An investigator may request that his/her program be classically scheduled on submission of their Phase 1 proposal. If accepted by the TAC, the program is assigned specific nights on the telescope; usually whole nights are scheduled and the minimum allocation is one night. Individual partner countries may run mini-service "classical" observing programs that aggregate smaller proposals together. Specific scheduling restrictions (preferred dates, impossible dates, synchronous observations with another facility) may be requested by investigators as part of the Phase I proposal.

Proposals for classical time must specify the minimum acceptable observing conditions . If these observing conditions constraints are restrictive, a backup program must be described which can use poorer conditions. During a classical observing run, if conditions are worse than those required by the main or alternate classical program, the time will be used for queue observations. In this case, the classical time will not be re-scheduled, but the partner responsible for the classical program is not charged for time spent executing the queue.

Classical programs are not reimbursed for weather or technical losses. Classical scheduling is not appropriate for programs requiring rarely occurring conditions such as the best image quality, or the dry and photometric conditions often required for mid-infrared observations. It is also not appropriate for a programs with targets widely distributed across the sky (and thus not accessible during the full night). In these cases programs should be queue scheduled.

Technical support for investigators is provided by the partner National Gemini Offices (NGOs). For successful classical proposals, the detailed definition of observations is undertaken in Phase II of the proposal process using the Observing Tool (OT) just as for queue observations. The Phase II deadline is the same for both queue and classical programs, and is typically a month after notification of the award of time. Nighttime support by Gemini scientific staff, or the instrument teams in the case of visiting instruments, is available for classically scheduled observing runs.

A minimum of one and a maximum of two visiting astronomers may participate in the observing run. At least one visiting astronomer must be present at the summit. Instructions and travel information for visitiors to Gemini North and Gemini South are available. Classical observers must also complete the forms linked to from these visitor pages 4 weeks prior to their first night.

When GMOS spectroscopy is classically scheduled and if GMOS pre-imaging is required to generate the object and mask definition files, pre-imaging will be done in queue mode prior to the classical run.

Modification of approved classical programs follow the same procedures as for queue programs and must be made via the change request process. Changes requested less than 7 days ahead of the run will be processed on a best-effort basis. If the PI expects changes to be requested during the run, prior notification to the local Head of Science Operations will make it possible for the staff support to process these requests in real time.

Finally, note that starting in 2009A, Rapid Targets of Opportunity can interrupt classical-mode nights (excluding Subaru and Keck exchange nights), unless the classical observation is time-critical. Time will be reimbursed to the interrupted program during queue time with similar conditions as the interrupted time.