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Course Content
Course Overview
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Welcome to Air Boss 101
05:38
Module 1: What is an Airshow
Module 1 — What Is an Air Show. Before we get into authority, documents, or duties, we need a shared understanding of the environment we’re operating in. This is where a lot of candidates underestimate the complexity. An air show isn’t just a flying event — it’s a layered operational environment with multiple authorities operating simultaneously. Exactly. We’ll define the air show, establish who the stakeholders are, walk through the ABRP credential levels, and cover the foundational standards that govern Air Boss conduct. Including the Safety Creed — which is the professional foundation everything else builds on.
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The Air Show Environment
01:30
ABRP Credential Levels Overview
01:44
Basic Air Show Definition and Limitations
01:42
The ICAS Safety Creed
01:27
Air Boss Standards and Code of Ethics
01:44
Module 2: FAA Regulatory Framework
Module 2 — the FAA Regulatory Framework. This is the legal and procedural infrastructure that makes an air show a lawful event rather than a mass gathering with unauthorized low-altitude flying. I’ll be honest — when I was coming up, this was the module where candidates’ eyes glazed over. Documents, forms, acronyms. But the Air Boss who doesn’t understand this framework is the Air Boss who gets blindsided on show day. Exactly right. Authority, documents, and airspace — know where they come from, who holds them, and what they actually require of you. Let’s get into it.
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Governing Regulations and Orders
01:40
National Airspace System Overview
01:56
Certificate of Waiver and Certificate of Authorization
01:45
FAA Form 7711-2
01:48
Temporary Flight Restrictions
01:41
TFR Application
01:41
Air Show Demonstration Area and Flying Display Area
01:42
Crowd Line and Separation Distances
01:46
Non-Participating Aircraft and Airspace Conflicts
01:46
Special-Use Airspace Awareness
01:47
FAA Coordination and the FSDO Relationship
01:41
ATC Facility Types
01:51
Air Boss 101

A TFR is a NOTAM-based restriction — it defines a volume of airspace that’s off-limits to non-participatingaircraft for a specified window of time. At an air show, the TFR works alongside the CoW/A to protect the Flying Display Area during performance.

The one thing I’ve seen trip up Air Bosses is reading only the top line of the TFR. The document might show a date range at the header, but bury a daily time window somewhere in the body. Miss that, and you think the airspace is closed continuously when it’s actually only restricted during specific hours.

That’s the most common TFR misread. The fix is simple: read every line of the published NOTAM, not just the summary. And check UTC conversions carefully — draft TFRs frequently contain conversion errors that carry through to the published version.

What’s the Air Boss responsibility once the show wraps up early?

Call ATC or the Air Traffic Organization immediately and let them know show operations are complete. Do not sit on it and wait for the TFR to expire on its own. Only the issuing authority can officially cancel a published TFR, but your notification gets non-participating traffic moving again without delay.

And the Air Boss must know the TFR boundaries, altitudes, and effective times cold — not by looking them upmid-show.

Correct. If an unauthorized aircraft appears inside the TFR, you need a briefed procedure already in place. That starts with transmitting KIO on the Air Boss frequency and coordinating with ATC. No improvisation.

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