Jason Blair has been a flight instructor since 2001 and a designated pilot examiner for close to 20 years. He was among the first designees authorized for sport pilot testing when the certificate was introduced, and he worked with the National Association of Flight Instructors at EAA during the original light sport rulemaking effort. When he had questions about how MOSAIC would actually be enforced, he called his contacts at the FAA and asked.
Professional Background
- Flight Instructor Since 2001: More than two decades teaching in general aviation
- Designated Pilot Examiner: Nearly 20 years as an examiner, among the first authorized for sport pilot testing
- NAFI at EAA: Worked with the National Association of Flight Instructors during the original light sport rulemaking effort
- Editor, Flight School Association: Serves as editor for the association
- ASA Oral Exam Guides: Authors seven titles used by private, instrument, and commercial applicants across the country
- 280 to 300 Test Activities a Year: Conducted out of Michigan, where February might yield five flyable days
Areas of Expertise
- MOSAIC and Sport Pilot: What the regulation actually changes for aircraft eligibility, endorsements, and instructor privileges
- Aircraft Eligibility: The 59-knot clean stall standard, model-year variation, and the as-originally-certificated rule
- CFI-S Limitations: Where the sport pilot only CFI can and cannot legally provide training
- Checkride Administration: Examiner availability, applicant preparation, and the paperwork that sends rides home
- Regulatory Writing: Publishes regularly on regulatory changes, examiner availability, and flight training industry issues
Key Insights for Flight School Owners
- Your existing fleet may already qualify: 172s, Cherokees, Archers, Warriors, and a number of Diamonds can fall under the 59-knot clean stall standard — audit once per aircraft and keep the list
- The CFI-S is where schools will get burned: A CFI-S cannot provide 61.129 commercial training, and a flight review from one only authorizes sport pilot privileges
- Sport pilot is not a career pipeline: From 2005 through 2025 the entire country issued 8,958 sport pilot certificates, with no add-on path to private
- Where it does work is personal flying: The older pilot who wants to keep flying without the medical paperwork is already at your airport
- The aircraft side is the bigger story: Price points around $200,000 to $250,000 against legacy trainers at $600,000 to $700,000
- A third of checkrides get sent back: Broken airplanes, bad maintenance records, missing endorsements — send the packet three days out and you move to the front of the line
- Examiners want to pass you: “You are passing until you give me a reason to give you a disapproval”
