Legacy vs. New-Build Under MOSAIC Phase 2
MOSAIC Phase 2 allows pilots to fly light sport aircraft with a stall speed of 59 knots or less, but the cost of getting into compliant aircraft varies greatly depending on whether pilots choose legacy certified aircraft or new-production models.
A rule change in the aviation industry has expanded the sport pilot privilege set, allowing pilots to fly a wider range of light sport aircraft. MOSAIC Phase 2, which took effect on July 24, has formalized two distinct paths into the same regulatory category.
Legacy Path
Legacy certified aircraft that meet the stall speed requirement are now eligible for the sport pilot privilege set. This includes models such as the Cessna 172, Cessna 182, and Piper Cherokee/Archer family. Qualifying aircraft keep their standard airworthiness certificates rather than converting to special light sport aircraft (S-LSA).
Pricing on the legacy fleet is well established and skews low. Used Cessna 172 asking prices range from roughly $12,000 to $599,000, with a median around $129,500. Piper's Cherokee/PA-28 family prices similarly.
| Aircraft Model | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Cessna 172 | $12,000 - $599,000 |
| Piper Cherokee/PA-28 | $12,000 - $599,000 |
New-Build Path
Purpose-built MOSAIC aircraft are priced like clean-sheet designs and are more expensive than legacy certified aircraft. Tecnam's MOSAIK59 line is booked into 2027 production slots, and the company is still holding buyers to a fully refundable $10,000 deposit just to reserve a place in line for Q1/Q2 2027 delivery. Bristell's RG lists across dealer inventory from roughly $100,000 to $320,000 depending on engine choice and equipment.
| Aircraft Model | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Tecnam MOSAIK59 | $100,000 - $320,000 |
| Bristell RG | $100,000 - $320,000 |
The price gap between legacy certified aircraft and new-production models can run into six figures depending on which route pilots take. The rule change has given manufacturers legal cover to deliver new configurations, but it didn't touch the underlying cost of building them.
The production bottleneck compounds the issue, and when demand outruns near-term supply, list prices don't tend to soften. There's an argument that the new aircraft are worth the premium on a cost-per-mission basis, but "worth it" and "cheaper" are different questions, and the second one is where financing decisions actually turn.
What This Means for Financing Conversations
The acquisition-cost gap flows straight into how these purchases are financed, even without pinning down specific rates. A legacy 172 or Cherokee financed under MOSAIC's expanded sport pilot privileges is a known asset class to lenders. It's the same airframe that's been financed for decades, just newly opened to a different pilot population. Underwriting looks a lot like it always has.
A new-production Tecnam or Bristell is a different underwriting exercise entirely. These are newly introduced airframes in a rule category that has only just fully been phased in. Lenders are still building loss-history and resale-value assumptions for aircraft that, in some configurations, didn't exist as financeable products eighteen months ago.
If you're trying to decide between the two paths, just know that going the legacy route buys a lower entry price and a well-understood financing product today, in exchange for older equipment and a smaller useful-load margin. Going new buys modern capability and warranty coverage, in exchange for a materially higher purchase price, a wait for delivery, and financing terms that are still being priced by a new market.
The rule created two legitimate ways to end up flying under the same expanded privileges, and the price tags attached to each are still not close.
