BALLS 23 September 19-21, 2014

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My first major launch since 2008's Freedom Launch where I got my L1...I am in!
 
I am considering making the 7000mile trek over to attend either balls this year or the following year it has been a dream of mine ever since I started in the hobby of rocketry, however I am not a Tripoli member I am assuming this is not a problem? I am just starting to research the trip but I may have left it too late to get a visa, what are other internationals experiences with getting to black rock, rental car or connecting flight to gerlach? It would be really cool to help out with a rocket project there if anyone was willing, be it preparation or recoveries.

Regards, Chris North

Edit: Joined Tripoli as of today
 
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There are "no connecting flights to Gerlach."
The closest airport is Reno, Nevada --- the drive up to the Playa is about 150 miles.
 
To launch you need to be TRA, CAR, NAR level 2 or higher.
L2 because we have a minimum motor for commercial of K.
I do not know the customs rules coming from NZ but the Aussies have been coming to BALLS, https://ausrocketry.com.au/ and they should have answers.
Getting there-Most fly into San Francisco and rent a car. Reno is a little closer. There is no real airport at Gerlach.
 
There are "no connecting flights to Gerlach."
The closest airport is Reno, Nevada --- the drive up to the Playa is about 150 miles.

Oops, I think I did mean Reno, not entirely familiar with the geography. What is the drive like? can it be done in a couple of hours if one was to stay away from the playa? as I suspect Brunos will already be fully booked out for the weekend
 
Oops, I think I did mean Reno, not entirely familiar with the geography. What is the drive like? can it be done in a couple of hours if one was to stay away from the playa? as I suspect Brunos will already be fully booked out for the weekend

Bruno's is mostly booked, but there might still be a room available. If you can't get into Bruno's, then Fernley is the next closest. About 1.5 hours to Gerlach from there, or 2 hours to the launch site. Not ideal, so try Bruno's.

Jim
 
Wouldn't that put you at a CAR Lv 3 as they have 4 levels?
Lv 1 = H; Lv 2 = I; Lv3 = J&K.

https://www.canadianrocketry.org/cert_level_1-3.php


JD


To launch you need to be TRA, CAR, NAR level 2 or higher.
L2 because we have a minimum motor for commercial of K.
I do not know the customs rules coming from NZ but the Aussies have been coming to BALLS, https://ausrocketry.com.au/ and they should have answers.
Getting there-Most fly into San Francisco and rent a car. Reno is a little closer. There is no real airport at Gerlach.
 
To launch you need to be TRA, CAR, NAR level 2 or higher.
L2 because we have a minimum motor for commercial of K.

Is it OK to come as a level 1 and do your level 2 cert at BALLS?
 
Is it frowned upon by the BALLS participants to show up with EX I and J motors? I'm not making N's (or even K's or L's) yet.

Not frowned upon at all, research motors of any size are welcomed.
The restriction is only for commercial motors. It comes from the first BALLS launches ran by Steve Buck.
 
It says on the web page that if someone is flying an O motor that they have to contact the sponsor.
How do you do that and what documentation is expected, same as 50K+ flights?

-John

If you are sending the info for 50K+ to the Class 3 committee I will get the it from them.
If less than 50K send me..........
Motor info, total, burn time average thrust
Basic description of rocket and recovery.
Estimated altitude.
 
Looking forward to my first trip to BALLS! With any luck at all, I'll have my L3 by then...
 
To launch you need to be TRA, CAR, NAR level 2 or higher.
Just to confirm: to fly commercial one can be NAR and not TRA? The registration form only has a space for TRA number and the website says "Our insurance does NOT permit non Tripoli Members to be present out on Pad Areas and Away Cells".
 
Just to confirm: to fly commercial one can be NAR and not TRA? The registration form only has a space for TRA number and the website says "Our insurance does NOT permit non Tripoli Members to be present out on Pad Areas and Away Cells".

not sure about the launch in total, but away cells present a challenge as the activity probably exceeds that of the nar policy. How do you police that all the people taking part in the research activity are tra members. Not my launch, but it would make compliance to require tra a no brainer imo. (i can see why he would say nar/car allowed because of the international and hope to get people involved from all sides of rocketry... the note is probably because the Research has only been available to reciprocal associations this year. Last year was tra only, as all the years before.)

Hey, do you guys fly rockets a balls?

Life got buisy and rockets are harder and harder to make time for. 3 kids have a tendancy to do that. LOVE it though. I really hope to come out and shake hands and say hi to folks this year. maybe i can scrap up a few chems and bring a small m or n.
 
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Just to confirm: to fly commercial one can be NAR and not TRA? The registration form only has a space for TRA number and the website says "Our insurance does NOT permit non Tripoli Members to be present out on Pad Areas and Away Cells".

I'm sure Mark will weigh in here some day. Mark ?? ....

Anyway, NAR members can fly commercial motors to their certification level at Balls or any other Tripoli research launch. Membership requirements for being at the pads are enforced. Might be a good idea to indicate on the form that it's a NAR number and not Tripoli.

Jim
 
I plan on driving LA>SF>Salem>Gerlach>LA. I may or may not be able to make it that last leg, but if I can swing it I definitely will.
 
The TRA rules force us to let NAR members attend. If you put your NAR number on the registration I just write "nar" on the preregistration lists, not your number.
To be at an awaycell you must be a required member of the launch team and have a awaycell pass listing team members.
The "No NAR" is an artifact from previous years rules.
 
As you start gearing up for Balls 23....you can read about and view the videos from Balls 22.....in the most recent issue of ROCKETS Magazine....If you are a FREE Subscriber, check your e-mail and if not, go to rocketsmagazine.com to down load your free copy.


Ride along with ROCKETS Magazine as we deliver detailed insight to the fabled Balls 22 launch in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Months and in some cases years of planning go into the annual Balls launch held on the Black Rock Desert. Balls 22 was no exception, as teams from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, England, and Norway met with the lower Forty-eight’s best fliers at the designated GPS coordinates to take part in this rocketry rite of passage. Three days of launching the highest-flying, fastest-moving amateur rockets typically brings out the best of the best.

In addition to the Balls 22 launch report, this issue presents a detailed view into two of the high profile projects that flew at the event. Jim Jarvis and his 120,000' flight with Too Carb Yen and Dave Schafer’s Bell X-2 Starbuster rocket-powered glider. Read about Bob Yanecek's A Through M Impulse adventure. Take an inside look at Todd Vest's 7X's Upscale X-Ray Rocket and a finally enjoy a trip across to pond with the AGM Launch in Germany by Frank DeBrouwer.

We will see you at LDRS and out at Balls........

Neil
:flyingpig:
 
To be at an awaycell you must be a required member of the launch team and have a awaycell pass listing team members.

Is the away cell pass something new this year? I don't recall this from 2013 or previous years.
 
Is the away cell pass something new this year? I don't recall this from 2013 or previous years.

We started doing it last year with LDRS, We had been having way too many people past the line.
If you have a project I give a pass for a reasonable number of people.
No pass and the pad manager runs you off.

Mark
 
What are the details on the Tripoli internal over 50k app? My understanding is that you have to fill something out if you're flying a Class 2 rocket over 50k for Tripoli purposes only. Is it just submitting the Class 3 paperwork to Tripoli instead of the FAA, or what?

Thanks
 
What are the details on the Tripoli internal over 50k app? My understanding is that you have to fill something out if you're flying a Class 2 rocket over 50k for Tripoli purposes only. Is it just submitting the Class 3 paperwork to Tripoli instead of the FAA, or what?

Thanks
Yes, any rocket over 50k needs to go through the class 3 committee.
See the TRA website, look under launches, for the details
It is not bad

Mark
 
I plan on driving LA>SF>Salem>Gerlach>LA. I may or may not be able to make it that last leg, but if I can swing it I definitely will.

That Salem leg sounds out of the way. That's my starting point. Roughly 9 hours from there to the playa.
 
I am SO there this year. Would love to do both XPRS and BALLS, but I don't think I can swing it...

Pondering what to fly - though I have a project in the works with one of the Max Q Aerospace fin cans.
 
It's been a couple of years-could someone refresh me on how far out launch provided pads go and what rail length they go up to? I wanna say 500' with 8' rails, but figured I'd check before investing in building a pad.

Thanks
 
It's been a couple of years-could someone refresh me on how far out launch provided pads go and what rail length they go up to? I wanna say 500' with 8' rails, but figured I'd check before investing in building a pad.

Thanks

At BALLS the closest pads are at 500 feet.
We have 8 foot 1010 & 1515 rails. If your rocket is heavy I recommend bringing your own pad.

M
 
Mark -

I am planning on attending this years event provided I don't get flooded out again (lol). As I was marooned last year and never showed I was wondering if I could carry forward last years registration payment to this years registration payment?

Let me know,

Jim Amos

(p.s. your PM inbox is full)
 
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