High Power Rocketry in decline, on the rise, or in limbo?

AHansom said:

NAR's a little different than Tripoli in that its more spelled out that you can't start building your level 3 rocket until its been approved and you cant submit your level three plans until your level 2 certified.

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Ooops, that's an NAR stupid rule then. If an L3CC can't look at a candidates collection of part or if they are using a known kit that has been flown by others for L3,
I'd question the ability to judge competence. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

As I've mentioned before, I know a fellow in TRA where his TAPS made him cart the unfinished rocket back and forth in various stages of completion SIX times!!
That of course is entirely stupid too.

Taking pictures of the construction or a simple video of the candidate doing an important construction task plus if the head of a club or prefect can vouch for the candidates integrity should be sufficient. If a guy/gal is in an area where no one does HPR and they have to drive a distance to fly, I hardly think they'd be able to "fake" or buy a completed L3 project. Kurt

TheSamurai said:

I have been going back and forth on this since I started the thread. Part of me thinks that it isn't a big deal to re-cert. and it really won't take much time to do it. The other part of me says that there isn't a difference really between someone who certs. and never flies again at the level but continues to pay and the guy who lapses for more than a year but gets back into it. Should he really have to do L1 again if he just wants to go right into L2?

You could say, "Just launch your L1 again" but what if he doesn't have it? That's a whole other rocket he has to build.

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Many L2 rockets can get off the ground to an acceptable height on large I motors. Just tear off the payload and single deploy it. The thing to look at is, how many people out there are going multiple years paying dues and not flying? And of those how many are not flying, but still involved in the hobby or watching it? Is it a perfect system? No. But we can't look at it as if there are equal numbers of people sitting out for years paying and not paying, involved or not involved. I'd rather see ten very qualified guys have to recert for no reason, than have one guy who forgot how to build a motor slip through.

AHansom said:

Level 1 and 2 would be fairly easy to do in a day or weekend, You are allowed to use any rocket youve already built thats able to do the flight. Level 3 is what would be more time and money to redo. But its a good excuse to build another rocket

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As mentioned, in TRA, whom everyone is debating needs to add lifetime memberships, a built rocket can be flown as an L3. So the NAR rule of needing to have the entire build monitored is moot. You could "easily" pop off three flights in two rockets in a day and be back to L3. I really just don't see this as some huge restrictive thing driving poor folks out of rocketry.

The cost of recerting in TRA is minor (mostly flying you'd be doing anyways).
The hassle of recerting in TRA is minimal.
I don't see a real argument for lifetime certs, other than it would reduce paperwork at HQ.

Interesting thread. I started rocketry in the early 90's. I miss the "feel" of rocketry from that era. No internet. If you had a problem, you came up with solutions yourself or you waited to talk to people at the launch.

Am I the only asking WHY we should be trying to recruit more people into the hobby? I like short launch lines. It's a niche hobby and it always will be.

DeeRoc29 said:

Interesting thread. I started rocketry in the early 90's. I miss the "feel" of rocketry from that era. No internet. If you had a problem, you came up with solutions yourself or you waited to talk to people at the launch.

Am I the only asking WHY we should be trying to recruit more people into the hobby? I like short launch lines. It's a niche hobby and it always will be.

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More people = more ideas. And with the dropout rate, you need to be bringing in more people all the time or you'll be out there alone. More flyers supports more vendors, which in the long run means cheaper stuff for me. The more people involved, the better the experience for everyone, if it's done right.

If the lines get long.....put out more pads.

I prefer to see the hobby grow. Long lines means a continuing hobby.

I like to be a part of selfless service and not self service.

Fewer flyers means fewer buyers for motors, rockets and other things, which in turn means, fewer vendors, fewer manufacturers, and fewer choices for the rest of us.

One of the few times when more really is better.

I think that if/when the economy improves and more people find full time work, we will find more rocketeers at launches.

First rule of prudent financial behavior: When you find yourself out of money, STOP SPENDING.

Peartree said:

Fewer flyers means fewer buyers for motors, rockets and other things, which in turn means, fewer vendors, fewer manufacturers, and fewer choices for the rest of us.

One of the few times when more really is better.

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That is absolutely true.

TheSamurai said:

I have been there several times as well. I love space and I love rocketry. The cost sometimes gets to me a little. Then I remember that I don't really fly that many times during a year and so the cost really evens out. I have a few R/C helis and I like to fly them but I don't all that often. The kids enjoy them more than I do. I suppose if I had a big Collective Pitch one it would be more fun and challenging but they are expensive for a nice one and if you crash, oh goodness.

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I was always told by mentors; "if you can't afford to lose it, then don't fly it..." Wise words, as the day came in 2009 when I did indeed find out what I could afford to lose... since then I have tried several times to climb back on, trying to get back all that I had lost. I have come close, but one thing leads to another, and I back down... one time it was medical related, but mostly I just can't find that "fun factor" I tried RC as well, and besides the fact that I sucked at flying, I had fun as long as my Combat Wing held up and my batteries stayed charged... Flying sail planes was the bomb for me... relaxing and quiet, and those projects can get huge!

DeeRoc29 said:

Interesting thread. I started rocketry in the early 90's. I miss the "feel" of rocketry from that era. No internet. If you had a problem, you came up with solutions yourself or you waited to talk to people at the launch.

Am I the only asking WHY we should be trying to recruit more people into the hobby? I like short launch lines. It's a niche hobby and it always will be.

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Short lines at the launches are nice but it is a double edged sword. Long lines means you are waiting longer to launch but it means the hobby is growing and that is good for business.

Short lines means you are launching more often perhaps but it also means that the rocket business is probably struggling.