Contest Director Guide

To obtain the sanction, make sure the enter the contest's complete information on the Chapter Contest Calendar to start the sanction process and complete the EAA Certifcate of Insurance Application online. These forms can be found on the IAC Members Only website in the Contest Director's Packet.

Proposed "Supplementary Rules" or request for “Waiver of Rules” (if applicable) should be sent to IAC Headquarters. IAC Headquarters will review the sanction and Waiver of Rules (if appicable) and approve it as appropriate.  The insurance request is reviewed by EAA Risk Management.

• Fuel of proper octane
• Maintenance services
• Hangar space

Do not underestimate the importance of hangar space. Most competition aircraft owners prefer to keep their aircraft inside at all times while not in use. Your site should not be in a Terminal Control Area (TCA), as it is more difficult to get an airspace waiver for such a location. It can lie underneath a federal airway, since this can be waived, but remember this will require additional coordination by the FAA district office with air traffic control authorities. The likelihood of waiver application denial is greater.



Budget:

Prepare a budget for the event. Be conservative in your estimates for budget purposes since the weather and actual turnout are unknown. Seek guidance from past CD’s and have it approved by the chapter. This will alleviate questions later on the amounts spent in the various expense categories.

Sponsors:

Aerobatic contests can be expensive undertakings. In addition to the IAC Chapter, additional sponsors may often be found to help offset the expenses. With careful planning and efforts to control spending, your contest can be a profitable event for your chapter treasury. Sponsorships can take several forms:

• Trophy sponsorships - The sponsor's name is engraved on the trophy and credit given during awards ceremonies.

• Advertising in program booklets - Program booklets are not in widespread use at IAC contests, but for those chapters who have tried them, they can be profitable. Ads for the program book, the schedule of events, contest officials, and other information on the event can be printed and given to contest participants. Copies may be sold to the general public.

Sponsors or advertisers usually come from the local community - those businesses that may benefit by people coming into town - motels and restaurants. However, some chapters have had success attracting national aviation related companies for sponsorship, so you should not rule out looking further afield for sponsorships.

FAA Box Waivers

In the early stages of your planning, it is a good idea to set up a meeting to lay the groundwork with the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) personnel that will be considering the Application for Certificate of Waiver. Consult them on any possible difficulties with their granting a waiver at the location you desire to hold the contest.

Most contest sites will require a Certificate of Waiver from the FAA to waive certain Federal Aviation Regulations such as aerobatic flight below 1,500 feet. This request is filed with a local FAA FSDO, on FAA Form 7711-2. Click here additional information on aerobatic waivers, including for practice areas. visit the IAC website.

Put on a good face from the very beginning - be sure your application is filled out neatly and professionally. Make sure all of your contacts with the FAA are friendly, positive, and cooperative. Remember, many FAA inspectors you might deal with are doing this for the first time. Aerobatic contests are not every day occurrences nor are waiver applications something that come across their desk frequently. A new FAA inspector may confuse a contest waiver with an airshow waiver and try to use a different section of the FAA regulations to evaluate your waiver request.

In this application, FAA Form 7711-2, you must list the FAR's you are requesting to be waived. Ask for your FAA inspector's help on this. This will vary from site to site, depending on location of Federal Airways, Control Zones, and other details. A 7711-2 sample can be seen here and fillable form 7711-2 is located here.

Here's a list of commonly waived regulations. Items in bold font should be on all waiver requests; the others may be waived if they are relevant to your particular event.

• 91.117(a) - Speeds below 10,000' MSL
• 91.117(b) - Speeds in Class D airspace
• 91.119(c) - Minimum safe altitude
• 91.121(a) - Altimeter settings
• 91.129 - Operations in Class D airspace
• 91.209(b) - Use of anti-collision lights
• 91.303(c) - Aerobatics in Class B, C, D, or E airspace designated for an airport (almost always applicable)
• 91.303(d) - Aerobatics within 4nm of the centerline of an airway
• 91.303(e) - Aerobatics below 1500' AGL
• 91.313(e) - Restricted category aircraft

Send the FAA Form 7711-2 to the FAA FSDO, along with aerial photographs (obtainable from the local airport authority or the state aviation commission) and/or diagrams, as far in advance as possible. If there are any problems with the application, it will allow you time to work out the bugs. If you have any questions regarding the waiver application, please feel free to contact the IAC Regional Government Relations Representative in your area.

Choosing Categories that will be flown:

Aerobatic contests sanctioned by IAC have five competition categories available in powered aerobatics --- Primary, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited. In glider aerobatics, there are four --- Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited. An excellent contest can be held with any or all of these categories. The number of categories chosen is dependent upon several things:

Experience Level —- if this is the first aerobatic contest, it may be wise to fly fewer categories so the event is as simple as possible. Many chapters start out with a Primary and Sportsman contest and then progress to the five-category event.

Pilots Expected —- in some areas, pilots from the higher categories do not exist, thus it would be unwise to commit to a full event. Remember two pilots are required on the contest dates for the category to be flown. Chapter 5 of the IAC "Official Contest Rules" should be reviewed for specific information on and descriptions of these categories.

Financial Resources —- the more categories that are held, the more expensive the insurance and trophies will be. With a small turnout, it might be difficult to pay for the event from income derived from the contest. One way to hold down these costs is to fly fewer categories.

More categories can be flown if the contest is well organized. It cannot be emphasized enough that taking steps to insure a safe, well run IAC contest will make it possible to handle more competitors.

Scheduling Flights: Consider setting a flexible schedule to preclude losing the event to inclement weather. If there are

delays, the slack can be taken up later when the weather improves.

EQUIPMENT NEEDS

Make arrangements for Radios:The importance of adequate communications cannot be overemphasized. At times, an otherwise well-planned events cannot get off the ground because communication between contest officials, the chief judge, and the boundary judges is poor or non-existent. An immediate problem with your radio system is a sure way to delay the start of a contest.

Radio communications should be maintained between the chief judge, starter, and CD. The chief judge must remain in contact with the starter to insure an orderly flow of competitors taking off. The chief judge must also maintain contact with competition aircraft for recall purposes. In addition, the chief judge must also have the capability to talk to all boundary judges. Ideally, the boundary judges should be on a different frequency or radio than the CD and starter.

Note: VHF "ground-to-air" communication between the chief judge and pilot was required by IAC Official Contest Rules starting in 1991 to advise the pilot of a change in the status of the box ... be it "hot", "cold", or "recall". The pilot requires no acknowledgment of the chief judge’s transmission.

All CD’s and Chief Judges must use radios between the ground and the air - this is not an option.

In addition to radios, there is an option to use "hot box" panels. Hot box panels are used to signal “hot” and “cold” boxes thereby controlling competitor entry into the box. 2004 – Use of the Hot Box Panels became optional provided an alternate method of no-radio recall is provided such as smoke bomb.

For large events, it is possible to utilize an "orbit" or “hold” pattern. The starter and chief judge can coordinate with each other as to aircraft departing and entering the orbit area.

Recall Signals: Recall signals are covered in the IAC Rule Book.n most cases, there are two methods of recalling the pilot. These include:

1. The chief judge can make a radio call to the pilot to indicate a “recall”.
2. A smoke grenade can be lit.
3. Optional: The chief judge can switch the "Hotbox" panels to the “recall” position.

By using these different recall methods simultaneously, the odds of a pilot seeing or observing at least one is very high. Failure of a contestant to observe a recall signal will subject him to disqualification. If the pilot enters a "hot box", he will be disqualified for that flight regardless of reason.

Arrange for Emergency Equipment: A fire truck, ambulance, and a doctor should be on call at all times in case of an airplane or auto accident. Local fire and police departments can often provide such equipment and personnel at no charge. Be sure access routes are kept clear. A fire extinguisher should also be readily available on the starting line. It is recommended that you plan these resources with the Safety Director for the contest.

KEY VOLUNTEERS

Delegate Work Early:One person can’t do all the work in setting up a contest, nor should they try. The CD must give the members in the chapter the opportunity to share in the responsibility and rewards of planning and putting on an aerobatic contest. Everyone wants to be a part, and here is a chance to create unity within the group. Be sure to select people that have an aptitude for the job. By getting more chapter members involved, you increase the "pool" of people who will be experienced and able to perform as CD in the future.

As your key volunteers (descriptions for each can be found in Chapter 1 of the IAC Official Contest Rules book) are selected and accept the job, please make sure they receive and use the most current material (discard old forms) that pertains to their position, provided in the Contest Director Packet. Their portion of the CD Packet has valuable information and all current forms that person will need.

Judges: Chapter 1 (1.13) of the IAC Rule book details the requirements for judges. An “IAC Approved List of Judges” is updated weekly on the members only section of the IAC website. Their current phone number and e-mail address are on this list. Use only judges from this approved list. Judges are very important to your contest and their selection is critical to a successful contest. It is never too early to start inviting people. If your budget allows, you could underwrite their room and/or meal expenses at the site. It is recommended that some sort of award be given to each judge – do not skimp, as the judge gets very little recognition. Building goodwill will insure the judge will return next year.

Each category flown requires a chief judge and a crew of line judges. Although three is the minimum, five line judges is the desired number for your contest. This is covered in section 3.4 of the IAC Rule Book – please be familiar with this section. If more judges are recruited no one judge will be on the line for the duration of the contest. It is desirable to have more than one "team" of judges. For example, have one team judge Sportsman and Intermediate and the other judge Advanced and Unlimited. Of course, this workload can be divided up differently depending on what the schedule of events is at your contest and what is most efficient.

Since many pilots are also qualified judges, be sure to review the registration list for possible volunteers for this important duty. Most pilots are more than willing to help on the judge’s line but may be reluctant to judge just before their category is scheduled to fly. Try to take this into account.

Public Address System/Announcer: A public address system can be desirable, and if utilized should be operational and manned at all times. Briefing times for pilots, times for pilots to get their airplanes out on the line, and other types of official announcements may be done by this person. A contest where communication is good is generally one that flows better.

If a PA system is used to provide a link between the competition and spectators, your announcer should be chosen with care, as he/she will be perceived as the spokesman for IAC and your local group. Remember in all cases the announcer should never comment on his personal opinion of the quality of the maneuvers. This violates the IAC Rule Book. Instead, have someone who is familiar with competition aerobatics, armed with an "Order of Flight" and the sequences for all flights in all categories. The announcer can then talk about the maneuvers and what the judges are looking for in the maneuvers. This gets the spectators involved and makes them appreciate competition aerobatics.

*Note – the location of the speakers for the PA system should be far enough away that the judges should not be able to hear the comments. An announcer can be distracting to those on the judging line.

TROPHIES

Trophies/Awards and Mementos:

Chapter 3 (section 3.9) of the IAC Rule Book specifies what trophies must be offered in the various categories. Trophies should be in good taste. Sometimes the trophies that are unique to the chapter are the ones most well remembered and treasured by competitors. Medallions can be used for individual flight program winners or overall category winners.

In addition to winners' trophies, you can also consider giving away some sort of memento to all contest participants (pilots, judges, officials, or assistants). Pins, hats, t-shirts, and tote bags have been very popular at IAC contests.

PLANNING FOR THE PUBLIC

Plan for Public Relations: A majority of the public has no idea what an aerobatic competition is all about. While they will probably enjoy the event, it may be necessary to make an effort in advance to show community leaders, including your airport management or aviation commission, what to expect. Present a strong IAC emphasis on safety and good, clean family fun.

Consider enlisting the support and services of your local chamber of commerce or other community service groups. This has worked well at many events. Visit with local government aviation administrators, such as airport committees, and contact the media. Contact IAC Headquarters for promotional brochures or materials that tell the story of the IAC. Consider renting films or videotapes on aerobatics from the EAA Film Library in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They can tell the story for you.

Once a good community relationship is established, it can work wonders in future years. Be sure to invite local leaders to the event and any awards banquet or ceremonies you might hold. Ask them to participate in the presentation of awards... or at the very least, be sure to introduce them to the competitors.

In your contacts with the press, place emphasis again on safety and the fact that competition aerobatics is a worldwide, internationally recognized sport. Point out its excellent safety record. Be sure to emphasize its "precision" aspect ... there is no "stunt flying" at aerobatic contests.

Plan well in advance with local law enforcement agencies for traffic and parking if you anticipate some influx of public traffic. Parking areas can become a problem for people who need to be there to find parking spots. Even more importantly, keep in mind any emergency vehicles that need to exit or enter the airport property. Parking fees and admissions are not usually charged at IAC contests.

Photographer / Reporter: It may be advisable to find a volunteer to act as photographer/reporter and cover all the events of your contest. IAC Headquarters encourages copies of photographs and a short narration be sent with your contest documents. These will be forwarded to the Editor of Sport Aerobatics magazine and may be included on the official IAC Web site.

Spectator Facilities and Crowd Control: If you have spectators attending, it is desirable to keep them within specified areas in order to prevent their interference with the contest operation. Make provisions so the FAA waiver can be observed, and safety is maintained.

The spectator area must be at least a minimum of 500’ from the deadline, should permit maximum view of the aerobatic zone and be within easy listening range of your public address system so they will be kept informed of what is going on. Make them a friend of IAC.

Spectators should not be permitted access to active areas or ramps on the airport. There is a lot of activity, swinging propellers and airplanes with limited visibility. You do not need people who are unfamiliar with such equipment on the ramp. Snow fences make good barriers. If necessary, institute a "flight line pass" system where contestants, officials, and other ground support personnel wear special badges allowing them access to the flight line area. Have your announcer keep that area clear of spectators at all times. Sometimes local police or the sheriff's auxiliary can be used for your security patrol, however you can also look to members of a local CAP squadron or Boyscouts or Girlscouts who would enjoy the experience. Remember however that the spectator area must be at least 500’ from the deadline for safety.

Concessions: Every successful contest has food and drink available for participants. Thus, it is desirable to have concessions set up. You may want to contact your local civic organizations for assistance. An arrangement could be worked out in which the civic organizations provide the concessions and the volunteers to staff it and receive the majority of the profit with a percentage (or commission) going to the local chapter.

Public Health: Depending on the airport's facilities, it may be necessary to rent portable toilets. Check several outlets for price and service. Have the portable toilets located in key locations on the site including near the spectator area, the starting line, and the judge's line.

Flight Line Passes: As mentioned previously, these may be necessary to control entrance to flight line areas. They can be made of plastic, cloth, or self-adhesive materials. They are often available from trophy houses in the form of buttons that work very well for a reasonable cost.

Contestants are responsible for the conduct of any flight line crew he or she may have with them. Only those persons authorized by the CD are authorized to serve on flight line crews. In accordance with the IAC Rule Book, CD's should give some thought as to who will be authorized to be on the line. This needs to be announced during the pilot briefings.

Fly-Ins: Other pilots in the local aviation community may be aware of the contest and will choose to fly in. Provisions should be made for prompt and expeditious parking of these aircraft away from the main flight line activity area. This will permit a safer operation of your contest. It will also give them a better taste of the event if they do not have to taxi around trying to find someplace to park, since most ramps at contests are heavily congested.

PLANNING SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Most Participants enjoy enjoy the social aspects of our sport. Some of the most successful contests pride themselves on well planned "after hours" events. This also provides an enjoyable activity for the family members that often come along. You may wish to appoint a “Social Director” to plan these types of activities.

Awards Banquet: A banquet at the conclusion of the contest is a wonderful function for awarding trophies to winners and volunteers alike. Restaurants, hotels, and country clubs should be compared for services, facilities, and price. Be sure to check whether the "per plate" price includes gratuity, and charge accordingly. (Be sure to charge enough to cover the cost and then add on some for the chapter treasury.) Banquets oftentimes help offset the other contest expenses that are not always covered by the entry fees.

 

CONTEST TIME

As you come close to contest time, there are a number of miscellaneous details that require your attention.

Technical Inspection Paperwork: Technical inspections should be the first thing a pilot does before he completes the paperwork with the registrar. Upon arrival the pilot should be given an IAC "Official Entry Form and Technical Inspection Checklist" (if they do not already have one of their own) and be sent to your Technical Inspector to set up an inspection of their aircraft. Once this is complete and signed off by the Technical Inspector, the form can be brought to registration for completion of all remaining items.

Registration Paperwork / Registrar: Some contests have been successful in pre-registration and some have not. CD’s are urged not to try to set deadlines on submission of paperwork and to allow registration on the day of the event.

Your Registrar must have all of the paperwork organized and ready before the pilots arrive. For more detail on the registrar's work at a contest, see the "Guidelines for Registrars" booklet provided in your CD’s Packet. This document outlines all of the paperwork requirements for the registration process. The packet contains masters of all of the required IAC forms. Use these originals to make as many copies of each form as you will require. The "Guidelines for Registrars" also provides formulas for determining how many of each form will be needed. Be sure to make extras. It is also helpful to have a copy machine on hand at the contest site for all of those things that need to be copied such as competitors free programs, copies of the "Order of Flight", etc.

The Registrar is provided a suggested checklist in the CD's Packet. By following this checklist, registration can be completed with all required information and forms.

IAC Membership Information: ALL COMPETITION PILOTS MUST BE CURRENT IAC MEMBERS OR HOLD A VALID FAI SPORTING LICENSE. A VALID IAC NUMBER WILL BE NEEDED TO ENTER A PILOT INTO THE IAC COMPUTER SCORING PROGRAM. IF A PILOT SHOWS UP WHO EITHER IS NOT AN IAC MEMBER OR WITHOUT A CURRENT IAC MEMBERSHIP, CALL EAA MEMBERSHIP SERVICES AT 1-800-843-3612 TO OBTAIN A VALID IAC NUMBER. OFFICE HOURS ARE MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 AM–6 PM CENTRAL TIME SATURDAY 8 AM–4 PM CENTRAL TIME. IN THE CASE OF AN INTERNATIONAL PILOT WHO HOLDS A VALID FAI SPORTING LICENSE, PLEASE CALL THE IAC OFFICE AT 920-426-6574 FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS.

Handling Newcomers: I know each and every one of us can remember the first aerobatic contest we attended and how we have felt a bit "out in the cold". The IAC "Buddy System" is a solution to this problem. The registrar in coordination with the Contest Director should assign each first timer an experienced **"buddy" who can spend some time with him/her. The "buddy" should contact the first time competitor sometime prior to the contest to ensure he/she brings the required paperwork and their airplane is ready for the technical inspection. The "buddy" takes on the responsibility at the contest to familiarize him/her with contest procedures, the aerobatic box, how the starting line is run, and the necessary briefings. He also might critique their flights and help him/her improve their flying.

You will make a long time friend of IAC and aerobatics at this time!



**Prior to the contest, the “buddy” should be lined up by asking seasoned competitors if they are willing to serve in this capacity. A list of those individuals should be available at Registration.

Contest Scoring: It is desirable to name one person as the Scoring Chairman. Because the scoring function is intense and time consuming, it may take two to three people to staff the computer room. The Chairman should set up the work schedule for everyone and be responsible for training people on the use of the IAC Computer Scoring System. The Chairman should also review the work before the scores are posted. All IAC-sanctioned contests must use the IAC approved scoring software.

The computer room should be cool and private – competitors are not allowed in this room. It should also have a reliable source of electrical power that is not subject to surges or variances in frequency or quality, as not to cause a loss of data. A lavatory and food nearby is also desirable.

Competitors enjoy having their scores processed quickly by the computer scoring staff. Thus, a convenient location for the computer room along with adequate "runners" between the chief judge's station and the computer room is very desirable.

A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM

Alcoholic Beverages: Alcoholic beverages should not be permitted at the contest site. Use of alcoholic beverages during contest hours by any official, contestant, or flight line crewmember is strictly prohibited. Any person possessing alcoholic beverages on the flight line will be immediately removed.

A hospitality area for participants to use after contest flying is completed for the day may be set up away from the contest site.

Remember even if no pilots are drinking, the press would inevitably blame any incident on crazy, alcoholic stunt pilots. As a club, we work very hard to protect and maintain a clean image. Don’t let alcohol be used at your contest site. Airplanes, airports, and alcohol simply do not mix.

Air shows: Air shows are not recommended and most contests do not hold air shows in conjunction with the contest. There are several reasons for this:

• Air shows are not covered under our contest insurance policy.

• There usually is not enough time to complete all scheduled competition flying and conduct a proper, well-run air show all on the same weekend.

• Air shows are inherently public events, making the logistical requirements much different than they are for contests.

• “Volunteer” pilots usually perform air shows conducted in conjunction with competitions and the quality is not always the best.

• Air show flying does not enjoy the high safety record of competition.

We do not want airshows to damage our reputation or image. Don't let your primary responsibility of putting on a safe contest be distracted by other problems and priorities.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE CONTEST

Contest Records: The following items must be sent to IAC Headquarters at the end of the contest:

Protest Forms: If protests were filed, a copy of each protest along with the outcome must accompany the results.

Changed Unknowns: If an Unknown was changed, a copy of the new Unknown and reason for modification must be sent.

Collegiate Award sign-up sheets: A copy of each Collegiate Award sign-up sheet must be sent to HQ. These sign-up sheets are recorded at IAC Headquarters to determine the winners of the Collegiate Awards.

Grassroots sign up sheet: The Grassroots sign up sheet along with results.

Non-Compliance: The IAC Board of Director’s has adopted several policies to help encourage the return of necessary documentation. These policies were incorporated into the IAC Policy and Procedures Manual and are as follows:

Contest Records: If after taking several exhaustive steps, including follow up by IAC Headquarters, the IAC President, and the Area Director, the necessary documentation is not sent to Headquarters within 90 days of the completion of the contest, the chapter will not be granted an IAC official sanction in the following contest season. Certified Judges: Pilots may protest the use of non-current or non-certified judges used at an IAC sanctioned aerobatic competition.

Contest Insurance: Insurance for IAC contests is mandatory and if the chapter has not applied for it, the IAC Board authorizes IAC Headquarters to automatically extend the coverage to the event by contacting the insurance agent.

These policies are not meant to damage chapters or to be punitive. They are meant to protect the pilots, the judges, the chapter and IAC.