Launching rockets during a drought?

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XJ99

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Just curious if it's ok to launch during a severe drought? It's nice out and I'd love to launch, but would hate it if someone called the cops on me. If it's legal, can you point me to a law that says it's cool? Thanks....
 
I guess it depends. Around here, the various counties issue "burn bans" and we don't launch while one is in effect unless we get a variance from a county judge. Getting the variance means contacting the judge and complying with additional restrictions if he is willing to issue one.

I think you should check with the fire department in the area where you intend to launch. In any case, launching in very dry conditions requires extra care. I would also recommend you have extra fire supression equipment on hand.
 
I know in my area if there is a burn ban due to a drought, there is no launching rockets either. Not worth the risk of starting a fire.
 
We held our ARG launch last year and it had not rain, not a drop, in 140 days.
You need to use good sense and rake back any vegetation and have extinguishers handy.

Mark
 
You have some great info already posted, such as:

I think you should check with the fire department in the area where you intend to launch.

When the Fort Worth/N. Texas area was in the middle of a major drought recently, I asked the Tarrant Fire Marshall office if it was OK to launch model rockets inside city limits (for a build/fly session for a bunch of kids). I was amazed that they said sure, it was OK, go right ahead. (I kept thinking that it would have been nice to get that in writing.) We launched from the grass but we moved to a nice green patch out in the front lawn where the sprinkler system kept the grass alive.

About all I can add is: If you proceed based on a verbal approval from a local official, I suggest that you make careful note of the date, time, etc, of your call, as well as exactly who you spoke with. Note the guy's title, full name, and (as best you can) his exact words.

Those other suggestions are good too. I like to have two different kinds of extinguishers (water and dry chem) on hand, or at least available in my car parked nearby. Take some extra measures to keep the launch exhaust off the ground, such as elevating your launcher (on top of an old card table works well) or covering the grass around the launcher with a couple sheets of cheap plywood or masonite.
 
I know in my area if there is a burn ban due to a drought, there is no launching rockets either. Not worth the risk of starting a fire.



That's my line of thinking. I'll contact the local Fire Dept. just to make sure.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
If they don't allow model rockets, you can always opt for bottle rockets using pressurized water/air. They're not as fun as real model rockets, I suppose, but it's much better than nothing.
 
The burn ban around here only applies to open burning. Of course, we're not in nearly as bad a shape as Georgia. So I just keep an extinguisher with me. The spots I launch are grass, and they're still green. The only thing I've changed is that I haven't flown any oddrocs, saucers, or unproven new concepts since the start of the burn ban. That's the greatest danger I see, having a rocket go unstable and crash or arc over and eject on the ground. So I've just stuck with ones I know will go up.
 
If they don't allow model rockets, you can always opt for bottle rockets using pressurized water/air. They're not as fun as real model rockets, I suppose, but it's much better than nothing.
You should see what some of our German friends have been up to using water and air, then. They have big rockets. They have scale rockets. And one of them has built a remote-controlled, water powered glider.

The only problem I can see is that this thread is titled "Launching rockets during a drought". Fuel may therefore be in short supply. :D

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Hmm what about replacing the water w/ another fluid? Milk, soda (oh yeah that stuff is all expensive)
 
You should see what some of our German friends have been up to using water and air, then. They have big rockets. They have scale rockets. And one of them has built a remote-controlled, water powered glider.

The only problem I can see is that this thread is titled "Launching rockets during a drought". Fuel may therefore be in short supply. :D

You're right, I haven't thought about the required water.
 
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