The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed revisions to the sport pilot Practical Test Standards intended to align testing requirements with the recently finalized MOSAIC rule. The proposal would update three existing sport pilot PTS documents to reflect how sport pilots and flight instructors will be certified and evaluated. The agency says the changes are largely conforming in nature and would not alter how tests are conducted, but would clarify which aircraft and standards apply during certification and proficiency checks.
Why the FAA says changes are needed
The proposal is driven by regulatory changes adopted under the MOSAIC final rule, published in July 2025, which removes the long-standing definition of “light-sport aircraft” from federal regulations. Under MOSAIC, sport pilot privileges are instead tied to new performance and design limits, expanding the range of aircraft sport pilots may operate. The FAA says the current sport pilot PTS documents still rely on the soon-to-be-removed light-sport aircraft definition, creating the potential for conflicts between testing standards and the underlying regulations.
According to the FAA, those inconsistencies could lead to confusion over which aircraft may be used for practical tests or proficiency checks. By revising the PTS to reference “aircraft” meeting the new regulatory requirements rather than “light-sport aircraft,” the agency says it can ensure that examiners, instructors and applicants are working from standards that reflect the expanded privileges authorized under MOSAIC.
How testing requirements would change
One of the more substantive changes affects sport pilots and flight instructors who are adding airplane privileges to an existing sport pilot certificate. In this context, adding airplane single-engine land or sea privileges refers to a sport pilot who is already authorized in another category, such as gyroplane, glider, powered parachute or lighter-than-air, and is seeking authorization to fly fixed-wing airplanes that meet sport pilot operating limits.
Under current rules, those airplane privileges can be added through training and a proficiency check conducted by flight instructors. Under the MOSAIC final rule, however, adding airplane privileges would instead require completion of a practical test administered by an FAA-approved pilot examiner. The FAA’s proposal updates the applicable Practical Test Standards to reflect that shift and align the testing documents with the revised certification requirements.
The proposal also updates terminology throughout the three PTS documents, including replacing multiple examiner titles with the single term “pilot examiner,” revising references to flight instructors with a sport pilot rating, and correcting outdated or inconsistent regulatory citations. The FAA says these edits are intended to improve clarity and consistency, not to impose new requirements on applicants.
Expected impact on pilots and instructors
The FAA estimates the proposal would not result in major new costs for pilots, instructors or testing organizations, noting that the PTS are freely available online and that the scope and content of practical tests would remain unchanged. The agency says aligning the PTS with MOSAIC will support the broader shift toward performance-based standards and help ensure consistent application of the new sport pilot operating limits.
Public comments on the proposal are due by Jan. 7, 2026. The FAA said it will consider all timely comments before deciding whether to finalize the revisions to the sport pilot Practical Test Standards.
