Club / Association Memberships.. Why?

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lakeroadster

When in doubt... build hell-for-stout!
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I'm struggling to understand the benefits of joining a rocketry club and /or assocation?

Sure they made sense pre-internet, but in today's information age and being a scratch building LPR older retired fart such as myself, what's the benefit?

There's a local spot here where I can launch, and I've got all my own launch gear.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.
 
Joining a club or even going as guest and paying launch fee helps pay for equipment maintenance. At one club I belong to, we even give the land owner a piece of the pie at end of year.
Joining NAR or Tripoli gives you the benefit of insurance in the event of accident at a sanctioned club.
 
One good answer in today's Litigious society is Insurance. NAR insures you as long as you are launching within the NAR rules (size of field, proper distance from the launcher, etc).
Another reason is comrodary. I enjoy going to the launches that I can make and talking with other people face to face. Mind you I only get to meet with them about once or twice a year, but that is me....
 
I'm a member of both NAR & TRA; and of Tulsa Rocketry as well as Kloudbusters ( which is only a few hours away ).

People who paid dues before me funded the carveouts that keep the FDA, CPSC, FCC, FAA, BATFE, etc. mostly off my hobby.

The membership fees at my two locals go toward upkeep, etc. I need those two spaces to fly HPR, as well as the big meets to talk rocket junk.

Your reasons may vary, but these are mine.
 
For myself, flying with my friends is much more fun than flying alone.
 
Other than the people (who are probably the most friendly folks you'll meet), there's all the rockets. If I'm thinking of buying a kit, and I'm on the fence about it, more often than not one of the other members will have one. Another bonus is that you get to see people launch "the big stuff" so you know what to look forward to.
 
Also, while finding your own field might work for low power rockets, flying high power rockets requires a waiver from the FAA. When flying with a club, someone has already taken care of that important detail for you.
 
I'm a member of the NAR, and two local(ish) clubs. Besides being able to launch HPR, it is much more fun with other people. I have made several friends in the two clubs.
 
People who paid dues before me funded the carveouts that keep the FDA, CPSC, FCC, FAA, BATFE, etc. mostly off my hobby.

Yeah, this is a big one for me too.

Also, our club holds monthly low power launches, which draw a lot of families. Its a lot of fun helping new and returning fliers get rockets in the air.

I'm struggling to understand the benefits of joining a rocketry club and /or assocation?

Sure they made sense pre-internet, but in today's information age and being a scratch building LPR older retired fart such as myself, what's the benefit?

There's a local spot here where I can launch, and I've got all my own launch gear.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.

Its interesting the way you frame the question. I am wondering what access to the internet has to do with your decision?

Going to public launches is fun. Its social -- after a fashion. You might not have any immediate ambitions to launch big mid-power or high power rockets, but its pretty entertaining to be on the flight line when the big rockets are going up. If you haven't been, and you live close enough, you ought to consider attending a big launch.
 
I'm struggling to understand the benefits of joining a rocketry club and /or assocation?

Sure they made sense pre-internet, but in today's information age and being a scratch building LPR older retired fart such as myself, what's the benefit?

There's a local spot here where I can launch, and I've got all my own launch gear.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.

National organization = liability insurance and protection of the hobby

Club = a good flying field where waivers and such are taken care of

Otherwise, I tend to agree with you. I cringe when I see the cliched response to a newbie on the forum:

Newbie: "Hi, I am new here. I would like to launch rockets with my 8 year old kid."

TRF guy: "Welcome to the forum! First off, join your local club."

Aargh! Why is joining a club so important? Club launches are full of old men, require a long drive to get there, have time-consuming launch queues, and then some stranger behind the LCO table launches your rocket. Is that fun for an 8 year old?

How about starting out on your own? Build a launch system and press the button yourself. Fly from the local schoolyard, park, or backyard (Hell, back in the day, we launched from the middle of my suburban street). Collect the neighborhood kids to join you. Quickly learn the performance difference between A, B, and C motors. Learn to play the wind to avoid landing in the woods or in the cranky old lady's yard. Chase the rocket and catch it (small Estes rocket, of course). Life's simple pleasures......

I am not much of a joiner, so the second approach appeals to me. As for information, I have learned more on this forum than anywhere else. By a long shot.
 
Might be influenced by where you live.

Move to California, and you learn the advantages of joining a club the first time you try to get authorization from the local AHJ to fly a Mosquito on a 1/4A.

Fly one without that authorization and there's a possibility you'll be learning about how the court system works. (I don't make the rules, but I do have occasion to read them.)

I'm a member because it allows me to mentor and participate in programs like TARC, SLI, and ARLISS. I don't "sport fly" any more. At all. Every flight I do now is a STEM related flight. It's nice to have someone else pay for the AP. Especially when you're burning 98mm M's in a 6" ARLISS.
 
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You cannot legally fly L2 or L3 without Tripoli or NAR, unless you are military doing govt research or part of a university team. That's the law.
 
For on e I completely agree with Buckeye. Great post. It seems that more often than not, the simple route is the most joyous.
 
Thanks guys... :clap:

The insurance side seems full of so much legaleeze it almost incomprehensible..

[FONT=&quot]Insurance[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Most property owners, whether government bodies or private owners, will demand the protection of liability insurance as a precondition to granting permission to fly sport rockets on their property. The NAR offers such insurance to individual fliers, to chartered NAR sections, and to flying site owners. Individual insurance is automatic for all NAR members. It covers only the insured individual, not the section or the site owner. Under the current underwriter this insurance runs for a 12 month period, coincident with NAR membership.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sections are insured as a group for a year; remember that section insurance is coincident with the section charter and expires on April 4 each year. Site owner insurance is available to all active sections for free. Each site owner insurance certificate covers only a single site (launch field or meeting room).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]NAR insurance covers only activities that are conducted in accordance with the NAR safety code using NAR-certified motors. It provides $5 -million aggregate liability coverage for damages from bodily injury or property damage claims resulting from sport rocket activities such as launches, meetings, or classes and $1 million coverage for fire damage to the launch site. It is “primary” above any other insurance you may have.[/FONT]
 
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Thanks guys... :clap:

The insurance side seems full of so much legaleeze it almost incomprehensible..

[FONT=&amp]Insurance[/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]Most property owners, whether government bodies or private owners, will demand the protection of liability insurance as a precondition to granting permission to fly sport rockets on their property. The NAR offers such insurance to individual fliers, to chartered NAR sections, and to flying site owners. Individual insurance is automatic for all NAR members. It covers only the insured individual, not the section or the site owner. Under the current underwriter this insurance runs for a 12 month period, coincident with NAR membership.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Sections are insured as a group for a year; remember that section insurance is coincident with the section charter and expires on April 4 each year. Site owner insurance is available to all active sections for free. Each site owner insurance certificate covers only a single site (launch field or meeting room).[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]NAR insurance covers only activities that are conducted in accordance with the NAR safety code using NAR-certified motors. It provides $5 -million aggregate liability coverage for damages from bodily injury or property damage claims resulting from sport rocket activities such as launches, meetings, or classes and $1 million coverage for fire damage to the launch site. It is “primary” above any other insurance you may have.[/FONT]

That's actually a plain-language explanation of how the NAR insurance works <smile>. There is an Insurance FAQ on the NAR site, but you need to log in to get to it. I am not sure that it is any more succinct or comprehensible.

The shorter summary is that NAR membership comes with an insurance policy to help pay for personal injury or property damage claims if your rocket hurts someone or damages property.

National organization = liability insurance and protection of the hobby

Club = a good flying field where waivers and such are taken care of

Otherwise, I tend to agree with you. I cringe when I see the cliched response to a newbie on the forum:

Newbie: "Hi, I am new here. I would like to launch rockets with my 8 year old kid."

TRF guy: "Welcome to the forum! First off, join your local club."

Aargh! Why is joining a club so important? Club launches are full of old men, require a long drive to get there, have time-consuming launch queues, and then some stranger behind the LCO table launches your rocket. Is that fun for an 8 year old?

I've always understood the advice new fliers on this forum get to "join a club" or "contact a club" to mean that a local club will be the best source for information about local ordinances and restrictions, and advice on where and when to fly -- whether or not you are launching on you own.

As for the complaint that an 8 year old probably wants to punch the go button for herself, sure. Not really relevant to the OP's question but, coincidentally, at my first high power launch -- about two years ago -- my 8 year old asked to push the button and the LCO said "Absolutely, step up here and push when I say "1". So, that is a thing that can happen.
 
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I have a related question: Why join both the NAR and Tripoli? I see some folks are members of both national org's but I'm not sure I understand why (I'm just a NAR member).

Tom
NAR #105423
 
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To lakeroadster , since you've been here for a while you've got a good grasp of a lot of angles. I'll just add my two cents as to why it's worth sixty or seventy bucks a year as an LPR flyer.

1. I've got the insurance certificate. I fly by NAR rules when I solo launch at the field, and if I'm ever questioned by the powers that be I can produce it on the spot. The insurance isn't permission from the park management (which I don't actually have, explicitly), but it does demonstrate care and diligence and thought about preservation of safety and property. So having it lowers my social anxiety about being on a field and having cops show up.

2. I like thumbing through the paper Sport Rocketry magazine. Yes, paper. I've joined the Kindle generation but magazines I prefer old school.

3. I appreciate that NAR is an advocacy organization and has helped keep our ability to fly with minimal regulatory oversight; contributing a tiny amount per year isn't a problem for me and makes me feel good that I'm contributing.

4. Moral high ground. Sometimes I've seen people flying against the rules (launch angle, distance to pad for spectators, etc.) and being able to mention that I'm up to speed on the rules as a NAR member gives me a bit of confidence bringing up things like this. NAR rules aren't laws and can't be enforced on people who aren't NAR members, but in a polite and positive conversation, I can weave in how I'm a NAR member and keep up on best practices, which usually leads to discussion of the SPort rocketry magazine as a benefit, and has probably resulted in some new NAR members.

5. I like that I'm contributing to an organization dedicated to getting the next generation of rocketeers flying.

This is a great thread. Thanks for starting it.
 
It's kind of funny that I came across this thread as I sit in my garage enjoying a hot cup of coffee. My membership with NAR expires this month and I was just about to let it go, because I haven't been to a launch in 2 years, but after reading all the positive things that being a member offers I will renew as soon as I finish my post. Also with NAR you get a cool Sport Rocketry magazine that is always good to read. Some of the articles are helpful and they also have discount coupons or is that the yearly NAR Member Guidebook? Either way I agree with what everyone posted above.

Thank you my friends aka fellow rocketeers!

AB aka Captain Cool :)
 
I did not like the idea of having to join a club at first but had to because that is about the only way to legaly launch around here. Now I would not have it any other way. Some advantages.

1. High power rocketry. Not for everyone, but most people like it after seeing it.

2. Club equipment. For a small fee you don't have to have your own equipment, to buy, store and haul around.

3. Other people to talk to and rockets to look at. This seems to be the main activity of some people.

4. On site rocket vendors. See what is available, pick up some stuff, get some advice.

5. Volunteer opportunities. Be the announcer, safety person, photographer, or whatever (with the proper certification).
 
You cannot legally fly L2 or L3 without Tripoli or NAR, unless you are military doing govt research or part of a university team. That's the law.

An individual can procure a waiver without being part of a club, or at least that is what I have been told (I haven't done so myself).
 
I have a related question: Why join both the NAR and Tripoli? I see some folks are members of both national org's but I'm not sure I understand why (I'm just a NAR member).

Tom
NAR #105423
NAR = road to FAI Internats
TRA = road to BALLS

I'm a huge fan of everything from 10mm scale whatever right up to the edge of space.
 
The NAR's annual meet, NARCON-60, is in Pueblo, CO in early August. Since you are in Central Colorado, why not come out and see what it is all about. Lots of sports flying before the contest. Also vendors and the sponsoring club SCORE.


NAR.org


My first national contest was NARAM-11 in Colorado Springs in 1969.

Chas
 
6. And you get to see lots of flights, could be over a hundred per day. And have your flights anounced to everyone.

NFPA 1127 has been adopted as law in almost every state. And it requires certification for high power rocketry (except for exemptions like the military).

https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/section-guidebook/laws-regulations/

Oregon is, apparently, one of the few states that has not adopted. It was Mike Fisher who told me how they used to get their own waivers and launch independently on a regular basis.

California is another, which explains how Friends of Amateur Rocketry does what it does.
 
I gotta play the selfish angle here. After helping so many scouts launch their Estes Gnomes on 1/4A motors (at our club they push their own button) having someone like you show up with your scratch X-wing (ANYthing other than a gnome, or a 3 FNC) brings some excitement to the launch. We love seeing rockets like yours fly and we appreciate people bring them out to show off.

Also I lack patience to build anything out of the ordinary so I love watching people launch something special. A scale Saturn, upscale Mars Lander, odd roc pyramid, or rocket glider either uncontrolled or RC that fly well get my interest.

In addition to the many reasons listed above, that's why I do the club thing.
 
Join or don't join, the choice is yours. I was very reluctant to join my local club just like you lakeroadster. However, once I joined I starting launching more, participating in club outreach events at some really cool places, helped hundreds of kids build and launch their first rocket, got into high power, met a bunch of really nice guys, etc.

The dues for my local club are $10 a year for NAR members and $20 for people not in NAR. This covers everything; we don't have launch fees. Pretty darn cheap compared to the rockets and motors I use every year.

At least check out a local club if you can.
 
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