MOSAIC Reshapes the Future of Flight

Good morning! Wow—just like that, EAA AirVenture 2025 is in the books. I just want to personally say thank you to everyone who stopped by the Flybuyer booth to say hi. It was great connecting with so many of you, especially those I spoke with about helping buy or sell your airplanes in the future.  Until we meet again next year in Oshkosh—thanks for making this one unforgettable. 🛩️

-Rob Roy

In today’s email:

• MOSAIC Lands: A New Era for Homebuilders and Sport Pilots

• Around the Skies: Electric R66 takes shape, CubCrafters partnership for conservation, Vans says goodbye to the three originals, Hartzell goes all-in on electric, Boeing workforce outlook soars

• PilotTube: Inside the Legendary Goodyear Blimp

THE BUSINESS OF AVIATION

Game On: FAA’s MOSAIC Rule Opens the Hangar Doors Wide

The FAA’s long-anticipated MOSAIC rule has officially landed, and it’s a seismic shift for the Experimental/Amateur-Built (EAB) community. Signed into effect on July 18, 2025, MOSAIC dramatically expands what Sport Pilots can fly, introduces game-changing maintenance privileges and opens new doors for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) certification. While the rule spans over a thousand pages, the impact is crystal clear: more freedom, more capability and fewer hurdles for pilots and builders alike.

For Sport Pilots, the rule raises the maximum allowable stall speed to 59 knots CAS, which makes aircraft like the Cessna 172 and many popular homebuilts eligible to fly. It also allows Sport Pilots to receive endorsements for operating more complex aircraft including those with retractable landing gear and controllable-pitch propellers. Night flight is now permitted as well, provided the pilot completes specific training and holds at least a third-class medical or qualifies under BasicMed. Additionally, Sport Pilots can fly aircraft with up to four seats, though they are still limited to carrying just one passenger.

Experimental Amateur-Built owners get their own win with a major overhaul to maintenance rules. For the first time, anyone can take a 16-hour inspection course and legally perform the annual condition inspection on their own EAB, even if they didn’t build it. A longer course allows broader privileges, solving a long-standing pain point for homebuilders who’ve struggled to find qualified A&Ps.

By shifting aircraft certification limits from strict weight caps to stall speed performance standards, the FAA has also turbocharged the LSA category. The result? Factory-built aircraft that rival high-performance homebuilts, complete with retractable gear, four seats and even electric or turbine powerplants. While the rule rolls out in phases, the message is loud and clear—MOSAIC is here, and it’s a new dawn for experimental aviation.

Don’t Keep Flybuyer a Secret!

Help me grow the newsletter by sending this link to your pilot friends!

AROUND THE SKIES

🛩️ Robinson Helicopter has partnered with electric propulsion leader MagniX to develop a battery-powered version of the R66, with a first flight targeted for late 2026. Announced at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the project will use MagniX’s new lightweight HeliStorm electric powertrain, designed specifically for helicopters. The goal is to reduce cost, noise and emissions while maintaining the R66’s well-known performance. With more than 1,500 R66s already in service, Robinson is poised to bring an electric option to the world of vertical flight.

🛩️ Conservation just got airborne. Elephants, Rhinos & People (ERP) has partnered with CubCrafters to bring an NXCub to Namibia, where it will patrol remote wildlife sanctuaries and deter poachers. The aircraft will also support efforts to monitor endangered species and connect with rural communities near protected areas. It’s a bold, boots-off-the-ground approach to protecting some of Africa’s most threatened wildlife.

🛩️ Van’s Aircraft is saying farewell to its earliest models—the RV-3, RV-4 and RV-6—as it shifts focus to future designs. Kit production for these iconic aircraft will end on September 30, 2025, marking the close of a legendary chapter in homebuilt aviation. While new kits will no longer be produced, Van’s will continue offering parts and support to keep these classics flying. It’s a nostalgic goodbye but the legacy of these RVs is far from grounded.

🛩️ Hartzell Propeller has earned FAA certification for its first electric engine propeller, designed specifically for electric, hybrid and advanced air mobility aircraft. Developed in partnership with Beta Technologies, the five-blade carbon fiber prop is built for quiet, high-performance flying on platforms like the CX300. It’s the first of its kind to receive Part 35 type certification and marks a major leap forward for electric aviation. With testing already complete, this prop is ready to help power the future of flight.

🛩️ Boeing’s latest outlook projects a sky-high need for nearly 2.4 million new aviation professionals by 2044, including 660,000 pilots, 710,000 technicians and 1 million cabin crew. As the global fleet expands and older workers retire, airlines around the world will need fresh talent to keep up with growing demand. From North America to Southeast Asia, the hiring wave is coming—and fast. It’s a bold reminder that the future of flight depends not just on aircraft but on the people who keep them flying.

PilotTube

In this video, you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like to spend five hours aboard the iconic Goodyear Blimp—an experience reserved only for crew and specially invited guests. The current model, introduced in 2014 with help from Zeppelin, isn’t technically a blimp anymore, thanks to a rigid internal structure inside its envelope. Still, it delivers the same unmistakable presence and smooth, surreal ride through the sky. This is as close as most of us will get to flying in one of aviation’s most legendary airships.

Selling an Aircraft?
Flybuyer is a full-service aircraft brokerage with nationwide reach and video marketing. If you’re thinking about selling, let’s talk: [email protected]

Have an Aircraft I Can Film?
I’m on the lookout for airplanes to review for the Flybuyer YouTube channel. If you own, fly or have access to a piston, turbine, business jet, helicopter, seaplane, bush plane, warbird or blimp I can film, please fill out this form!

Follow @flybuyeraircraftsales on Instagram!