Communications planning starts with frequency assignments. You need aprimary Air Boss frequency that all participating aircraft monitor, a backupfrequency briefed and tested before every Show Day, and a discretefrequency for individual acts when they don’t need to be on the main net.The narrator and PA frequency is separate — and that separation matters.

I’ve seen the cross-talk problem. Air Boss transmissions bleeding over thePA is a real scenario.

If your Air Boss frequency and the narrator frequency are too closetogether, your radio calls can go out over the public address system.That’s not just an embarrassment — it can cause confusion on the flightline and compromise operational communications. Frequency spacingneeds to be verified and tested before the show.

What about the administrative side — the frequency application process?

The Aviation Special Event Frequency Application is submitted by theevent organizer to the FAA. FCC licensing may apply to ground-basedcommunications equipment depending on the type of gear being used.Transponder settings default to 1200 unless ATC assigns otherwise — jet-capable teams may require specific squawk codes, and that coordinationhappens in advance.

Loss-of-communications is a required briefing element under FAA Order8900.1.

Every performer must know exactly what to do if they cannot hear the AirBoss. The procedure needs to be defined — visual signals, a standbyvehicle, a PA announcement — and briefed before the first act. Don’t leavethis to performer judgment in the moment.

And you have to verify it actually works.

Test all frequencies before the first act. Walk through the radio frequencyintegrity check as a pre-show checklist item. A frequency that doesn’twork is a hazard you discover either before the show or during it — youwant to find it before.