FAA MOSAIC Team Receives President’s Award from AOPA

38 employees from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were recognized with the AOPA President’s Award for their collaboration on the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule.

The MOSAIC rule extends privileges for sport pilots and simplifies pathways for aircraft certification.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) hosted a ceremony at the organization’s Washington office where they presented the award to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. Bedford received a plaque to honor the whole team, and each team member received their own certificate.

“The MOSAIC team took on a complex and consequential task, and their work will shape general aviation for years to come,” said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Murray Huling, “Pilots across the country are already seeing the benefits.”

“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,” added Huling.

He continued, “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.

Pleasance added, “On behalf of our 300,000 members, we’re grateful to the FAA for their leadership and dedication to getting this right.”