TL;DR: MOSAIC brings long-awaited changes for Experimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) aircraft—legalizing compensated instruction, allowing non-builders to earn a Repairman Certificate, and clarifying commercial use boundaries. These updates significantly improve the utility, resale value, and ecosystem around E-AB aircraft. Expect ripple effects in training, maintenance, and aircraft value.

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The E-AB World Before MOSAIC

Before MOSAIC, E-AB aircraft lived in a regulatory gray zone. If you wanted instruction in your E-AB aircraft, you had to apply for a LODA—a confusing, inconsistent, and often denied request. If you bought a completed E-AB aircraft, you couldn’t legally perform your own annual condition inspection unless you were the original builder. And while the rules allowed E-AB aircraft for “education and recreation,” the definition of those terms was about as rigid as a wet noodle. There was always a sense that you were operating around the rules, not within them.

MOSAIC doesn’t just clarify that landscape—it redraws it entirely.

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What MOSAIC Actually Changes for E-AB

MOSAIC delivers a long list of long-overdue clarifications and improvements for Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft. For years, builders and owners have operated in a fog of interpretation, patchwork rules, and “wink-and-nod” exceptions—especially when it came to training, maintenance, and factory-assist programs.

Here’s how MOSAIC changes that:

1. Flight Instruction in E-AB Without a LODA

• Under previous rules, CFIs couldn’t provide compensated instruction in E-AB aircraft unless the owner or instructor had obtained a Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA).
• This process was inconsistent, poorly understood by FSDOs, and often denied—effectively discouraging legal instruction.
• MOSAIC eliminates the LODA requirement entirely. Now, any appropriately rated CFI may provide compensated flight instruction in an E-AB aircraft without special permission.
• The rule allows for instruction not just for the owner, but for any pilot seeking familiarization, transition training, or flight reviews.

2. Repairman Certificate for Non-Builders

• Before MOSAIC, only the original builder listed on the airworthiness certificate could obtain a Repairman Certificate (Inspection) and perform the required annual condition inspection.
• New owners had to hire an A&P—even for simple maintenance—even if they were fully qualified.
• MOSAIC introduces a new path: any subsequent owner may obtain a Repairman Certificate for their E-AB aircraft after completing a 16-hour FAA-accepted training course.
• This empowers non-builders to take full responsibility for maintenance and annuals, reducing costs and increasing self-sufficiency.
• Expect EAA and other organizations to ramp up course offerings quickly.

3. Expanded (But Limited) Commercial Use

• While MOSAIC does not allow Part 135-style commercial operations in E-AB aircraft, it does authorize certain compensated activities that were previously disallowed or vague.
• These include:
  • Flight instruction (as above)
  • Aircraft familiarization flights
  • Sales demonstration flights
• All activities must occur under clearly defined limits—this is not a free-for-all, but it gives instructors and manufacturers much-needed clarity.

4. Builder Assist and the 51% Rule

• Factory assist programs have long lived in a regulatory gray area. Builders worried that too much help could invalidate their eligibility under the “major portion” rule.
• MOSAIC reaffirms the 51% Rule—the builder must still personally complete the majority of the fabrication and assembly.
• However, the FAA now formally acknowledges the validity of builder assist programs—as long as the amateur builder remains the primary constructor.
• The rule also confirms that modern tools like CNC routers, 3D-printed parts, and CAD systems do not disqualify a project—as long as the builder is actively engaged.

Summary Table: E-AB Rule Changes Under MOSAIC

Area	Previous Rule	MOSAIC Change
Flight Instruction	LODA required for compensated instruction	No LODA needed—legal instruction allowed for any qualified pilot
Annual Inspection	Only original builder could do it	Non-builders can earn privilege via 16-hour course
Commercial Use	No instruction or demo for hire	Limited compensated use (instruction, familiarization, demo) now allowed
51% Rule	Often vague, inconsistently enforced	Clarified—builder assist okay if amateur completes majority of assembly
Modern Build Methods	Not clearly addressed	Explicitly permitted (CAD, CNC, kits okay if builder is actively engaged)

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The Second-Order Effects: What This Means for E-AB Owners

MOSAIC isn’t just about what you can do—it’s about what becomes possible. The real impact may come not from the rule text itself, but from how builders, instructors, insurers, and manufacturers respond to this newly unlocked potential.

Aircraft Value and Market Demand

• E-AB aircraft are no longer “personal use only” machines—they’re now legitimate training and transition platforms.
• Resale value of well-built aircraft will rise, especially those that are IFR-capable, glass-equipped, or factory-assisted.
• Planes with a documented build quality, known maintenance history, and available training support (e.g., Sling TSi, RV-14, RV-10) will see the strongest demand.
• New builders may feel more confident investing in a higher-spec build, knowing the plane will have a broader resale market.

Maintenance Access and Cost

• The ability for non-builders to earn the Repairman Certificate means more aircraft owners can legally maintain their planes.
• This creates a likely surge in demand for training courses, which will probably be offered through EAA chapters, kit manufacturers, and independent shops.
• Over time, we’ll likely see the emergence of LSA/E-AB–focused maintenance shops—a new breed of A&Ps and repairmen who specialize in helping owners to perform the services of their high-tech experimental aircraft.
• This could lower costs and increase availability for annual inspections and repairs, particularly outside major GA hubs.

Insurance Market Response

• Initially, insurers may approach these changes cautiously. More hours flown in E-ABs and more student pilots means higher perceived risk.
• However, increased access to formal transition training and maintenance accountability could improve safety outcomes over time.
• Insurers may begin to stratify E-AB aircraft by support ecosystem—offering better rates for designs with training programs and consistent accident records.

Training Ecosystem Expansion

• MOSAIC enables legal compensated instruction in E-AB aircraft—no more workaround ownership structures or instructor side agreements.
• This means more CFIs can offer transition courses in aircraft like the Sling TSi, RV-10, or Zenith CH750.
• Expect to see branded syllabi, online ground school resources, and even type-specific checkouts bundled with kit purchases.
• This not only improves pilot proficiency—it makes E-AB aircraft more approachable to newer pilots and aging ones alike.

Manufacturer Strategy Shift

• With both E-AB and MOSAIC-ready LSA markets expanding, manufacturers may start to offer dual paths:
  • A factory-assist or kit E-AB option for hands-on builders
  • A fully built, ASTM-compliant LSA variant for flight schools or ready-to-fly buyers
• We may see price stratification, with LSAs commanding a premium but appealing to buyers who want the airplane—not the build log.
• Remain to be seen if manufactures will be able to scale to support both markets and whether they will lean towards the LSAs given the potential for higher profit margins.

Summary Table: Second-Order Impacts of MOSAIC for E-AB Owners

Category	Second-Order Effect
Aircraft Value	Higher resale value; builder-assist and premium kits gain appeal
Maintenance	New pool of trained owners; rise in LSA/E-AB specialty shops; reduced reliance on A&Ps
Insurance	Short-term caution; long-term incentives possible for safer designs and structured training programs
Training	More CFIs offering E-AB transition training; branded courses and resources will emerge
Manufacturing Models	Kit builders and manufacturers may support both E-AB and LSA tracks to meet varied buyer needs

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But What About Safety?

More freedom often comes with more risk—but not necessarily more danger.

Yes, allowing non-builders to do inspections and encouraging more flying hours in E-AB aircraft could backfire if there’s no safety net. But this isn’t deregulation—it’s modernization, and it comes with clear guidelines. The FAA has drawn bright lines, and the rest will depend on how seriously the community takes its role in upholding those standards.

Many modern E-AB aircraft are already better equipped than their certified peers—glass panels, engine monitoring, autopilots, and even ballistic parachutes. If paired with better training, smarter inspection programs, and industry support from manufacturers and organizations like EAA, these changes may actually improve safety. The tools are there. The rules are clearer. Now it’s up to the pilots, builders, and instructors to use them responsibly.

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From Hobby to Platform

MOSAIC doesn’t just legitimize E-AB aircraft—it elevates them. It tells the aviation world that these planes aren’t just weekend projects or budget trainers. They’re part of the future of general aviation.

This is the moment where experimental aviation shifts from “fun and educational” to capable, flexible, and practical. And for those of us already building—or dreaming .