RULES AND REGULATIONS

Introduction

The rules and regulations outlined in this document will serve to streamline the standards and set the expectations placed upon current and future participants of any Virtual Air Festivals (VAF) hosted airshow or event. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in disqualification from participation. It is imperative that every participant understands and follows these rules diligently. The following rules are non-negotiable. Virtual Air Festival Staff reserve the right to assess if a participant has violated any rules, including those not explicitly stated in the following regulations.

Participant regulations are set to ensure a good baseline quality of the performances at VAF. These regulations will not only serve to improve your act, but also improve the viewing experience of our audiences. Participants are to use the guidelines to ensure their quality control video exceeds the minimum standards stated in the regulations, as this will determine their acceptance into the show. For the first show of each season (e.g Virtual Summer Air Festival), teams will be permitted to resubmit their quality control video after being assessed by a staff member. This will provide participants who have not met the standards a chance to improve their act. This condition does not apply to applications for the Virtual International Air Festival. It is understandable that participants may not have their demonstration finalised by the end of the application period and would intend on making changes to their performance prior to the show. This is permissible provided it improves the demonstration. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as roster changes, which will affect the quality of the performance after the quality control, kindly notify the VAF staff.

Broadcaster regulations are set to ensure consistency in quality between performances at shows hosted by VAF. Streamers of each team are expected to follow these regulations closely. Some settings, such as the video bitrate, must be followed strictly. Refer to the broadcasting guide for relevant information.

Community rules and regulations

The following rules will act as general guidelines to Virtual Air Festivals community members on the social platforms on which VAF operates. This includes but is not limited to, Discord, Twitch, YouTube etc.

1. Be respectful. Treat fellow community members with kindness, courtesy, and respect. Harassment, discrimination, hate speech, and personal attacks are not tolerated.
2. Stay on topic. Keep discussions relevant to our community and events. Utilize designated channels appropriately. Off-topic posts may be removed without notice.
3. Share with respect. Avoid excessive self-promotion or spamming. Promotion of teams or other community events should be done in moderation and in the appropriate channels.
4. Use English. Our community includes people from all walks of life. To establish a common ground, English is the language of use in all VAF Channels.
5. Keep it civil. Content or messages deemed inappropriate (i.e. profanity, NSFW, offensive, harmful, illegal...) may be removed and lead to sanctions.
6. Respect privacy. Do not share personal information about yourself or others without consent. Respect the privacy of fellow community members.
7. Agree to disagree. Be open to diverse perspectives and constructive criticism. Disagreements are natural but maintain a civil and constructive tone during debates and discussions. Avoid escalating conflicts and drama.
8. Respect moderators. Moderators take decisions to keep the community friendly and appropriate to everyone. As such, they have the final say on any matter. Understand that the efforts of the VAF Staff are voluntary and respect their decisions.

Participant regulations

A) Applying and qualifying for an event

1. All applications are to be submitted within the stipulated time frame prior to the event.
2. All applicants and participants must be over the age of 13, in compliance with broadcasting guidelines set by our streaming services.
3. Applications must be filled out to the best of the registrars’ abilities and with detailed information.
4. All applications must include a Quality Control (QC) video. This video should be a replay of a broadcast performed by the applicant’s streamer demonstrating the most recent and current flying and production of the team. Work-in-progress elements (i.e. music, different cameras, narration...) should be included and mentioned as "work-in-progress", as they help to reflect the expected level of quality.
5. Duplicate demonstrations are not allowed. Only one representation of a display is allowed at each show. Demonstrations that are too similar are also subject to this rule (i.e. One modern Blue Angels demonstration at each show).
6. In the event of duplicate demonstrations as in rule 5, the respective groups are expected to resolve internally the shows they wish to participate in (i.e. Team A performs at VSAF, Team B performs at VIAF).
7. If the teams are not able to resolve this internally, their acceptance will be subject to the Quality Control performance. The determination of their acceptance may also be affected by factors not included in the Quality Control guidelines, under the jurisdiction of the VAF staff.
8. Anticipated modifications to a demonstration, not reflected in the Quality Control video are to be clearly stated in the application.
9. Once a team’s Quality Control has been accepted, and the team confirmed their attendance, any change or cancellation of their presentation is not allowed. Changes due to unforeseen circumstances may be allowed under a VAF Staff member’s explicit approval.
10. Rejected applications are non-negotiable. Respect the decision of the VAF Staff members and strive to submit a Quality Control video of higher standards for the next show. A rejected team may request honest feedback from VAF staff about their Quality Control performance.

B) Performance guidelines

1. Pre-recorded displays are not allowed; only live and real-time performances are permitted.
2. The maximum introduction video duration permitted for each team is subject to the number of aircraft in the team. Restrictions are listed below.
   • Solo – 2 minutes
   • 2 ship/3 ship – 3 minutes
   • 4 ship – 4 minutes
   • 5+ ship – 5 minutes
3. The maximum ground operation length permitted for each team is subject to the number of aircraft in the team. Restrictions are listed below.
   • Solo – 2 minutes
   • 2 ship/3 ship – 3 minutes
   • 4 ship – 4 minutes
   • 5+ ship – 5 minutes
4. The total duration for a demonstration (Takeoff to Landing) is subject to the number of aircraft in the team. Restrictions are listed below.
   • Solo – 15 minutes
   • 2 ship/3 ship – 25 minutes
   • 4 ship – 35 minutes
   • 5+ ship – 45 minutes
5. The designated airspace for VAF shows is a 5nm (~10km) radius around the show centre point. This requirement may be exceeded for timing reasons if additional aircraft performing in the same show are inside the aerobatic box.
6. The designated aerobatic box for VAF shows is rectangular in shape. It extends 6,000ft (~2km) in front of the camera position, 13,000ft (~4km) left and right, and a ceiling up to 15,000ft (4.5km).
7. The aerobatic box must not remain empty for longer than 2 minutes during any performance, except in cases of technical difficulties.
8. Aerobatic manoeuvres directly above the virtual public are not allowed.
9. Non-aerobatic performances must demonstrate a clear connection to an air show performance. Weapons are not allowed unless authorised by VAF Staff.
10. Once a team has confirmed their attendance to a show after the QC process, cancellation is prohibited. In unforeseen circumstances, a recording of the performance is to be provided to ensure show continuity. Sanctions are a temporary or definitive ban of all VAF events.

C) Quality control guidelines

The following guidelines can be used in the form of a checklist to ensure the participant’s performance meets the minimum criteria expected by VAF Staff. Note that the following list is a general guideline that may not be applicable to all teams or performances.

1. Formation flying:
   
   • Precision: Good Alignment, spacing, and symmetry between aircraft.
   • Coordination: Smooth transitions between formations and manoeuvres.
   • Timing: Good synchronization within the formation, and with additional flying elements like solos.
2. Performance:
   
   • Execution of manoeuvres: Good precision, smoothness, and stability.
   • Difficulty: Good complexity and inclusion of challenging manoeuvres.
   • Variety: Good range of manoeuvres and formations demonstrated.
   • Confident and skilful handling under various conditions.
   • Ability to recover form unexpected situations or errors.
3. Audience engagement:
   
   • Interaction: Ability to engage with the audience through commentary or radio communication.
   • Spectacle: Overall entertainment value and excitement generated.
4. Production Quality:
   
   • Sounds: Clarity, proportionate volumes, and proper mixing of game, commentary, and music.
   • Camera Work: Smoothness, stability, and clarity of camera movements.
   • Visuals: Static image or video prior to or after the display for continuity.
5. Music selection and integration: *
   
   • Suitability: Appropriateness of music choices for different segments of the show.
   • Synchronization: Alignment of music with specific manoeuvres or sequences.
   • Enhancement: How well the music enhances the overall experience of the airshow.

* Applicable to teams or solos not replicating a real-world demonstration’s production.