SFL Competition
Online Tournament Series
The global proving ground for competitive aviation.
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The global proving ground for competitive aviation.
The Online Tournament Series is open to competitive virtual aviators worldwide. Every event runs on a standardized format: three performance trials followed by the Dogfight Bracket. The same conditions, the same rules, the same bar for every pilot on the roster.
OTS events run on a quarterly broadcast cycle. All results are published in full after each event. Standings accumulate across the season, feeding directly into Live Professional Series qualification consideration. There is nowhere to hide and no path around the standard.
If you want a performance record that means something, the OTS is where it starts.
All competitors must meet the SFL equipment standard before competing. This covers simulation platform, HOTAS configuration, display requirements, and network specifications. The standard exists to ensure a level playing field across the global roster.
Gate 1 is the application phase. Applications are submitted through the SFL pilot portal at pilots.the-sfl.com. Each application includes a short performance submission demonstrating basic proficiency across the trial disciplines. The review process is conducted by the competition committee. Accepted pilots receive a formal roster notification.
Selected pilots advance to Gate 2, where they complete all three trials. The top eight are then selected for the Dogfight Bracket, which they compete in live on event day during the broadcast.
Every trial produces a raw score. Raw scores are normalized against the field and converted to phase points using the methodology published in Appendix A. There is no subjective component. Speed is measured in seconds. Precision and Accuracy are measured in deviation from the defined standard.
Dogfight Bracket results feed a separate bracket point total that combines with trial phase points to determine overall event standing. The complete formula, all edge cases, and tiebreaker rules are in Appendix A. Read it.
ESPN host Justin Walters calls the event from the tower with energy that matches the stakes. Alongside him, former United States Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot Rob "DAHIGI" Tomlinson breaks down every trial in real time with the precision of someone who has actually flown the aircraft. The combination gives every viewer, whether casual or deeply invested, exactly what they need to follow the competition.
Emmy Award-winning journalist Sibley Scoles anchors every OTS broadcast from the hangar set, conducting introductions, pilot spotlights, and in-depth interviews with the people who built the league and the competitors who define it. She brought the conversation between founder Tim "Monk" Miller and the audience that no one else could.
Red Bull Air Race World Champion and former Royal Australian Air Force wing commander Matt Hall joins the OTS-2 broadcast as guest analyst. A combat veteran of Iraq and the most successful air racer of the modern era, he reads the competition through the eyes of a pilot who has flown at its edge. He breaks down energy, geometry, and split-second decision-making with the authority only a champion fighter pilot brings.
Live telemetry overlays. Speed, altitude, and pilot identification rendered in real time as each sortie unfolds.
Low-altitude canyon passes with ordnance delivery against dynamic targets. The margin for error is visible from every seat.
Multi-angle coverage with a live tactical map and pilot feeds. Nothing about the fight is hidden.
Meet the equipment standard, submit your application, and earn your place in the ready room.
