Calibrated Airspeed Knot Operating Limitations 
AV Web
JULY 23, 2025
The single biggest change is the increase in the maximum stall speed for airplanes a Sport Pilot can operate. The old limit was 45 knots calibrated airspeed (CAS) without flaps (V S1 ). The final rule raises this limit to 59 knots CAS (V S1 ).
Plane and Pilot
JANUARY 16, 2025
The trouble is this openness only applies to the aircraft approval, and not to the regulations governing pilot certification or operating limitations. The proposal floated by the FAA has stall speeds capped at 54 knots calibrated airspeed in the clean (or no-flaps) configuration. The FAA kept that as an inside job.
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Let's personalize your content