Almost since the beginning of aviation, the private pilot certificate has been the first goal of those aspiring to fly. The Air Commerce Act of 1926 authorized the Civil Aeronautics Authority (the forerunner of today’s FAA) to issue pilot certificates for private pilots, commercial pilots and, later, airline transport pilots.The first pilot’s license ever issued was a private certificate on April 6, 1927, to William P. MacCracken, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics. A month later, Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris nonstop. He held one of the original commercial pilot certificates, issued to him just a few days before he took off.Fast forward to 2005. With the advent of what became known as light sport aircraft (LSA), and because of the increased expense of obtaining a private pilot’s certificate, along with the urging of organizations such as AOPA and EAA, the FAA authorized of a new certificate to be issued, the sport pilot certificate. The overall requirements for obtaining a sport pilot certification are about half of the private pilot certification requirements, with a much lower cost of learning to fly.A sport pilot is authorized to fly only aircraft that meet the LSA definition. Until recently, those were aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 1,320 pounds, never exceeding a speed of 120 knots, a clean stalling speed of 45 knots, two seats maximum, and a single reciprocating engine with a fixed pitch or ground-adjustable propeller and fixed landing gear. In addition to holding a pilot certificate, all pilots were also required to hold a current medical certificate appropriate to their type of flying. Airline Transport Pilots must complete a first-class medical exam with an FAA medical examiner every six months; commercial pilots, a second-class every year; and private pilots, a third-class every two years. Because sport pilots have only been allowed to fly very basic aircraft with one passenger seat, the only medical requirement for them is that they must hold a driver’s license. The FAA reasons that if they are healthy enough to drive a car, they are also healthy enough to fly a light sport aircraft. If the pilot has previously applied for and been denied a regular FAA medical certificate, the driver’s license is not acceptable as meeting the medical requirement. Fast forward again, this time to 2025, and the changes in sport pilot/LSA regulations are known as MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification). These changes have been referred to as “Sport Pilot 2.0.” RELATED STORIES: FAA, DOT leadership bring landmark MOSAIC announcement to AirVenture How the FAA’s MOSAIC ruling will transform private aviation FAA releases updated advisory circulars as part of MOSAIC implementationSport Pilots are now authorized to fly most of the single-engine general aviation airplanes with no more than four seats, including aircraft with constant-speed propellers and retractable landing gear, provided they have received training and have endorsements in their logbook for these aircraft. They are also allowed to fly at night. provided that they have training and a logbook endorsement, and they must obtain a regular FAA medical certificate for night-flying privileges. Before MOSAIC, sport pilots were not authorized to fly at night. Even though these pilots are now approved to fly aircraft with four seats, they are still not approved to carry more than one passenger. What MOSAIC means for current and prospective pilotsThe MOSAIC changes have benefited not only those holding sport pilot certificates but also senior pilots, many of whom may have several more years of flying ahead of them because of the MOSAIC changes. A retired airline captain with 30,000 hours in his logbooks that owns and flies a Cessna 182, or a four-seat Beech Bonanza once concerned that he may someday be denied an FAA medical certificate which would make him ineligible for both basic med and the driver’s license medical, can now skip the FAA exam and continue to fly his airplane as a sport pilot as long as he follows the rules. For him, the big ones to remember would be the one passenger limitation and no night flying.As in most areas of aviation, there are always two sets of rules that an owner/pilot should remember and be concerned about: The first are the Federal Air Regulations that apply to the use and operation of an aircraft. The second are the rules laid down by the insurance underwriters that write aviation hull and liability coverage. They are really two different things: If something bad happens to the airplane, just because no FAA regs were violated, does not mean that the insurance coverage is in place, and a claim could be denied. At the same time, many claims are paid even though an FAR violation may have contributed to the loss. At this point, the underwriters that we have questioned have advised us that they will continue to provide coverage for sport pilots transitioning to larger aircraft allowed by MOSAIC. In most cases, they will require several hours of training in the airplane, and there could be restrictions or limitations in the coverage provided by the policy. Bottom line: Read and understand the FAR rules, and read and understand the policy covering your airplane. If you are a sport pilot, go get checked out in a Cessna 182, or a Piper PA-28-180.John Gostinger spent 11 years as an underwriter for Global Aviation Aerospace before joining LLJohns 25 years ago. Today, he focuses primarily on a light-aircraft, private pilot client base.
Recent Comments