Q. Under the new Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule passed last year, what is a sport pilot?
A. A sport pilot certificate is issued by the FAA and allows the holder to fly many light aircraft without meeting all requirements of a private pilot certificate. It was created in 2004 to make flying more accessible, with reduced training time, medical requirements, and cost. The requirements to earn a sport pilot certificate have not changed under these new rules, which took effect in October. A sport pilot must:
• be at least 17 years old.
• read, speak, write, and understand English.
• hold a medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license.
• have a minimum of 20 hours of flight time, including:
• 15 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor.
• five hours of solo flight.
• two hours of cross-country flight training.
• 10 takeoffs and landings to a full stop.
• one solo cross-country flight of at least 75 nautical miles total distance with a full-stop landing at a minimum of two points and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 25 nautical miles between takeoff and landing locations.
• two hours of flight training in preparation for the practical test.
• ground training from an instructor or home-study course.
A pilot already holding a private, commercial, or ATP certificate can fly the category of aircraft they are rated for under sport pilot privileges with no additional training. If a pilot chooses to do this, they must adhere to sport pilot privileges such as only carrying one passenger and flying aircraft that meet the performance requirements.
The MOSAIC rule separates and redefines sport pilot and light sport aircraft regulations by:
• expanding sport pilot privileges, allowing certificate holders to fly more types of aircraft and earn additional endorsements than before. These changes took effect on October 22, 2025.
• expanding the types of aircraft that are considered light-sport category aircraft by removing the weight limit and instead limiting them by stall speed. Changes affecting airworthiness certification of new aircraft take effect on July 24, 2026. 
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