News revealed by the the Administrator at Oshkosh

[Gilbert Pierce]

Elwell announced a very exciting prospect for the legacy fleet. For older aircraft not being used for commercial purposes, owners will be able to exchange the standard airworthiness certificate for a special airworthiness certificate — similar to certificates held by experimental aircraft. "That means the owner will be able to install lower-cost, safety-enhancing equipment — the kind that is widely available for the experimental market — without an STC or 337." Such a change would also have the potential to expand the ability to substitute for parts that are no longer available, and perhaps even the ability for owners to perform additional maintenance on their aircraft.
For this category, Elwell noted that there would likely be "tradeoffs," such as not flying for compensation or hire and not flying in Canada. EAA is working to understand this last point better, as Canada has a program for its legacy fleet that eases maintenance and equipment burdens as well.
Elwell did not announce a date for the proposed rule to be released, but promised that it would be "worth the wait." He went on to say that as always, the FAA's priority is safety, and the GA community needs to be focused on this year’s higher-than-usual accident rate. Nevertheless, his remarks were received as exciting news for the future of GA certification and aircraft ownership.


See https://eaa.org/eaa/news-and-publica...BFaU0ifQ%3D%3D

He also mentioned a weight increase as well an increase to four seats for LSA’s