—Light-Sport Aircraft Manufacturers Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MOSAIC—Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MSL—Mean Sea Level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAICS—North American Industry Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPRM—Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NTSB—National Transportation Safety Board</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB—Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PIC—Pilot in Command</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PTS—Practical Test Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA—Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RIA—Regulatory Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C.—United States Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> V <E T="52">A</E> —Design maneuvering speed </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">VFR—Visual Flight Rules</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> V <E T="52">H</E> —Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> V <E T="52">NE</E> —Maximum never exceed speed </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> V <E T="52">S1</E> —The stalling speed or the minimum steady flight speed obtained in a specific configuration </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> V <E T="52">S0</E> —The stalling speed or the minimum steady flight speed in the landing configuration </FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Executive Summary</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action</HD> This final rule establishes requirements for aircraft, other than unmanned aircraft, that hold special airworthiness certificates, airmen that operate and maintain those aircraft, and supporting rules. This rule expands eligibility for certification of light-sport category aircraft while retaining a distinction in level of certification rigor between experimental and small, type-certificated aircraft. This rule also expands privileges for sport pilots and light-sport repairmen. This rule aims to increase the availability of safe, modern, and affordable aircraft for recreational aviation, flight training, and certain aerial work. Generally, this rule provides broad regulatory relief to the public. That is, under this rule, manufacturers of light-sport category aircraft may design and manufacture a broader array of aircraft, including rotorcraft and powered-lift. In addition, the rule allows for light-sport category aircraft with increased seating, without weight limits, higher speeds, new types of propulsion systems, new propeller types, retractable landing gear, and aircraft with simplified flight controls. Sport pilot privileges are expanded to include a broader array of aircraft and new privileges. New privileges for sport pilots include operating helicopters, operating at night, operating aircraft with retractable landing gear, operating aircraft with constant speed propellers, and operating high-performance airplanes. These new privileges for sport pilots are available via training and endorsements. Operating privileges for certain light-sport category aircraft are expanded to include certain aerial work. Lastly, repairman certificate (light-sport) privileges are expanded to allow work on all aircraft in the expanded light-sport aircraft category. Though relieving to the public, these expansions are based on safety data, the safety continuum, and other concepts aimed to increase safety. Per the safety continuum concept, FAA bases the rigor of certification requirements on the exposure of the public to risk for an aircraft operation. As the risk increases due to increased operating privileges and aircraft capability, the rigor of certification requirements also increases. In 2004, FAA published the “Certification of Aircraft and Airmen for the Operation of Light-Sport Aircraft” final rule (69 FR 44771, July 27, 2004) (“the 2004 final rule”), which established rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, and maintenance of light-sport aircraft. The successful safety record of light-sport category aircraft since the 2004 final rule validates certification requirements established in that rule and provides support for expanding the scope of certification for light-sport category aircraft and operations. As a result, FAA identified the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule as an opportunity to expand the 2004 f ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 1431k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━