FAA Accepts ASTM Standards for New Part 22 Aircraft

The FAA’s acceptance of ASTM International’s standards for light-sport airplanes, gliders, gyroplanes, powered lift, and multicopters marks a significant milestone in the future of general aviation. The acceptance of these standards is the culmination of more than a year of work by the ASTM International’s F37 Light Sport Aircraft Committee and FAA staff. EAA would like to recognize and thank everyone involved in the development of the MOSAIC rule and the consensus standards that make its implementation possible. The monumental efforts of the ASTM F37 Light Sport Aircraft Committee members and the FAA to revise, expand, develop, and accept these standards in the short time since the final rule was released last year made it possible for the final piece of MOSAIC to become effective on-schedule on July 24.

The FAA published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register announcing its acceptance of ASTM International consensus standards as a means of compliance for manufacturers seeking to produce aircraft under the new Part 22 established by MOSAIC. Part 22 sets forth the requirements for certification of light-sport aircraft, expanding the size and scope of aircraft in the light-sport category.  

The ASTM consensus standards serve as an accepted means of compliance manufacturers may use to satisfy the requirements of Part 22 and obtain a special airworthiness certificate for light-sport category aircraft (S-LSA) and light-sport category kit aircraft (E-LSA). 

The publication represents one of the final major regulatory pieces needed before MOSAIC’s July 24 effective date. Still anticipated is the publication of FAA Order 8130.2M, which will provide guidance to FAA personnel and designees responsible for issuing airworthiness certificates. That guidance will help ensure manufacturers can begin utilizing the new certification pathways. Additionally, the ASTM standards necessary to certify powered parachute, weight-shift control, and helicopter LSAs are in active development but remain forthcoming.