The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) honored 38 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees for their work on the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule, recognizing the team with the AOPA President’s Award during a ceremony at AOPA’s Washington office last week. 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, 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 AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Murray Huling. “Pilots across the country are already seeing the benefits.”
Throughout the rulemaking process, the FAA engaged closely with AOPA and the broader general aviation 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,” added 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.”
