FAI Sanctioning ensures and demonstrates high quality organization of major Aeronautical Sporting Events worldwide. These include prestigious competitions like the World Air Games, World Championships, Continental Championships, and other significant events such as the Coupe Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race.
Organizers can obtain an FAI/CIA Sanction for the highest category events, called Category One (CAT1) events, or for simpler national or international events, called CIA Sporting Event (CAT2).
Why sanction your event?
A sanction has a number of advantages. The organiser demonstrates to the ballooning world that the event:
- will be run fairly using correctly approved rules and regulations,
- will be run to approved safety standards,
- will be financially sound and will fulfil its obligations to both competitors and officials.
- has the appropriately qualified officials, especially the event director, safety officer and jury.
Further benefits include
- inclusion in the FAI Sporting Calendar,
- CIA Medals (for CAT1),
- Certificates for the winning competitors,
- enhanced event status for negotiations with authorities and sponsors and
- access to expertise of the Event Development Service of the FAI/CIA.
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What are the basic requirements for you to run a sanctioned event?
If you can give a positive answer to the following questions regarding your proposed hot air balloon event, there should be no problem in organising a successful event and in it being granted a CIA sanction.
Location of the flying area
- Is the countryside in the proposed location suitable for balloon flying? You need at least 20 km in all likely flying directions from the launch field.
- Is the road infrastructure good enough for easy retrieving of balloons?
- there should be no unacceptable restriction on the area? These include few or no landowner problem areas, and mostly clear of air traffic or geographical restrictions.
Launch field
- is the launch field large enough for the proposed number of balloons? You should allow 25 x 25metres for each balloon.
Accomodation
- Is there sufficient accommodation available for pilots, crews and officials? Allow an average 4 to 5 person per balloon plus officials and staff.
Weather
- Is the normal weather for the location and dates suitable for balloon flying?
- Is acceptable weather forecasting available?
Maps
- Are good maps of the area available? Maps should be in a digital format, 50.000 scale with a 1 km grid.
Propane
- Is propane (or propane/butane mix) available? Allow 100 litres per balloon per flight.
Costs
- Are there sufficient funds available to cover ALL the costs of the event?
Officials
- Do you have enough qualified officials available to run the competition?
What type/category of event should I apply for?
Depending on the size and objective of your event, you can apply for a World or Continental (CAT1) or CAT2 sanction. You should also consider if you want to run any of these events for Junior or Women competitors.
For CAT1, the following criteria must be met:
- there must be a minimum of 4 nations participating and compititor must hold a valid FAI sporting licence.
- competitors must have had held their pilot’s licence for at least 12 months prior to the start of the event and shall have accumulated at least 50 hours as PIC.
- the Event Director, Deputy Event Director, Safety Officer, Stewards and Jury must be approved by the CIA.
For CAT2, the criteria are as follow:
- there must be a minimum of 2 nations participating and compititor must hold a valid FAI sporting licence.
- there must be a minimum of 15 competitors entered in the competition.
- competitors must have had held their pilot’s licence for at least 6 months prior to the start of the event and shall have accumulated at least 25 hours as PIC.
- the Event Director, Safety Officer and Jury must be approved by the organising National Aero Club.
Applications for World or Continental (General, Women or Junior) championships must follow a few special procedures. You can find further details in the documents below.
Are there any cost involved?
Each sanction will require a sanction fee to be paid to the FAI.
- For CAT1 events (incl. Worlds and Continentals), the sanction fee is 50CHF / participant with a base minimum of 1500CHF for most events.
- For CAT2 events, the sanction fee is 25CHF / participant with a minimum of 325CHF and a maximum of 1000CHF.
- Additionally, but only for CAT1 events (incl. Worlds and Continentals), a performance bond is to be paid when the sanction is given. This performance bond will be returned after the event if all requirements have been fulfilled.
Please also see the detailed document about the sanction fee and performance bond below.
Where should I start my sanction application?
- To start your application, locate the event type you would like to apply for in the list below.
- Click on the right side to start filling the sanction application form.
- Once you completed the form, submit it online to our Event Development Service for review.
- Please be aware that deadlines for submissions may apply.
- Login credentials on watchmefly.net will be required.
TO APPLY FOR A SANCTION OF A GORDON BENNETT, AIRSHIP OR GAS BALLOON EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST.
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