‘Getting it right’

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford attended the event and accepted the award on behalf of the team.

Finalized in 2025, the MOSAIC rule represents one of the most significant improvements for general aviation in decades, expanding sport pilot privileges and simplifying aircraft certification pathways. During the ceremony in January, AOPA President and CEO Darren Pleasance presented Bedford with a plaque in recognition of the team’s collective efforts, while each team member received an individual certificate acknowledging their contribution to the rulemaking effort.

“The MOSAIC team took on a complex and consequential task, and their work will shape general aviation for years to come,” said Murray Huling AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. “Many pilots across the country are already seeing the benefits.”

Throughout the rulemaking process, AOPA and the FAA were engaged closely, along with the broader GA community, considering thousands of public comments and refining the final rule to better reflect how pilots fly today.

“When these changes were first proposed in 2023, the stall speed requirements for an aircraft to qualify under MOSAIC were an improvement, but they would have left out a large portion of the general aviation fleet,” said Huling. “This team listened to that feedback, and after ensuring it would not negatively impact safety, raised the stall speed so that aircraft like the Grumman Cheetah and Piper Cherokee could qualify.”

“The MOSAIC rule strikes an important balance by expanding access to general aviation while keeping safety at the forefront,” said AOPA President and CEO Darren Pleasance. “On behalf of our 300,000 members, we’re grateful to the FAA for their leadership and dedication to getting this right.”

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