Personal aviation is about to get interesting

From the article:

Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) is the name of the new rulemaking initiative from FAA to expand the definition of light-sport aircraft. As discussed above, the explicit goal here is to make the new category so attractive that many recreational pilots switch from more dangerous experimental amateur-built aircraft to light-sport aircraft that are designed according to consensus standards.

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To fly light-sport helicopters, sport pilots would have to get a helicopter rating, which they could only get for a helicopter that has simplified flight controls, about which more below. No rating would initially exist for light-sport powered-lift aircraft. FAA says this area is rapidly developing, and it expects that future rulemakings could expand privileges to cover these aircraft. This means that a two-seat eVTOL aircraft could come to market as an LSA, but you’d still need to have a private pilot’s license to fly one initially.

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MOSAIC would allow light-sport aircraft to not be so light. Current rules limit LSAs’ maximum takeoff weight to 1,320 pounds, except for seaplanes, which get to be up to 1,430 pounds. Under the new rule, FAA is scrapping the weight requirement entirely. The agency notes that other requirements like maximum stall speed implicitly limit the weight of aircraft, so perhaps LSAs will top out at around 3,000 pounds.

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Another big change is to maximum cruise speed. Current light-sport rules limit LSAs to 120 knots. The MOSAIC NPRM notes that even student pilots, who are less experienced than sport pilots, are allowed to go faster than that. Furthermore, there is no evidence that there is a safety benefit from such a low speed limitation. “FAA has not noted any definitive data that links cruise speed as a contributing factor in accidents involving light-sport category aircraft.” Consequently, FAA is more than doubling the LSA speed limit to 250 knots.

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Another instance of decoupling of sport pilot privileges and aircraft specifications is passenger capacity. Today’s light-sport rules limit everything to two seats (the pilot plus one passenger). MOSAIC would allow airplanes (but not other kinds of LSAs) to be manufactured with up to four seats. Sport pilots would still be limited to transporting one passenger. This is consistent with FAA taking aim at four-seat experimental airplanes flown by non-sport private pilots, trying to make it attractive for private pilots to “upgrade” their spot on the safety continuum to a standards-based aircraft. Undoubtedly, a lot of sport pilots will comment on this change, asking to be allowed to also carry additional passengers rather than flying with empty seats.

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Under today’s light-sport rules, LSAs are limited to a single reciprocating (piston) engine. What this has meant in practice is that turboprops are not allowed. MOSAIC eliminates this limitation, prescribing no limit on the number or type of powerplant on the aircraft. FAA justifies this elimination by noting that modern turbines are simpler to operate than piston engines because of fancier firmware on the turbines.

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MOSAIC makes specific provision for “simplified flight controls.” In today’s airplanes, pilots have direct control of flight surfaces and available power. Imagine if instead of moving flaps and rudders you could just tell the airplane to turn left. You could fly it like in an arcade game. The aircraft would be responsible for keeping itself in a safe flight envelope, and it would take suggestions from the pilot as to what to do.