Notice2025-09456
Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Implementation of the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification Rule
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 27, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (Draft PEA) for Implementation of the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification Rule is available for public review and comment.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 100 (Tuesday, May 27, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 27, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22437-22438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09456]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Implementation of
the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification Rule
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that the
Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact (Draft PEA) for Implementation of the Modernization
of Special Airworthiness Certification Rule is available for public
review and comment.
DATES: Send comments on or before June 26, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning this action,
contact Christopher Couture, Environmental Protection Specialist, FAA
Aviation Safety, Office of Quality, Integration, and Executive
Services, AQS-330.; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ecd5c1adbabfc1ada5bec1a1a3bfada5afaa8989888e8d8f87ac8a8d8dc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b48d99f5e2e799f5fde699f9fbe7f5fdf7f2d1d1d0d6d5d7dff4d2d5d59ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a>.
ADDRESSES: Send comments with the subject line, ``Public Comment on
Draft MOSAIC PEA'' on all submitted correspondence using the following
method. Email comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a39a8ee2f5f08ee2eaf18eeeecf0e2eae0e5c6c6c7c1c2c0c8e3c5c2c28dc4ccd5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1e27335f484d335f574c3353514d5f575d587b7b7a7c7f7d755e787f7f30797168">[email protected]</span></a>.
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, including any personal information the commenter provides, to
the Final PEA, along with the FAA's response to those comments. For
additional information, the applicable system of records notice (SORN),
DOT/ALL-14, 73 FR 3316 (Jan. 17, 2008), can be reviewed at <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2008-01-17/pdf/E8-785.pdf">https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2008-01-17/pdf/E8-785.pdf</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 24, 2023, the FAA published a proposed rule titled
``Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification'' (MOSAIC) in
the Federal Register to amend regulations for the manufacture,
certification, operation, maintenance, and alteration of light-sport
category aircraft, and other amendments (88 FR 47650, Docket No. FAA-
2023-1377).
The Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) analyzes and
discloses the potential environmental impacts associated with
implementation of the MOSAIC rule, pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A categorical exclusion was applied to
FAA's action to issue the proposed rule and provide notice in the
Federal Register (88 FR 47722).
The MOSAIC rule would establish requirements for aircraft, other
than unmanned aircraft, that hold special airworthiness certificates,
airmen that operate and maintain those aircraft, and supporting rules.
The rule would enable the FAA to certificate light-sport category
aircraft, sport pilots, and light-sport repairmen at the appropriate
level of rigor and privilege. The rule aims to increase the
availability of safe, modern, and affordable aircraft for recreational
aviation, flight training, and certain aerial work.
Under the proposed action, manufacturers of light-sport aircraft
may design and manufacture a broader array of aircraft including
additional classes of aircraft such as rotorcraft and powered-lift, and
aircraft with increased seating, without weight limits, higher speeds,
new types of propulsion systems, new propeller types, retractable
landing gear, and aircraft with simplified flight controls. Sport pilot
privileges would be expanded to include a broader array of aircraft and
add new privileges. New privileges for sport pilots would include
operating helicopters, operating at night, operating aircraft with
retractable landing gear, operating aircraft with constant speed
propellers, and operating high-performance airplanes. These new
privileges would be available via training and endorsements. Repairman
(light-sport) certificate privileges also would be expanded to allow
work on all aircraft in the expanded categories of light-sport
aircraft.
The proposed action would revise operating limitations for
restricted category aircraft, experimental aircraft, and light-sport
category aircraft. The rule would also codify a Congressional mandate
to enable certain aircraft with an experimental airworthiness
certificate to operate commercially as space support vehicles without
an air carrier certificate or exemption. The rule would establish a new
purpose for issuance of an experimental
[[Page 22438]]
airworthiness certificate to former military aircraft to improve
alignment between certain operations of former military aircraft and
the experimental airworthiness certificates which authorize their
operation. The rule would also increase the duration of certain
experimental airworthiness certificates from one to three years.
Additionally, except for non-powered aircraft, agricultural aircraft,
and fire-fighting aircraft, the proposed rule would expand the
applicability of noise requirements under part 36 of title 14 of the
Code of Federal Regulations to new light-sport aircraft and certain
alterations that increase noise in used light-sport aircraft and
certain used experimental light-sport category aircraft. The rule would
allow options for compliance: conventional noise testing per part 36 or
a means of compliance specified in FAA-approved, industry consensus
standards.
The environmental impacts of implementing these proposed MOSAIC
rule changes have been considered in a manner consistent with the
provisions of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and FAA Order
1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures.
Based on the analysis provided in the Draft PEA, the FAA has
preliminarily determined in a proposed finding of no significant impact
that there will not be a significant impact to the human environment.
As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has not been
initiated. 42 U.S.C. 4336e(7). The FAA intends for this PEA to create
efficiencies by establishing a framework that can be used for
``tiering,'' where appropriate, to future FAA actions that require
additional analysis beyond the scope of this PEA. As decisions on
future FAA actions are made, to the extent additional NEPA analysis is
required, environmental review will be conducted to supplement the
analysis set forth in this PEA.
The Draft PEA is available for review online at the following link:
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FAA-2023-1377/document">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FAA-2023-1377/document</a>.
Comments Invited
The FAA invites interested stakeholders to submit comments on the
Draft PEA, as specified in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice.
Commenters should include the subject line, ``Public Comment on Draft
MOSAIC PEA'' on all comments submitted to the FAA. All comments must be
provided in English.
The FAA will accept comments in Word, PDF, or email body. No
business proprietary information, copyrighted information, or
personally identifiable information should be submitted in response to
this request. Please be aware that comments submitted may be posted on
a Federal website or otherwise released publicly.
The most helpful comments reference a specific recommendation,
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting
information. The FAA will consider all comments received on or before
the closing date. The FAA will also consider late filed comments if it
is possible to do so without incurring expense or delay.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Brian Cable,
Manager, Organization and System Policy Branch, Policy and Standards
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-09456 Filed 5-23-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 27, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.