Sanction an event
Sanction is the written authorization from the Commissioner that lets an Organizing Entity run a competition as an IACSF-sanctioned event, use IACSF marks and award ranking points. It is conditional on safety, insurance, airspace and officials, and it can be withdrawn.
- Application
- IACSF-FORM-SANC-001
- Standards
- IACSF-STD-002
- Withdrawal
- IACSF-PROC-003
- Submit to
- sanctions@iacsf.org
What the Bylaws require
Section 12.3. Every requirement must be met; organizers may exceed the standards but may not waive or reduce them.
A complete application
Submit the Sanctioning Application no fewer than 180 days before the event, with the sanctioning fee.
Safety, insurance and venue compliance
Demonstrate compliance with IACSF safety standards, the Insurance Schedule and venue criteria, including a qualified Event Safety Officer and an Event Safety Plan.
Airspace authorization
Provide proof of authorization from the relevant civil aviation authority: FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, Letter of Authorization or LAANC, and a filed NOTAM.
Competition Rules
Agree in writing to conduct the event in strict accordance with the IACSF Competition Rules.
IACSF oversight
Agree to IACSF oversight including deployment of IACSF officials, and give the Commissioner and appointed officials full access to all areas, aircraft and records.
Certified officials
Name a Chief Judge, Deputy Judge, Technical Inspector, Safety Officer, Event Director and Timing and Scoring Director, each with current IACSF certification.
Timeline
Counted back from the first day of the event. Late applications may not be considered.
180 days before: apply
Submit the Sanctioning Application with the attachments checklist: Certificate of Insurance naming the IACSF, airspace authorization, venue agreement, Event Safety Plan, proposed program, technical inspection procedures, medical emergency response plan, spectator safety and crowd control plan, fee payment and, for Championship-level events, the anti-doping plan acknowledgment. Any Alternative Method of Compliance request must reach the Safety and Compliance Committee 60 days before this deadline.
90 days before: insurance on file
Proof of coverage meeting the Insurance Schedule must be with the IACSF. No promotion or registration may begin until the Certificate of Insurance and airspace authorization are on file with the Commissioner.
60 days before: airspace coordination
For Championship-level and major events, coordinate Temporary Flight Restriction issuance with the FAA. Championship scoring weightings are published in the event program by this point.
45 days before: Event Safety Plan
The written Event Safety Plan, reviewed and signed by the Event Safety Officer, is due to the Commissioner, who may require revisions before confirming sanction. Any material later change to venue layout, personnel or procedures must be reported within 48 hours.
Event days
Venue walk-through by the Safety Officer at least two hours before the first flight each day; mandatory pilot and judge briefings before the first competitive flight; technical inspection of every aircraft; two independent communication systems in operation throughout.
After the event
Official results to the Commissioner within 24 hours. Any accident, incident or near-miss reported within 48 hours, serious accidents immediately, with a full written investigation report within 14 days. The post-event safety report is a condition of future sanction.
Insurance
No event receives or keeps sanction unless the organizer maintains the coverage required by the Insurance Schedule for its sport classification. Failure to procure or maintain it results in immediate withdrawal of sanction. Insurers must be licensed in the event jurisdiction and rated A- VII or better by A.M. Best.
Event organizers, Classification ACS (jet-powered aircraft)
| Coverage | Minimum limit |
|---|---|
| Commercial general liability | $8,000,000 per occurrence, $20,000,000 aggregate |
| Event and participant legal liability | $20,000,000 per occurrence |
| Errors and omissions | $10,000,000 per occurrence |
| Umbrella or excess liability | $20,000,000 per occurrence |
| Property and venue damage | $10,000,000 per occurrence |
| Employer's liability | $2,000,000 per occurrence |
| Workers' compensation | As required by law |
| Event cancellation | Board-determined |
General liability floors under STD-002, all events
| Event type | Minimum limit |
|---|---|
| UAS and drone events | $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Full-scale piloted, non-Championship | $5,000,000 per occurrence, $10,000,000 aggregate, with aviation liability endorsement |
| Full-scale piloted Championship | $10,000,000 per occurrence, $20,000,000 aggregate |
| Participant accident | $100,000 accidental death and dismemberment and $50,000 medical per participant |
| Property damage | Replacement value of venue and infrastructure used |
Where more than one requirement applies, the higher limit governs. The IACSF may require higher limits for a specific event based on venue capacity, aircraft type or risk profile. Policies must not exclude aerial combat sport, racing or related activities, and must run from the first setup day through final post-event operations.
Venue standards in brief
Part III of STD-002. Repeat-use venues are re-confirmed annually and the Safety and Compliance Committee may inspect before granting sanction.
Full-scale piloted venues
- Hard-surface runway of at least 3,000 by 75 feet, or a 4,000-foot grass strip meeting FAA AC 150/5370 surface conditions, with 500-foot obstruction-free overruns.
- Course boundaries visible from cockpit altitude at course speed.
- Hot Pit with fuel containment, fire suppression and 50-foot separation from spectators.
- Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting equipment on site or coordinated with local ARFF services.
- Spectators at least 500 feet from the primary flight corridor behind a continuous barrier of at least 4 feet, never at the end of a runway or principal flight path.
UAS and drone venues
- Course perimeter marked with physical fencing or flagging; safety netting wherever the corridor is within 50 feet of an occupied area.
- Spectators at least 200 feet from the course boundary; pilot station behind the spectator barrier.
- Radio-frequency coordination plan and a designated RF Coordinator monitoring for interference during sessions.
- Documented fail-safe settings (auto-land, throttle cut, return-to-home) for every aircraft.
- Indoor venues must meet structural load and clearance requirements with operational fire suppression.
An Organizing Entity may propose an Alternative Method of Compliance for a specific physical venue requirement where the alternative achieves an equivalent or greater level of safety, supported by technical data and a risk analysis.
Withdrawal of sanction
The Commissioner may suspend or withdraw sanction immediately, without prior notice, for a lapse in insurance, loss of airspace authorization, an imminent and unmitigable hazard, failure to retain a qualified Event Safety Officer, a serious accident or regulatory action, or material misrepresentation in the application. Written notice follows within 24 hours.
For compliance grounds such as missed documentation deadlines, deviation from the approved Event Safety Plan or unpaid fees, the Commissioner issues a Notice of Intent to Withdraw and the organizer has ten business days to cure or respond. For integrity grounds there are 15 business days to respond and no automatic cure right. The Commissioner decides within ten business days after the response period, and a withdrawal is published to members and registered participants within five business days.
A withdrawn event may not use the IACSF name, marks or sanction number; prior results may be voided; and the organizer must notify all registered participants and affected Member Teams. A second withdrawal within three years brings one to three years' ineligibility. Voluntary surrender of a sanction carries no penalty.
Appealing a withdrawal
An organizer that receives a Notice of Withdrawal may appeal to the Appeals Committee within 15 calendar days, and may request a stay if there is a substantial question of fact or law, the event can proceed safely, and irreparable harm would otherwise result. The Committee rules on a stay within five business days and on the appeal within 30 calendar days of receiving the record. Its decision is final within the Federation and published in summary form.
Independently of the Commissioner, the Chairperson and Commissioner acting jointly may suspend any event or series on credible evidence of immediate danger to life or safety. The Board reviews the suspension within 30 days.