Sport Pilots' Tests Get a Rulebook Refresh
Published Date: 12/8/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to update the rules and test standards for sport pilots to match new safety and certification changes from the MOSAIC rule. This affects anyone training or testing to become a sport pilot, making the process clearer and more up-to-date. Comments on these changes are open until January 7, 2026, with no extra costs expected for pilots.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Sport pilots may operate more aircraft
If you are training or testing to become a sport pilot or are a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating, the FAA proposes updating the sport pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS) to reflect new performance limits and design requirements in Sec. 61.316. The MOSAIC final rule (published July 24, 2025) and Sec. 61.316 expand the aircraft sport pilots may operate, and the PTS revisions would align testing standards with those expanded privileges.
Adding airplane privileges requires a practical test
FAA proposes to revise the sport pilot PTS so that adding airplane single-engine (land or sea) privileges to a sport pilot or flight instructor with a sport pilot rating is aligned with MOSAIC requirements to require successful completion of a practical test. The proposal reflects that Secs. 61.321(b) and 61.419(e) (as adopted in MOSAIC) require a practical test rather than just a proficiency check for those airplane privileges.
FAA expects no costs for pilots or applicants
The FAA states it expects no costs to stakeholders, applicants for initial certificates, ratings, or privileges, or existing airmen from the proposed PTS updates, and only minimal costs to the agency to revise and upload the PTS. The FAA requests comments and states the updated PTS will be made available online; comments are due by January 7, 2026.
PTS wording changed to reduce confusion
The FAA proposes to remove references to the term "light-sport aircraft" in the three sport pilot PTS and replace them with "aircraft" or "aircraft meeting the requirements in Sec. 61.316" to avoid confusion after the MOSAIC final rule removes the definition in Sec. 1.1. This change is intended to prevent conflicts between the PTS and the MOSAIC rule and improve clarity for testers and applicants.
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