TYFA declares all flights of drones at any officially schedule TYFA event to be Non-Recreational which will require the pilot of any drone to have an Official Certificate from the FAA in their possession when at an event per FAA § 107.7 (a)(1), and show it when requested by TYFA Staff, Hosting Staff or Venue Staff. Failure to do so and the drone crew will be removed from the venue and the organization they are associated with will be charged with a Level II violation. TYFA, Host or Venue staff have the right to report non-compliance to the FAA.

Organizations who have someone who wishes to fly a drone at any officially scheduled TYFA Event needs to:

• Get a Certificate from the FAA and Register their Drone with TYFA using the form below

• If the certificate provided to TYFA is valid, digital credentials from TYFA will be provided to them.

• The TYFA credentials and the FAA certificate is required to be in possession of the pilot when they fly a drone.

Denying Flight

• A Host's venue (ISD for example) may have their own rules on drones that supersedes TYFA's rules and credentials. 

  • Example: UIL Drone Policy states: Drones are not allowed to fly over the footprint of the venue when team members, officials, bands, and other spirit groups are present. 

• TYFA reserves the right to deny previously granted flight privileges if it is proven that the drone was flying dangerously and violating FAA policy.

FAA email to TYFA states: "The airspace belongs to everyone, and you cannot deny someone from using it. You can forbid drone operations from any ground near the venue that you have authority over. People will still be able to overfly the facility from outside, however. "

With that said, any venue contracted by TYFA or an organization to hold events, that does not deny drones itself, gives the contracting entity the authority to deny a pilot to be on venue property. They will have to sit off venue property and then they can fly their drone over the venue. 

TYFA will deny any pilots other than ones they hire, to fly a drone over any TYFA hosted event.

If a person is found flying a drone without their certificate, without registering with TYFA, or violating the host's request to set the pilot off property, the organization they represent will be charged with a Level II violation. There will be consequences for those flying the drone.