FAA to Amend Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards

The FAA is updating the sport pilot practical test standards (PTS) to align with the new regulatory requirements introduced in the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule. The updates for three PTS related to the certification of sport pilots will include the Sport Pilot and Sport Pilot Flight Instructor Rating PTS for Airplane category, Rotorcraft category, and Glider category, the Sport Pilot and Sport Pilot Flight Instructor Rating PTS for Lighter-Than-Air category, and the Sport Pilot and Sport Pilot Flight Instructor PTS for Powered Parachute category, Weight-Shift-Control Aircraft category.  

The updates will primarily include changing references from “light-sport aircraft” to “aircraft,” and will align practical test requirements for the certification of pilots and flight instructors with a sport pilot rating seeking to add airplane privileges to their sport pilot certificate. The updates also amend the minimum recovery altitude for stalls and slow flight tasks from 1,000 to 1,500 feet AGL for the Airplane, Rotorcraft, and Glider category PTS, bringing these standards in line with that of the Private Pilot for Airplane category ACS standards.

EAA championed the industry effort to get the MOSAIC final rule across the finish line in 2025. This update to the Sport Pilot PTS is a welcome and necessary change that brings the testing standards into compliance with the regulatory requirements adopted in the MOSAIC final rule. You can read the Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards Alignment final rule here. All three PTS are available for use now and can be found on the FAA’s Airman Testing website. Instructors, applicants, and DPEs must use the new PTS no later than October 14, 2026.