It seems my prediction did not come true.
For the past several months, I have been repeating my forecast that the FAA would announce a draft of its newest Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) regulation at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s big summer celebration of flight, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
To win an increase in its budget a few years back, the FAA agreed to complete a new regulation by Dec. 31, 2023, widely known as Mosaic. Its full name is Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification.
While FAA officials did give an update on Mosaic at AirVenture, they also let it be known that the new rule is not ready to be published in the Federal Register as a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM).
That’s because a few months ago the agency made a big decision that changed Mosaic quite a bit.
As many of you may know, Mosaic is not being created solely for Light-Sport Aircraft. The coming rule encompasses warbirds, homebuilts, LSA, and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).
UAS, also known as drones, includes all manner of electric and hybrid aircraft. Incorporating these very diverse segments under one regulation was a big undertaking. Evidently it proved too big.
A couple of months ago a big split was decided. The task of drafting regulations for such different aircraft is a large project, affecting many other regulations and touching different pilot communities.
That’s why agency officials decided to remove UAS from Mosaic and craft separate rules for them.
The Good News
In my view, this is a longer term good thing because it will allow FAA rule writers to complete work long underway and significantly completed.
On the industry side this includes ASTM standards. ASTM’s LSA F37 committee has been laboring for many months. Its hard work is recognized as valuable.
The more challenging job of incorporating uncrewed aircraft into the National Airspace System can continue on a parallel track, but if delayed, that work would not slow regulation changes for LSA and other crewed aircraft. (“Crewed” versus “uncrewed” is the clear distinction here but also the present politically-correct language.)
The Bad News
Because Mosaic previously included both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, separating them will take more time. It could take another year before the FAA is ready with Mosaic for only crewed aircraft.
It will take even longer for uncrewed aircraft but those aircraft are not our focus. (Blending crewed and uncrewed into one regulation met the then-Trump rules aimed at reducing regulation.)
The Good News
I learned during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 that everything we have been hearing about the updates for LSA remain on track.
What I have been writing about Mosaic and what FAA officials have said by explicit statement all still applies.
We still expect multiple benefits:
- Higher aircraft weight,
- Faster speeds,
- Single lever control props,
- Hybrid and electric,
- Special LSA gyroplanes,
- Aerial work privileges,
- Retractable gear, and
- More seats.
However, we still lack information about pilot privileges under Mosaic, so we still don’t know what size aircraft someone holding a Sport Pilot certificate will be permitted to fly.
The Bad News
Some LSA-friendly FAA personnel in high places have left the agency. New people in their positions are much less aware of this sector.
Even if very capable, it will take time for them to comprehend Mosaic. Rule writers have had to submit briefing papers to bring these people up to speed.
Stop performing job justification and get-r-done please.
Wish they would do something. Like the ideas now stop making job justification by delaying progress.
I’ll be dead and gone before the FAA gets off their collective arses.
Any word on night flight?
Thank you Dan for this update.
The FAA is unjustifiably slow, apparently deliberately, in promulgation updates standards.