where to launch?

Kneejerk response: Nevadaoint:

More polite response: Find a local club - NAR or Tripoli

G.D.

Here's a link to a list of Rocket Clubs Near Santa Monica, CA

-- Roger

Unfortunately, launching model rockets in L.A. County (and I believe all or most of California now) requires the permission of the property owner, a field of appropriate size for the engine(s) being used per NAR guidelines, and a permit from the fire marshal. The best way I've found to launch (found through this forum) is at the SCRA launches. https://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz/ or take a drive up to El Mirage Dry Lake, where I understand fire permits are implied.

Launching Model Rockets anywhere within the State of California requires written permission of the property owner PLUS a written permit fro the Fire Authority Having Jurisdiction. Launching without a permit can be punishable by up to $1000 fine and/or 1 year in jail for each violation. Police in the San Fernando Valley have been known to sit and eat a sandwhich while watching someone launch an Alhpa III illegally 3 times and then write them up for a $3000 fine.

And then you cannot create a hazard to aircraft (FAA standard requirement for anything flown or tossed into the air).

Closest public launch site where all the permits have been obtained would be the two days a month that the Southern California Rocket Association launches at the Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale (in Los Angeles County). "It's freeway close" at the 605 and 210 freeways.

Full details of the legal launch dates and times are on the SCRA website.

https://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz/

Be sure to sign up for the SCRA YahooGroup to get updates in case of weather or other problems. Link is on the SCRA website.

For High Power Rockets, your best bet is ROC. They launch in Lucerne Valley (about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Santa Monica) once a month. Link is on the SCRA links page.

LorP said:

Anyone know where it is legal to launch in the Santa Monica, CA area?

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UrbanKnight said:

Unfortunately, launching model rockets in L.A. County (and I believe all or most of California now) requires the permission of the property owner, a field of appropriate size for the engine(s) being used per NAR guidelines, and a permit from the fire marshal. The best way I've found to launch (found through this forum) is at the SCRA launches. https://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz/ or take a drive up to El Mirage Dry Lake, where I understand fire permits are implied.

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At El Mirage you are supposed to go to the Ranger and get permission. I've never launched therer, but I was given that info by a teacher who launches there several times per year.

https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/mirage.html

shreadvector said:

At El Mirage you are supposed to go to the Ranger and get permission. I've never launched therer, but I was given that info by a teacher who launches there several times per year.

https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/mirage.html

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Thanks for clarifying. I haven't had a chance to get out there yet, but was thinking of making the trip in a couple of weeks. If not, I'm going to have a dilemma deciding which new rockets to fly on November 3rd.

Thank you all. The info was super helpful.

My, how times have changed!!! I used to launch at an rc field in the valley back in the 70's--OK-OK Like 40 something years ago---still---it's ashamed we've come to this! Seems it's hard to launch anywhere these days without being in a club or some sort of permit---wonder what it will be like in another 40 years? Just sayin---HD

hornet driver said:

My, how times have changed!!! I used to launch at an rc field in the valley back in the 70's--OK-OK Like 40 something years ago---still---it's ashamed we've come to this! Seems it's hard to launch anywhere these days without being in a club or some sort of permit---wonder what it will be like in another 40 years? Just sayin---HD

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For all we know, the law was there back then too. I didn't know the law existed in the early 90's when i shot off rockets as a teen. That included a launch at my middle school for a science fair project, in the Conejo Valley, where dry brush is almost all you see! I also launched at an RC field in Sylmar, which actually seemed pretty safe given the large area with mostly dirt, and no aircraft directly overhead thanks to the steep mountains nearby.

If you're talking about the Balboa Park field in Lake Balboa/Encino/Van Nuys, that's directly under the approach and take-off of Van Nuys Airport, one of the busiest municipal airports since the 50's. :y:

I really could not tell you where it was but I'm going to contact a bud of mine from back in the day and see if he remembers how to get there--I can tell you- there was little to no air traffic back then over the field and Van Nuys was a busy place back then---I'll dig into it---H

I call myself lucky not having to put up with that BS on the east coast.(New England) I launch at a local elementary school or high school, mostly LPR, with no issues.

hahaha talk about memories. I was born in Santa Monica and raised in Gardena, CA. I had the same exact problems launching rockets back when I was a kid. I would lose them to trees and powerlines or the equally common, poof, they just vanish off the face of earth. That is one of the biggest reasons I lost interest as a kid. I didn't know about clubs back then and didn't know anyone else that built/launched rockets.

Now I find myself in the same boat here in Arkansas, trying to find a place to launch, and not knowing anyone else interested in the hobby. I'm also starting to realize that I need to do some research and see what, if any, laws Arkansas may have in place concerning rocketry. I have heard that at the airport, they allow people to fly there r/c planes on the old runway which is part of the old section of the airport that isn't used anymore. I think I may look into this and see if they will allow me to launch rockets there.

Finally an Arkansan on the forum! Im currently in Malvern so not far at all. I have launched LPR at cedar glades with no problems (streamers only). I have located a couple of huge fields south east of Arkadelphia that will be perfect for HPR. Currently trying to find the owners to get permission.

Yea, once I get some rockets built we will have to get together and launch a few. As to finding the owners of those fields, try talking to the local relators. The county clerk should have the land records, but my guess is a local relator would know exactly whos property it is, and will probably know it off the top of their head.

Up until about 10 years ago you used to be able to launch LPR anytime you wanted at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, a bit of a drive from SM but worth it. Sadly, they tore down the model area (which also included RC aircraft and cars) in favor of yet another golf course. Maybe the Irvine Great Park with have a model area, but it's so close to John Wayne Int'l that rockets are unlikely.

LorP said:

Anyone know where it is legal to launch in the Santa Monica, CA area?

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Great info. New to LA (Burbank / San Fernando area) and looking to launch a rocket my son and I built. Thanks you all!

Last Sunday's launch was postponed to this comoing Sunday (1/19 moved to 1/26/2014) as noted on the main SCRA website.

Last minute updates or breaking news provided on the SCRA YahooGroup and via Twitter (if I remember to tweet).


https://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz/

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SoCalRocketNAR430/info

https://twitter.com/FredShecter

bababoris said:

Great info. New to LA (Burbank / San Fernando area) and looking to launch a rocket my son and I built. Thanks you all!

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slightly off topic...

A few weeks ago I had my brand new Aerotech G-Force and a G80-7T and decided to launch it during lunch break from work. Got a buddy and drove to a nearby field that is HUGE and not being used for anything. Drove onto the field, got out the launch pad, put the igniter in the motor, and was just about to hook up the controller when a pick-up truck approached. They said the field was owned by the racetrack across the street and that we had to leave. They asked what we were doing and we showed them the rocket.

They said, "Well.....how long would it take you to launch it?" I said, "I'm ready." They were going to let us launch before they kicked us off the field, but then I realized that I had not inserted the forward retainer ring deep enough. I had to apologize and leave without launching, but that field is now off limits.

This reason alone is why Califorina is off the list of places to retire to. To used to just going out to fly when I want without having to file an Enviromental Impact Statement in triplicate for every flight...just sayin'...

I live next door to my childhood home.

My father retired in 1960 when he purchased a 10 acre "farm". Farm is a loose term.

Unfortunately, in the 50 years since we moved here a few trees grew on the farm.

So I launch at the grass runway airport down my road.

The airport owner, his boy and sometimes some of the pilots who fly from the airport come out and watch.

Ya gotta love rural Michigan.

Sorry no high power. The whole area is a MOA. No waivers.

The easiest way to launch in California is to move to Arizona.

dave carver said:

This reason alone is why Califorina is off the list of places to retire to. To used to just going out to fly when I want without having to file an Enviromental Impact Statement in triplicate for every flight...just sayin'...

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Perhaps.. but...

vs.

Besides... I live near two rocket clubs SCRA & ROC that I can launch at 3 times a month!

Jerome

JeromeK99 said:

Besides... I live near two rocket clubs SCRA & ROC that I can launch at 3 times a month!

Jerome

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For now.....but I can't imagine California ever deciding to make it EASIER to fly....

sandman said:

...Sorry no high power. The whole area is a MOA. No waivers.

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I have to ask, what is a "MOA"?

Cor

MOA=Military Operations Area

Jets fly over all the time, kinda cool but..they will always say NO to high power.

Don't even bother to ask them.

They have been using it for training flights since the 30's.

The absolute coolest was in the early 60's watching B-58 Hustlers breaking mach 1 and my mother screaming at them.

Currently A-10 warthogs.

JeromeK99 said:

Perhaps.. but...

View attachment 160034 vs.View attachment 160035

Besides... I live near two rocket clubs SCRA & ROC that I can launch at 3 times a month!

Jerome

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Well, it's not really cloudy, really, we're in a tempurature inversion right now, cold and foggy down low and warmer and chrystal clear above the fog. It happens here, we're at the closed end of a valley and everything packs up against the mountians. At least there's no snow down here but, as is the case for the last umpteen years there's not near enough in the mountians for the irrigation needs over the summer. Which means the fire danger this summer will be extremely high again this year

boomtube said:

The easiest way to launch in California is to move to Arizona.

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The best place for launching solid, liquid or hybrid rockets in the country (or static testing motors) is the FAR site in California.
Where else in the world can kids launch their Estes rockets within a few hundred feet of a commercial space rocket test or launch...on the same day?

https://friendsofamateurrocketry.org/

Rick

shreadvector said:

Last Sunday's launch was postponed to this comoing Sunday (1/19 moved to 1/26/2014) as noted on the main SCRA website.

Last minute updates or breaking news provided on the SCRA YahooGroup and via Twitter (if I remember to tweet).


https://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz/

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SoCalRocketNAR430/info

https://twitter.com/FredShecter

Click to expand...

Launch on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the Santa Fe Dam 8 am to noon.

Has the SCRA 2015 schedule been worked out yet? The website still has the 2014 schedule.