IMSAFE applies to the Air Boss, not only to performers. Illness,Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion — every one of thosefactors affects judgment, not just stick-and-rudder skills. The Air Bossmaking decisions for thirty aircraft and several hundred thousandspectators is subject to the same human factors as anyone in that briefingroom.

Fatigue at multi-day shows is the one that compounds. Day one you’resharp. Day three is a different story.

Multi-day shows require active fatigue monitoring across all personnel —performers, ground crews, and the Air Boss. The eight-hour bottle-to-throttle rule for alcohol is a minimum floor, not a target. Impairment is thestandard, and impairment can occur within that window depending on theindividual. Self-certification under IMSAFE is about honest assessment,not compliance theater.

G-LOC is something not every Air Boss feels comfortable discussing withaerobatic performers. It can feel like questioning their professionalism.

Frame it accurately. G-induced Loss of Consciousness is a physiologicalresponse, not a skills deficiency. The Anti-G Straining Maneuver — AGSM— is the technique that reduces the risk. Brief it at every show day brieffor aerobatic performers. The Air Boss needs to recognize the signs that aperformer may be in distress: radio silence, deviation from briefed profile,failure to respond to calls. Those are the observable indicators.

CRM for Air Bosses — this isn’t just for cockpit crews.

Use all available resources: IIC, ATC, airport operations, performers. If anIIC raises a concern, you hear it. If a crew chief tells you something lookswrong, you don’t dismiss it. Challenge assumptions before they becomedecisions. Under stress, decision-making slows and tunnel vision narrowsyour focus — that’s when checklists matter most. At multi-day shows,manage your own fatigue with the same rigor you’d expect from anyperformer on your lineup.