How many level 3's

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Nathan

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Is there any way to know how many level 3 flyers there are? That is, how many NAR and Tripoli members have level 3 certifications? Just curious but I don't see that info on either website.
 
There are *only* 1062 Tripoli level 3 members ? I can accept 1062 current paid members, but overall ?

I see your question. I believe the bulk certification list only includes members who are current on their dues. My understanding is that this list was created in order to check certification levels of current members, either for launch purposes or for motor purchases.


Steve Shannon
 
Then, even if you could get the NAR number (and a phone call might do it), you wouldn't know how many of them overlap. And with NAR, you keep your cert for life, even if you let your membership lapse. So more ambiguity.
 
I see your question. I believe the bulk certification list only includes members who are current on their dues. My understanding is that this list was created in order to check certification levels of current members, either for launch purposes or for motor purchases.


Steve Shannon

I would think this was the purpose also. My understanding is this is the "current " number of members of TRA that are certified at these levels. Even though you have certified in the past once your membership expires you are no longer certified. You have a grace period of one year for TRA before you have to retest to regain your cert level but you are not a certified "member" if your membership has expired. That's why we ask to see your membership card at launches before you fly. NAR does not require you to recertify but before you are a recognized certified member you do have to rejoin.

I think the numbers displayed earlier are an accurate representation of certified TRA flyers as requested by the original poster. I think it takes a little more effort to get this info from the NAR site but I think it is there also. You just have to go through the individual member numbers and count the ones, twos, and threes.

Certainly the total number of L3 certifications over the years would be much higher than this but, once again, if you are no longer a member you are no longer certified. In the early certification years there was just one certification level. Fly an H and the sky was the limit!!

Also the overlap from those of us who belong to both organizations would make it difficult to come up with an accurate number of current members of any level.
 
M means Tripoli Mentor Program; they've passed the test. I don't know about G. I'll find out.
Those numbers should be pretty current.


Steve Shannon

Okay, the G dates back to the days when Tripoli offered a G certification. Someone did that and never felt the need to become HPR certified. Still supporting Tripoli though and I greatly appreciate it.
 
Wow, numbers lower than I expected. So taking into consideration the people who are current members of both NAR and Tripoli, the total number of people with L3 certifcations is probably less than 1500.
 
Wow, numbers lower than I expected. So taking into consideration the people who are current members of both NAR and Tripoli, the total number of people with L3 certifcations is probably less than 1500.

I'm sure it's lower, I'm a crossover L3 in both and I know several others. Much smaller than I thought as well
 
I believe I only personally know one NAR L3 who is not also a member of Tripoli, but that is not a really big sample size. I'm willing to bet you are in the 1200 or less of total current L3s...hopefully I can add one more to the count in about 3 weeks.
 
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The low number of L3 doesn't seem too out of the blue to me. L3 is expensive and time consuming. You must admit, you've got to devote a lot of time and capital into the hobby to get that far, and probably have the wherewithal to continue launching L3 motors and justify that certification.

The portion of the population into rocketry is small. And the fraction that's able to attain L3 (financially, schedule-wise, etc...) is even smaller.
 
Sharon and I are both "crossover" L3's, members of both NAR and Tripoli. I'm not surprised with the low number, not many people are crazy enough to burn hundreds of dollars of propellant in a few seconds, just to see what happens to a fiberglass/cardboard tube. :confused2:

Sure is fun though....

My next question would be how many female L3's are there?
IMG_6111.jpg


Then there is the next level of crazy:
IMG_6254.jpg
 
I personally know MDRA has at least three women who are L3 (Kathy G., Gloria R., Marybeth C.).
 
I personally know MDRA has at least three women who are L3 (Kathy G., Gloria R., Marybeth C.).

I'm thinking Kloudbusters has a couple also, but in our male dominated hobby, it's a pretty small percentage.
In our local club, Sharon is the only one who actually flies L3 motors on a regular basis.
I'm trying to remember who the gal was that tried to launch a "P" motor at Airfest two or three years ago. Motor lit and burned the rocket to the ground. I think she built it with her son, but I can't remember their names.
 
I'm trying to remember who the gal was that tried to launch a "P" motor at Airfest two or three years ago. Motor lit and burned the rocket to the ground. I think she built it with her son, but I can't remember their names.

Might be Judy Lubin?

My wife is also going for her L3. Rocket is half built..
 
There's also only 1500 L2's. Probably less cross-over at that level, but I don't think it's all cost. an L2 can be done for a couple hundred bucks.

I think the general public just doesn't know we exist, and we're a tiny tiny group.
 
One of our hobbies biggest problems is long distance travel to find flying field for most.
Our club...most of us travel 3-6 hrs to reach our field.
Really not worth it,unless you can fly a 2-day weekend, which we do.
Then you add in hotel, food & gas. Easily costs 100-150.00 just to fly a single rocket, before you add motors.
 
Yeah, the majority of US humans live in or near cities which have airports and their associated routes.

A 1500x1500 field in a city isn't trivial to come by, and has substantial cash value.
 
Lately at my launches, I have only been flying one rocket, and spending the rest of the time talking to/helping othes. Forking over the flight fee, trivial as it is, still kind of stinks. But I know it helps the club.
 
My perspective is really skewed, you guys on the right coast are so different! We have two HPR launches within 1.5 hours of Goodyear, one has a 10,000 ft. waiver with call-ins to 15k and the other has a standing 50,000 ft. waiver all weekend.
When that waiver opens on Saturday morning, I'm pushing the button on a HPR flight. That's after flying five or ten LPR rockets on Friday. The most valuable time in my schedule is when that waiver is open, so I can fly rockets. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't help out other club members, most of them are Tripoli L3 research fliers, with a lot more experience than myself. The college kids come out in packs, and have their own agendas, so no helping them, unless they need a shovel....
We are cutting back for the Airfest launch though, maybe only four or five rockets a day. Experience has taught us that it's harder to fly multiple flights at big launches, especially when most of them are going over 10,000 ft.
 
My perspective is really skewed, you guys on the right coast are so different! We have two HPR launches within 1.5 hours of Goodyear, one has a 10,000 ft. waiver with call-ins to 15k and the other has a standing 50,000 ft. waiver all weekend.
When that waiver opens on Saturday morning, I'm pushing the button on a HPR flight. That's after flying five or ten LPR rockets on Friday. The most valuable time in my schedule is when that waiver is open, so I can fly rockets. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't help out other club members, most of them are Tripoli L3 research fliers, with a lot more experience than myself. The college kids come out in packs, and have their own agendas, so no helping them, unless they need a shovel....
We are cutting back for the Airfest launch though, maybe only four or five rockets a day. Experience has taught us that it's harder to fly multiple flights at big launches, especially when most of them are going over 10,000 ft.

It's not that I couldn't fly more rockets at a launch. I used to launch about five. But I've learned that I'd rather pay for a big motor two or three times a year, and fly less smaller motors. Just my preference. I don't really get into LPR, but my kids do.
 
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