How the Federation is governed

Board of Directors

The Board consists of one Director representing each Member Team in good standing, appointed by that team; the Commissioner, who is non-voting except to break a tie; and up to three Independent Directors appointed by the Board for expertise in aviation safety, law or international sport governance. Member Team Directors serve at the pleasure of their team. Independent Directors serve two-year renewable terms and may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote of the entire Board after written notice and an opportunity to be heard.

The Board adopts and amends the Bylaws, Rulebook, Competition Rules, Technical Code, Safety Standards, Judging Standards and Operating Standards Manual; appoints and removes the Commissioner and officers; approves the budget; sanctions and withdraws sanction from events; sets dues and fees; admits, suspends and terminates Member Teams; approves expansion teams; and controls the Federation's intellectual property and commercial rights.

The Board meets at least once a year before each competitive season. Special meetings may be called by the Commissioner or a majority of Member Teams in good standing on seven days' written notice, or 48 hours for safety, legal, event cancellation, disciplinary emergency or time-sensitive commercial matters. No vote may be taken on a matter not on the agenda unless all Member Teams in good standing consent. A quorum is a majority of Member Teams in good standing.

Good standing

A Member Team is in good standing when it is current on all fees and assessments, maintains required insurance, complies with the Rulebook, Operating Standards Manual and IACSF policies, is not under suspension or disciplinary restriction, and maintains legal and regulatory compliance. A team more than 90 days in arrears automatically loses voting rights until cured; more than 180 days may lead to suspension or termination.

A Member Team must abstain from voting on matters in which it has a direct financial or territorial conflict of interest, as determined by the Commissioner.

Voting thresholds

Threshold	Actions
Simple majority	All Board actions unless otherwise specified, with a quorum present. Budget adoption. Admission of Member Teams. Fines above the Commissioner's threshold.
Two-thirds of all Member Teams in good standing	Amendment of the Bylaws. Removal of the Commissioner. Federation-wide assessments beyond standard dues. Expulsion of a Member Team. Commercial agreements above the Board's threshold. Title Partner sponsorship agreements and any term exceeding five years.
Unanimous	Dissolution of the IACSF. Sale of substantially all assets. Merger with another organization.

Member Teams may vote by written proxy or approved remote methods once identity and authorization are verified. Proxies on supermajority or unanimous matters must be in writing with explicit authorization.

Officers

The Board elects four officers from among the Directors, each for a two-year renewable term.

Commissioner

The Commissioner is the chief enforcement and operations officer, appointed by the Board and removable only by a two-thirds vote of all Member Teams in good standing. The Commissioner may be an individual or entity with demonstrated expertise in sport governance, aviation operations or professional league management.

The Commissioner enforces the Bylaws, Rulebook, Competition Rules, Technical Code, Operating Standards Manual and all policies; administers day-to-day operations and staff; issues disciplinary action; executes contracts within Board-granted authority; initiates investigations; imposes immediate provisional suspension where safety, legal exposure or Federation integrity demands it; and issues binding directives and interpretations with immediate effect unless stayed by the Board. The Commissioner reports to the Board at every regular meeting on enforcement, investigations, operations, safety and finances, reviews every proposed Bylaw amendment with a written advisory opinion, and levies fines within limits set by Board resolution.

Executive Committee

The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary-General, Treasurer, the Commissioner (non-voting except in a tie) and two Member Team Directors elected by the Board. Between Board meetings it may act on any matter within the Board's jurisdiction that needs action before the next meeting, except amending the Bylaws, removing the Commissioner or an officer, approving a budget or expenditure above Board thresholds, admitting or expelling a Member Team, or approving expansion. All its actions are reported to the full Board and subject to ratification.

Standing committees

Each standing committee operates under written Terms of Reference approved by the Board, which may also create Special Committees and Working Groups.

Committee	Composition	Responsibilities	Cadence and reporting
Safety and Compliance	5 to 7 members, including at least one certified aviation safety professional and one Active Member Team representative. Chaired by a Director appointed by the Board.	Develops safety standards for all aircraft categories and event types; reviews incident reports and investigates accidents and near-misses; audits Member Team and Affiliated League compliance; maintains the Safety Manual; recommends sanctions for safety violations.	Meets at least quarterly. Annual written report to the Board.
Competition Rules	5 to 9 members, with Active Member Team representation and at least one independent rules specialist.	Develops and recommends amendments to the Competition Rules and Rulebook; interprets rules between events; standardizes rules across Member Teams and Affiliated Leagues; reviews referred protests.	Meets at least twice a year. Proposed amendments submitted 90 days before each season with written rationale.
Technical Standards	5 to 7 members, including at least two qualified aviation or aerospace professionals.	Maintains the Technical Code; sets aircraft classification criteria; homologates aircraft types and systems; oversees technical inspection; liaises with aviation regulators worldwide.	Meets at least twice a year. Reports proposed classification or certification changes 60 days before their effective date.
Judicial and Disciplinary	Independent of the competitive structure. Members hold no concurrent elective position and are unaffiliated with any party to a pending matter.	Adjudicates disciplinary matters referred by the Commissioner, conducts hearings, imposes sanctions and keeps records of proceedings.	Convenes as required. Written decisions within 30 days of a hearing. Semi-annual summary report to the Board.
Appeals	5 members, none a current Member Team Director or member of the Judicial and Disciplinary Committee. Quorum of three.	Hears appeals from the Judicial and Disciplinary Committee and other official decisions, including licensing, homologation and withdrawal of sanction. Decisions are final within the Federation.	Written decisions within 45 days of a complete appeal. Annual summary report to the Board.

Judges Panel

The Board maintains a certified Judges Panel to officiate at all sanctioned events, overseen by a Chief Judge appointed by the Board for a two-year term renewable once. The Chief Judge establishes judging standards, oversees certification and training, and makes judging assignments at IACSF Championships. The Panel maintains at least ten certified judges across active disciplines, with a quorum of five for formal business, and reports to the Board at least annually. Details are in the Judging Standards.

Finances and controls

The Commissioner, with the Treasurer, prepares the annual budget for Board approval at least 60 days before the fiscal year. Internal controls include segregation of duties and dual signatures above Board thresholds. An independent external audit is presented to the Board within 120 days of year end. A reserve of at least six months of operating expenses may be spent only on Board authorization.