Aviation Week's BCA Podcast · Aviation Week

What Are The Highlights From This Year's Oshkosh?

·23 min·2 clips

The FAA's Mosaic rule removes weight limits, allowing 70% of GA fleet like Cessna 172s to be flown with a light sport certificate.

This episode of Aviation Week's BCA Podcast captures highlights from the 72nd EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, hosted by Jeremy Karaoke with reporters Molly McMillan, Mike Levitt, and Steve Trimble. The team discusses major announcements, industry challenges, and unique aircraft from the world's largest general aviation gathering. The FAA finalized its Mosaic rule, modernizing light-sport aircraft certification, which EAA's Jack Pelton called the biggest change in general aviation in his lifetime. The rule replaces weight limits with stall speed criteria, potentially allowing sport pilots to fly up to 70% of the current GA fleet, including models like the Cessna 172. Mike Levitt highlights his photo contest forum, featuring Israeli photographer Avakai Soker, who documented a ballistic missile attack on Israel. HondaJet's COO, Ahmad Kalkar, reported a two-year backlog for the Elite 2 and plans to deliver 26-30 units next year, with its new Echelon model targeting a first flight in late 2026. Steve Trimble outlines the urgent transition from leaded avgas, noting about one-third of the GA fleet still requires the soon-to-be-unavailable tetraethyl lead additive. The Eagle Initiative aims for a full transition to unleaded fuel by 2030, excluding Alaska. Mosaic is expected to cut training time and cost in half compared to a private pilot license while expanding aircraft seating from two to four. The rule was announced early at Oshkosh, thrilling the crowd, and is intended to spur new aircraft designs. Mike Levitt notes Oshkosh is a unique playground for aviation photographers due to its incredible variety of aircraft. HondaJet remains unconcerned about tariffs because 70% of its aircraft's value comes from U.S.-made parts and most sales are domestic. The avgas transition faces complex hurdles, including fuel mixing compatibility and infrastructure costs for FBOs to store new fuel types. Molly McMillan describes a ride in Goodyear's semi-rigid airship, Wingfoot One, piloted by one of only eleven certified airship pilots, four of whom are female. The airship flight felt like operating an airplane, helicopter, and boat simultaneously, requiring constant monitoring of helium levels and temperature for buoyancy. Goodyear celebrates 100 years of airships with a special historic livery and an LED-equipped model for night shows. Mike Levitt found Burt Rutan's Grizzly bush plane prototype fascinating, noting its connected canard and Rutan's later admission he should have researched Alaskan conditions before designing it. Steve Trimble discovered a QU-22B warbird, an optionally piloted Bonanza used over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which helped him understand the evolution of drone technology. A Chinese company, X-Control Systems, displayed the Janus One, a $300,000 tandem-rotor "flying suitcase" drone with a passenger gondola controlled via an Xbox-style controller, tested in locations like the North Pole. The tone is conversational and enthusiastic, reflecting the live show atmosphere and the hosts' shared passion for aviation. The style is journalistic and educational, blending breaking news, technical explanations, and firsthand experiences from the event. Aviation enthusiasts, student pilots, and industry professionals would love this episode for its insider access to major regulatory news and diverse aircraft. Listeners seeking deep political analysis or non-aviation topics might skip it, as the focus remains tightly on Oshkosh's announcements and exhibits.

As heard by us

Oshkosh's biggest news is policy, but the operational questions stay right in view.

The episode treats Oshkosh as a knot of policy, infrastructure, and market friction. Mosaic is presented as signed and settled, with the old weight limit gone and stall speed now doing the work, though a few rules still need to be sorted out.

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Why you'd press play

If you want the policy stakes behind Oshkosh, start here.

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