The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a final rule on September 14, 2026 amending 14 CFR Part 61 (Amendment 61-161, Docket FAA-2025-3519) to incorporate three updated sport pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS) by reference, aligning them with the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule. The rule is effective September 14, 2026 with a compliance date of October 14, 2026, leaving US sport pilot flight schools, instructors, and examiners one month to adopt the revised standards. The final rule (91 FR 58014) resolves a conflict the MOSAIC rule created between the aircraft sport pilots may legally operate and the aircraft the testing standards permitted for practical tests.
MOSAIC (90 FR 35218, July 24, 2025) expanded sport pilot privileges by replacing the old "light-sport aircraft" definition with new performance limits and design requirements in section 61.316, effective October 22, 2025. The three sport pilot PTS, however, still pointed at the retiring definition, so a pilot could legally fly a broader airframe than the PTS allowed for a checkride. This rule updates the PTS from versions A to B, swaps "light-sport aircraft" for "aircraft" meeting the section 61.316 limits, and raises the minimum recovery altitude for stalls and slow flight from 1,000 to 1,500 feet AGL.
What changed in the sport pilot practical test standards?
Three PTS, incorporated by reference in section 61.14(a)(12) through (14), move to version B: the Sport Pilot PTS for Airplane, Rotorcraft (Gyroplane), and Glider Category (FAA-S-8081-29B); the Lighter-Than-Air Category (FAA-S-8081-30B); and the Powered Parachute and Weight-Shift-Control Category (FAA-S-8081-31B). The main edit throughout replaces "light-sport aircraft" with "aircraft" so the testing language covers the broader airframe set sport pilots may now operate under section 61.316.
This is a conforming alignment, not a new obligation. The operational authority to fly the expanded aircraft took effect October 22, 2025 under MOSAIC; the legacy "light-sport aircraft" definition in section 1.1 itself remains until July 24, 2026. The FAA confirms there are no new costs to applicants, no changes to testing processes, and no changes to the areas of operation or elements on which airmen are tested. The updated PTS remain free to download from the FAA Training and Testing website.
Who must act, and by when?
The rule touches the US sport pilot training and examination chain: aviation training organizations offering sport pilot instruction, flight instructors holding a sport pilot rating, and Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) who administer sport pilot practical tests and proficiency checks. Light-sport aircraft manufacturers and dealers are indirectly affected because their airframes now sit squarely inside the tested privilege set.
The effective date is September 14, 2026 and the compliance date is October 14, 2026. From the compliance date, practical tests and proficiency checks must use the version B PTS and must be conducted in aircraft meeting the performance limits and design requirements of section 61.316, not merely aircraft matching the legacy "light-sport aircraft" definition.
Why does the stall recovery altitude rise to 1,500 feet AGL?
The single substantive change from the proposed rule concerns FAA-S-8081-29B. Based on public comments, the FAA raised the minimum recovery altitude for slow flight and stalls, Section 1, Area of Operation VIII, Tasks A, B, and C, from 1,000 feet AGL to 1,500 feet AGL. The NPRM (90 FR 56701, December 8, 2025) had proposed keeping 1,000 feet; a commenter argued that floor presented increased risk during sport pilot training and that 1,500 feet aligns with the Private Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-ACS-6C).
The FAA agreed on two grounds. Sport pilots may now operate larger aircraft under section 61.316, and a higher recovery floor keeps those larger airframes farther from the ground during stall and slow flight maneuvers. Harmonizing the sport pilot standard with the private pilot ACS also removes an inconsistency that confused applicants training toward both certificates. The NPRM drew six comments from four individuals and two anonymous commenters; none opposed the rule.
| Aspect | Before (PTS version A) | After (PTS version B, from October 14, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| PTS versions | FAA-S-8081-29A, -30A, -31A | FAA-S-8081-29B, -30B, -31B |
| Aircraft scope for tests | "Light-sport aircraft" (section 1.1 definition) | Aircraft meeting section 61.316 performance limits and design requirements |
| Stall recovery altitude (FAA-S-8081-29) | 1,000 feet AGL | 1,500 feet AGL |
| Testing processes and costs | Existing areas of operation and elements | Unchanged; FAA expects no new applicant costs |
For sport pilot practitioners, Obsidian's continuous per-jurisdiction monitoring surfaces a change like this the moment it publishes in the Federal Register, before it reaches training manuals.
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What to do next
Download the version B PTS from the FAA Training and Testing website, confirm training aircraft meet section 61.316, brief instructors and examiners on the 1,500-foot recovery floor for stalls and slow flight, and update internal checkride guidance before October 14, 2026. Verify whether any sport pilot applicant scheduled in the compliance window needs rebriefing on the new altitude, and check that practical tests after the compliance date reference the correct PTS version.
