Launch Scheduling

[mrwalsh85]

Hi Folks,

In recent years, I've been the cheerleader trying to promote and pull together our high power launches.

This year, I am now the prefect and have made our launch schedule for the fall. After making and sharing the launch schedule, it came to light that in the past, I have been skittish about November launches.

You see, in our area, November is open season for various ages and weapon types. It just so happens that I scheduled our high power launch for November on the second weekend of "THE big season", the one that everyone takes PTO for and goes all out. I'm sure our region is not the exception but a part of the standard.

I'm not a hunter, not a country guy, etc. etc., but this has me thinking twice about November launches. I scheduled the launch on that date because it was the only weekend that I was available in November. I'm second guessing our November launch date and considering cancellation because we have lots of blinds in adjacent fields. I've been in a situation where I was recovering a rocket as a child (20 something years ago) with my dad and we were very aggressively told to scram and forget about the rocket by a group of hunters.

What does your club do for November launches? I'm inclined to call it off and err on the side of safety for all members and guests involved.

 

[TheTank]

It's a tough call. Depending on the type of hunting, safety can be a concern. On top of that, if rockets are landing on adjacent fields that hunters have permission to be on and you disrupt their hunt during recovery, you could cause the landowners some headaches (especially if they are hunting leases) that could have negative impacts with your land-owner. One of clubs shuts down once rifle season starts. As am avid hunter myself, I don't disagree with it as I wouldnt want to be out on a wide open, flat area surrounded by woods where a round might not get stopped if a shot is missed.

 

[Buckeye]

I guess it depends how close your rocket range is to the actively hunted fields and the likelihood of rockets drifting in that direction. Nonetheless, it is probably a good idea to avoid THE BIG WEEKEND no matter what. Also, I wear Hunter Orange during any launch in the autumn.

I was at an Indiana Rocketry event several years ago in Lafayette. It was opening day of deer season. My rocket landed 2 miles away. I asked the landowner for permission to retrieve it, and he advised me to wait until the vehicles of the hunters in the nearby woodlot cleared out. I heeded the warning.

 

[Handeman]

I haven't hunted in 40 years and this hasn't been an issue where we launch at BattlePark in Virginia, but growing up in Wisconsin with the deer gun season from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after, I believe it was law that anyone in the woods at that time had to have red or orange on 50% of their jacket and hat, it they were hunting or not. I'm not sure what the law is now but I would guess it might have gotten stricter. You might want to check the laws in your area.

Another option you might want to consider is to lower your max allowed altitude to make sure everything lands on the field during that time. Also requiring blaze orange vests might not be a bad idea either. I'm not sure where we got them, but our club has an assortment of florescent yellow and orange vests labeled LCO and RCO. If you have any of those, you might want to loan those out for anyone out doing recovery that doesn't have their own.