Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 7:17AM Check out the discussion section for more, but the DOT decided to keep BP motors a "Flamable Solid" rather than reclassifying them as "Explosives 1.4" which keeps them where they have been for the last 30+ years. This means they can be shipped without an additional HAZMAT fee.
Way to go with the letter writing campaign!
Thanks John for posting that up...
dr
Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 7:41PM
Attention all Rocket Nerds and Geeks. Missing the smell of Rocket exhaust?
Well your luck is about to change this coming weekend with the opening weekend of our
“Back to the Farm” Rocket Launch season. Also known as “The Turkey Shoot”.
When : Sat and Sun, 19 – 20 November.
Where : The Williams Farm. See Web Site for directions if you are new.
Set Up : 0930.
Launch Start : As soon as set-up is complete.
Launch ends : 5:00 PM so we have some light to close up by.
Remember that this is a working farm and it is November, so dress accordingly, warm sturdy shoes and suggest you dress in layers so you can take a layer off when its warm, and add a layer when it gets cool.
When the sun is shining it is like a solar collector out there in the open field so it can be 10 degrees warmer when the sun is clear than in the city. If it looks like it will be chilly for most of the day I will have the ever popular fie pit out to keep your hands warm.
Always check the Web Site for any possible changes due to weather or unknown circumstances.
“KIDS” ROCKET RAFFLE.
We will continue our Rocket Raffle for the kids with a selection of about 17 Prebuilt, painted and ready to fly rockets to choose from.The kid’s tickets are 50 cents each and we will keep it going over all the launches till they are all given away. Each rocket comes with a “A” or “B” engine with plug and wadding. Yes, parents can buy tickets and select rockets for their kids.
We are continuing with our Range Safety standards by making specific assignments of a : RSO=, Range Safety Officer to pre-inspect rockets before flights. LCO=, Launch Control Officer to check range conditions and control the launch’s in a timely and efficient manner. So far this has worked fine with little to no effect on launch flow. Check both the WEB site and at the launch’s for info on volunteering for RSO (Cert Lv-2 required) and LCO (Cert Lv-1 preferred, but any responsible and experienced adult can apply). It’s great for anybody who isn’t flying that day but wants to take part anyway. And it’s fun to push the little red button.
Hope to see you on the pads and remember to keep those exhaust nozzles clear.
Roy, ROCC Sec.
DOC R.
Ken will not be with us, he is going to Red Glare in Maryland.
Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 9:38AM OK, so I didn't have a lot of time yesterday to get this up. Here's some follow-up...
Ralph got an email from Kip earlier in the week saying that the farm crops are in and we're good to go for the 19th/20th.
We spoke briefly yesterday at the scout launch (BTW, BIG Thanks to Ralph, Sandy, Adam & Brian for coming out to help, all were welcome and the kids, as well as some parents, had a great time) and here's what we worked out.
Set up as normal, 10 am, with launches to begin as soon as we're set up. The new launch system worked flawlessly yesterday so we should be good to go.
Che' Roberts is going to be open for business, doing the finest in tube steaks on his portable flame pit.
I'll bring some wood for the fire, if Roy might bring his little fire bowl. Weather looks good right now but chilly.
I'm going to write to Ken and see if he will be with us.
There is a scout troop coming one of the days and there may be a TRA L2 attempt. Brian Gossiax is going for his L1.
We can fly till about 5 but darkness decends early this time of year so come early, fly early and have a great time!
More details as they come...
dr
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 6:45PM I just got my copy of "The Circle", the newsletter of Mitchell Community College. Inside I saw an article about Neil Taylor and Richard Good, 2 of the students that participated in our launches this past season getting their project ready for the Level 2 USLI competition at NASA.
Well, they both got paid internships at Goddard Space Flight Center this past summer!
Neil was at GSFC's Lunar & Planetary Science Academy. He's a NASA Aerospace Community College Scholar, one of only 79 accross the country.
Richard's internship was at GSFC in their Small Heliophysics Satellite & Instrumentation lab. Interns are assigned to projects sponsored by NASA science and engineering mentors. In addition to research, they receive training in leadership and networking.
Both Neil & Richard are going to UNCC where they're pursuing engineering degrees this year.
Hats Off to you both! Well done and good luck this year.
dr
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 8:49PM From NASA's space place, a .pdf of how to construct a flying NanoSat. There's got to be a way to make this into a rocket...
dr
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 7:37AM Got a note from Roy that "Large Dangerous Rocket Ships" (Promo LINK) is back again and better than ever. Hosted by Kari Byron from Mythbusters, prepare for the return of the burn with rocket drag races, and the famed Odd Rocket competition. Tune in Sunday, October 30 at 10PM e/p!
Before that, at 8:00 pm, is their Chunk-O-Ween special I believe. I checked the TWC website and it looks to be all happening on cable channel 260 or 1260 in HD. Don't know about sat TV.
Just the kind of programming that'll get you back in the mood to send large objects into the sky... thanks Roy!
dr
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 7:47AM Got this from NAR HQ, as well as some other sources... please read:
Several weeks ago the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) decided that, based on a 2010 change in some obscure shipping safety test procedures, it should terminate a special shipping exemption that it has granted since 1978 to companies and vendors who ship model rocket motors and igniters. This special exemption, DOT-SP 7887, lets these products which are technically classified as "Explosive 1.4S" get shipped in containers labelled with a black and white "Flammable Solid" hazardous material label rather than a bright orange "Explosives" label.
This DOT action will not increase your cost or change your access to the products; the same HAZMAT shipping fee applies in either case and consumers can buy them the same way regardless of how they are labelled in shipping. The issue is one of public perception: we all know that model rocket motors are not going to "blow up" and are not really "explosives" in the way that the public interprets that term. Having them start to show up in schools, hobby stores, and private residences with an alarming orange "Explosives" label on them will simply feed public fears and misperceptions about our safe hobby and these safe products. It will not improve public safety, because shipping them has never posed a risk to that safety.
The largest model rocket motor manufacturers, Estes, Quest, and Aerotech, have filed petitions to get this exemption continued rather than canceled. This will be tough to achieve. To help their case they have asked their vendors to send e-mails of support for continuing the exemption to the Department of Transportation Associate Administrator responsible for making this decision. I think that it is in our hobby's interest for us as NAR members to join the manufacturers in this effort. If you would like to be part of this, please cut and paste the text below the dotted line into an e-mail from you to specialpermits@dot.gov as soon as possible, preferably by the end of this coming weekend.
Be safe, have fun, and pay forward.
Trip Barber
President
National Association of Rocketry
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TO: specialpermits@dot.gov
Subject: DOT-SP 7887 Show Cause Response
Dear Associate Administrator,
The purpose of this e-mail is to request that DOT-SP 7887 exemption to ship model rocket motors and igniters in containers marked as "Flammable Solid" rather than as "Explosive 1.4" be kept in force asit has been since 1978. This Special Permit, previously DOT-E 7887, is important to those ofus who enjoy the hobby of model rocketry.
To my knowledge, there has never been a fire or safety incident involving the shipping of model rocket motors and igniters, whether by public carrier or USPS. Further I believe that shipping these safe and non-explosive consumer products labelled as "Explosives" will create unnecessary fear and difficulty for those handling, transporting, receiving, storing, selling and using them. Model rockets have a superb safety record and wide public acceptance as a safe product based on 54 years of experience. Having them now start to arrive in consumer hands labelled as explosives could put at risk the reputation that our hobby has earned.
After 33 years of use, the termination of the Special Permit is unwarranted and will not contribute to public safety because shipping model rocketsas Flammable Solids has not created any risk to safety.
Please keep the Special Permit in place as written.
- Your Name and Address (city & state)
DOC R.
As posted in the discussion section, the DOT have decided not to change their shipping regulations and keep BP motors as "Flamable Solid", not "Explosives 1.4" as they had proposed. Way to go everyone! Thanks for the write-in campaign!
Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 8:01AM It's not looking good for the October window folks. Kip has corn and soybeans to get in between now and November. There's a better crop than he was hoping for apparently and there's a lot of money riding on getting it in intact. Looks like it's going to be another month before we're back on the field from what we've gotten back from Ralph.
dr
Friday, September 23, 2011 at 7:23AM Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 7:36PM Cafe press is offering 10% off orders of $40.00 or more this weekend. Shop today! ROCC gets the profits!
dr