IVAO Special Operations Department

Rules & Guidelines

Rules and Regulations

Covering Military and Special Operations in IVAO

N.B. Any activity designed to simulate the destruction of persons or property through the use of main force (warfare, insurgency, terrorism or associated violent acts) is prohibited on the IVAO network

Categorization of Military and Special Operations:

All military and special operations in IVAO are broken down into four fundamental categories, A and B, 1 and 2. These categories have been established to allow simple definition of what constitutes military and special operations and further establishes the rules and regulations that govern the manner in which they may be undertaken. Further statements within these rules and regulations also establish departmental and divisional conventions for creation, overseeing, regulation and clearance of military/specops events, exercises and training.

Category A and B defines all military/special operations activities in IVAO as follows, although IVAO recognises that activities may occasionally cross between these definitions:

Category A (Cat A) General Operations:
Fire-fighting, Police, Coastguard, Shipwreck and SAR, Medical and Casualty Evacuation, VIP flights with escorts, Humanitarian flights, Fly-Ins with military aircraft.

Category B (Cat B) Military Operations:
Formation flights, Air-to-Air Refuelling, Shipborne and Aircraft Carrier Practices, Low-level Flights, AWACs simulations, Reconnaissance flights, Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Operations.

Category 1 and 2 defines the way in which these activities take place, who is responsible for them, together with the rules and guidelines that are applicable:

Category 1 (Cat 1) Events:
This definition applies to those formal occasions where a division or group of divisions invites members or groups of members to participate in SO events, for which participation the members will receive SO points towards the granting of SO Pilot or SO Controller Awards. Clearances for these events must be sought from the Special Operations Department at IVAO-HQ and details of how to obtain these clearances can be found below:

How to Obtain Clearance for Cat 1 Events

To create a SO event, you need to follow some steps, to make your event well organized.

1. What kind of event are you going to create?

First decide on the type of event. Is it defined in Category A or Category B?

2. When you have made your choice, select an appropriate airspace.

Does your division has specified airspace such as TRA’s where your mission can take place?
If not, contact your FIR chief and ask him if you can reserve some airspace for your mission. Remember, events must not interfere with GAT traffic.

3. Setting up your event.

When you have arranged point 1 to 3 it’s time to set up your event.
You need to build up your event, the way you think your event should be.
Think about airspace, routing, mission you want to create, area’s etc etc.

4. What information is needed for participants? And where do I think about?
While you are setting up your event, keep in mind that an event will be more successful if you provide as much information and details such as :

- Charts of the airbase and maps of the area. (if available)
- Flight route (what route to fly*)
- Flight plan
- Scenery (if available)
- Sector files for ATC (including all mission information)
* You could make a flight route by VOR, NDB, Intersections or coordinates
Always look if you can provide such as this, makes your event look good by pilots and controllers.

5. Testing your event.

When you have setup your event, you need to overlook all issues again.
What did I forgot? Where can I do better? What can I do more?
Always know exactly were your mission is about, and how you want to be it going later on.
Try to create a image in your head, about how you want your event to look like!
When you are done, you need to fly your event alone, to see if there a no problems.

6. Set time and date.

When you are ready you must set a event date and time, when you want to let your event take place.
Notify your division DIR when you have selected a date, and ask for approval.

7. Ask HQ clearance for your event

When your received approval from your DIR, you need to send a message to the SOM and SOAM
You will send a as detailed possible message regarding your event concerning :

- Event date and time (GMT)
- Type of event (Cat A or Cat B)
- Kind of event (detailed as possible)
- Types of aircraft
- ATC stations
- Airports you intend to use (arrival, departure and alterative)
- Webpage for more information.

When this message is sent, you will need to wait for reply from the SOD.

If your event requires overflights of other countries and/or divisions, you will need to contact the SOC or DIR of that country including your clearance number given by HQ, and ask for permission to over fly their country.

Also you need to ask for landing and take-off permissions from the country/division where you scheduled a technical stop. (such as refuelling)

They will take a look at your scheduled mission and issue (or not), according their division DIR, a permit for the overflight or landing.
Of course in the case of a negative response the SOC will be expected to state reasons the reasons for refusal. In case of justified reason, SOC may have to reroute the mission according received permits

8. Announce your event.

When you have received clearance you need to announce your event.
Try to announce your event to your fellow staff SOC members.
Place it on the SO forum and mail the HQ EC to let your event put on the even calendar.

9. What services are required for a good event?

This is your final step in your creation.

- ATC
- Pilots

When you have all information and your event is ready, you will need to get ATC positions manned. Airbase controllers (GND, TWR, APP), Radar controller(s) (CTR) or a AWACS controller when required.

You must try to arrange ATC controllers within your division first to set all positions.
When unable to get enough ATC within your division, you could ask fellow staff SOC if they could help you with ATC.

10. Send a event report.

When your event is finished, you need to send a detailed message about your event to the SOD.
In this message you need to include:

- Flight report of your event.
- Names and IVAO VID of all participants including position (pilot or ATC) so that they can be awarded SO points.

The SOC.

During the event, the SOC is fully responsible for the good progress of the operations as cleared and for the correct adherence to IVAO SO rules and regulations

The SOC may refuse any participant from joining his event under very good reasons only.
When he does, he needs to contact the SOD and tell him exactly why refused a participant.

The SOC may decide if he wants to use specified callsigns during his event.
That can be given by subscription, but must be mentioned on the event webpage.

Extra Information:

IVAO-HQ will give a batch to each pilot or controller that has at least 10 SO points as pilot or controller taken part in an event.
IVAO-HQ will only give 1 point to each event only.

To create a good list of participants that took part in your event, you could let participants subscribe to your event.
This way they need to contact you with their subscription including:

- Full name
- IVAO VID
- Aircraft type
- Callsign
- Mission type

This way you only need to overlook the callsigns during your event, if they actually take part.

Pilots or controllers that are disconnected during your event, and do not reconnect will not receive points. It’s the job of the SOC to carefully monitor this issue.

Category 2 (Cat 2) Training Exercises:
This definition was brought into being to allow a framework to be set in place under which semi-formal and informal training exercises may be undertaken at Divisional level by members or groups of members without having to seek clearances from the Special Operations Department at IVAO-HQ. These activities are not regarded as "formal events" as defined in Category 1 and therefore members will not receive SO points for participation in Category 2 training/exercises. In order to prevent abuse or misuse of this new freedom, divisional officers are required to undertake and adhere to the following rules and regulations:

Rule 1: All Cat 2 training flights/exercises MUST take place inside a training area set aside in the division for that purpose.

Rule 2: The divisions should research and establish permanent training areas.

Rule 3: The training areas MUST be agreed in advance between the divisional director, the divisional SOC, the divisional AOC/FOC and any other relevant divisional officers and set out in a divisional document. A copy of the document must be sent to the SO Department at HQ.

Rule 4: Divisions may also establish temporary restricted areas (TRA) for specific exercises, but the details of the TRA must be placed in the NOTAMS section of the divisional website. Please see the definitions and uses of temporary airspaces below.

Rule 5: The details of the permanent training areas must be published on the SO page of the division website.

Rule 6: Where possible, the training areas should be the same as in the real-world in respect of location, geographical limits, altitudes and regulations for crossing by GAT aircraft.

Rule 7: Sector files should be modified to show the military training areas.

Rule 8: In all cases ATC must be provided to oversee operations within the training area and to allow safe passage of GAT aircraft. Please see the rules concerning ATC and AWACs below.

Rule 9: A maximum of 2 SOG's only may take part in Cat 2 training exercises.

Rule 10: At no time is it permitted for aircraft involved in training to interfere with GAT aircraft.

Rule 11: It is the responsibility of the divisional SOC to check that the assigned military training areas are being used correctly. However, HQ staff from the SO Department will occasionally check on training to ensure that these regulations are being enforced.

Rule 12: SO points are NOT awarded for Cat 2 exercises/training.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temporary Airspaces--Definitions and Use

TRA/TSA

TRA : Temporary Reserved Airspace

TSA : Temporary Segregated Airspace

The difference between a TRA and TSA is that a TSA is fully separated for participants and non-participant traffic inside the area.

A TRA may be crossed by non-participant traffic under specified terms.

The use of an TRA or TSA shall be restricted to a minimum.

The use of an TRA or TSA shall only be used, when ATC is available, or if there are no preferential GAT routes through the TRA/TSA.

When there are no flights inside a TRA/TSA the airspace will automatically be deactivated.

TRA's and TSA's may only be established within controlled airspaces. This to avoid OAT interfering with GAT.

During a SO event, the use of a TRA must be published on the division home page to inform GAT pilots.

Also notice this with the clearance request.

Outside TRA/TSA there will be no priority for OAT over GAT.

Normal IFR and VFR rules have to be observed.

Unless the division has specified military routes, corridors or windows for OAT and arrangements.

During SO events that require the use of TRA/TSA, specified ATC is needed for that TRA/TSA area.

Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA)

Means assign airspace to traffic on a dynamic way.

It can only be given by ATC and it is for a period of time only.

FUA is not more then a open specified part of an airspace were traffic can fly through in a strait line.

The use of a TRA/TSA may not be more then necessary.

Air Traffic Control (ATC)

During SO there must be ATC available at all times during the event.

Specified military ATC and civilian ATC must be conducted.

Military ATC for OAT, and civilian ATC for GAT.

Both ATC positions must inform each other if traffic wants to cross GAT/OAT routes and airspaces.

Both ATC positions can approve or deny this request.

If denied, the requested ATC station must re-route the requested aircraft.

Military ATC stations need to use the normal IVAO database ICAO code as identifier.

This may be used only during events ! Specified clearance for approval must be giving by the SOD.

Outside events, the normal IVAO database callsign must be used.

AWACS

The use of AWACs for training purposes (Cat 2) is acceptable providing the AWACs controller a) does NOT interfere with a controller who is already controlling the same airspace, or b) provides ATC Advisory for ALL aircraft within the area if there is no other controller in the area.

When you want to use an AWACS, during an event (Cat 1), please mention that within your clearance.

The pilot of the AWACS aircraft is not allowed to connect as ATC at the same time.

In order to establish AWACS control during a event, you need someone who will fly the AWACS aircraft within a orbit, and a individual person who provides the ATC service.

AWACS ATC services will use the callsign "MAGIC" during events and missions.

The specified ATC position ICAO code used for AWACS operations, must be the military CTR code, or the normal CTR code.

You will need to use the suffix "M" between it. This is only allowed during AWACS operations !

Rules & Guidelines