22nd Annual EAA/FAA Recreational Aviation Summit Convenes in Oshkosh

EAA hosted the 22nd annual EAA/FAA Recreational Aviation Summit, or “Winter Summit,” during the first week of March. While mild temperatures tempered the “winter” portion of the summit, active involvement by a highly engaged FAA team provided yet another opportunity for EAA’s leadership and staff to leverage this year’s theme of “Building Upon Success” to work collaboratively and further key issues important to our members.

Since our founding in 1953, EAA has worked in partnership with the FAA, and our historical successes prove the strength of this partnership and the value of these meetings and our regular engagements with the agency. Representatives from the FAA participating in this year’s meeting included the offices of Aircraft Certification, Flight Standards, Aviation Safety, and Aerospace Medicine.

This year’s Summit included a review of continuously improving safety numbers in E-ABs, with EAA highlighting a number of updated efforts that have contributed to this positive trend. EAA briefed the FAA on upcoming changes to the Non-Builder Owner’s Guide to Amateur-Built Aircraft and an upcoming reprint of FAA’s AC 90-109A, “Transition to Unfamiliar Aircraft.” These new publications address the growing trend of E-AB aircraft purchased by second owners, many of whom have only flown traditionally certificated aircraft.

Winter Summit topics also covered the ongoing efforts to support the industry’s adoption and implementation of the MOSAIC rulemaking package announced at AirVenture 2025. The group addressed a number of questions that have arisen on the rule, recent updates by the FAA to key orders and policies, and the work underway to develop and expand the ASTM standards to support the new Part 22 that will become effective this July, enabling the expansion of aircraft that can be built under the Light-Sport Category.

EAA also took the opportunity to discuss numerous other topics, including the FAA’s approach to airspace design, ongoing challenges with the availability of designated pilot examiners, unmanned aircraft and low-cost position reporting systems, and the safety and maintainability of legacy aircraft.  

Through these discussions at Winter Summit, our efforts during AirVenture, and our ongoing advocacy efforts with the FAA throughout the year, EAA continues to further our goals of promoting aviation safety and improving access to aviation.