Crazy advice from local hobbyshop manager

[BR549]

We fly our low power stuff at a city park (a good 15-20 acre field). At the entrance to the park there is a sign that says no RC airplanes allowed. We figure if they didn't want rockets they would have added that to the sign.

A couple of launches ago a police car pulled up next to our vehicles. He just watched for about 20 minutes then left. I figure we're good to go.

 

[uncle_vanya]

As always, I'll take any advice I can get and I do appreciate the suggestion, but yes - I have already gone this route to locate the nearest clubs. As it stands, ROCC out of Charlotte, NC is the closest and it's still near a 2 hour drive according to Google Maps.

I'm part of the ROCC club. We have several members that drive 2 hours or more to fly with us. We don't bite and we've had our shots. Come play with us. Next launch might be in October - depending on crops - more likely November. Check with website (www.rocketrycarolina.org) for details.

We fly everything from Micro to K - although flights over I power are less frequent due to our field shape and prevailing winds. We cheer the tiny rockets and the big 'uns.

This weekend I'm driving 2+ hours to Orangeburg to get my fix.

 

[Rocketcrab]

Our NAR club flew at a local High School for 17+ years with little or no problem. There was one cranky neighbor, but he complained about everything, not just rockets, so he had little credibility with school officials. We enjoyed an excellant relationship with the school. We had to find another location due to the explosion of youth socer programs, however. It was simply a numbers thing - there were more of them than there was of us. I still fly there on my own with my sons, but the club moved to another school complex about 3 or 4 years ago. We partnered with that school's TARC program, so we're in great shape for now. We even have priority over soccer!!! However, "Demon Development" is on the horizon, so 5 to 7 years from now we'll be gone from there, too. This area [SE PA/Lancaster Co.] is still mainly rural, but it's hard to find open areas to fly.

 

[eugenefl]

We fly our low power stuff at a city park (a good 15-20 acre field). At the entrance to the park there is a sign that says no RC airplanes allowed. We figure if they didn't want rockets they would have added that to the sign.

A couple of launches ago a police car pulled up next to our vehicles. He just watched for about 20 minutes then left. I figure we're good to go.

The county I live in has a rule that specifically states "Metal detectors and motorized hobby equipment are not allowed." That wording would cover rocketry as well. Kites are permitted, however, but just not over walkways or where there are pedestrians. The police around here don't seem to have a whole lot going and are known to make a fuss over anything that can be construed as unlawful.

 

[eugenefl]

I'm part of the ROCC club. We have several members that drive 2 hours or more to fly with us. We don't bite and we've had our shots. Come play with us. Next launch might be in October - depending on crops - more likely November. Check with website (www.rocketrycarolina.org) for details.

We fly everything from Micro to K - although flights over I power are less frequent due to our field shape and prevailing winds. We cheer the tiny rockets and the big 'uns.

This weekend I'm driving 2+ hours to Orangeburg to get my fix.

I'll more than likely get involved in MPR/HPR again sometime in the spring. October and November are out of the question as I have far too many commitments. Any drive less than 2.5 hours seems fair to me for flying large rockets.

I'm also looking forward to the next major Orangeburg event that was recently announced. It'll be a 4-5 hour drive, but I plan on making a weekend of it.