Moving Back to California/SFO area

So we've decided to pull up stakes and head back to my native state of California; Pleasanton to be exact. Not sure of the timeline, as we will both be finding new employment.

Can those currently living there, give me an idea of what I would need to do to continue in rocketry? What items will I need to legally launch there?




P.S. I know things have changed considerably since I grew up there in the '60s and '70s. We used to have about 25lbs of BP (3 & 4F in the house, at any given point and time, for muzzleloading). I also under there's not as many demonstrations and student protests as there used to be at U.C. Berkley.

Pleasanton is pretty well located as far as rocketry goes.

First and foremost, you'll just be a hop/skip/jump from the LUNAR (the Livermore Unit of the NAR). Fall/winter/spring launches on Snow Ranch (about 30 miles east of Stockton) ranging from LPR up to HPR. Summer launches at Moffett field near Sunnyvale.

Secondly, you'll be able to attend Tripoli Central California (TCC) launches in/around Helm (about 30 miles west of Fresno). They hold monthly launches almost year round and the two biggies are Dairy Aire in May and October Skies in October (of course).

Thirdly, you'll be about 30 minutes from Stockton which is the home of Jack Garibaldi's What's Up Hobbies. You can save shipping charges by picking up your goodies directly from Jack. Be sure to call ahead.

There's still a lot of confusion about the Cal Pyro III license to legally launch composite motors but I've seen no changes in how launches are run. Then again, I'm not involved in the process. I just pay my launch fees and have fun. My opinion is that the State laws were written to cover the commercial fireworks industry and hobby rocketeers were just lumped in as a matter of convenience or as an afterthought. The Cal Pyro III license costs $87 and is good for the three years. There is a short L2 like exam that is given only in Sacramento or Los Angeles. The big deal is that you must present letters of recommendation from five CalPyro III license holders who have had their licenses for at least one year. As more rocketeers obtain these licenses that should be less of a problem. Oddly enough, California law doesn't really care if you have a NAR or Tripoli cert to launch high power rockets. What we call garden variety HPR, California law calls "Extreme High Power Rocketry.

Park flying is another matter. I don't do it. In theory, you're required to have written permission from the property owner and the local fire marshal is supposed to approve your launch. How this works in the real world, I don't know. I see kids with Estes starter kits at the park often enough that I think they will be okay. Not so sure that an adult would get the same no-issue treatment. A local private citizen with a small airport allows 4H groups and others to launch LP and MP rockets on his property in addition to a couple of RC flying clubs. Although I have launched there with various groups, I have never met the property owner in person so I have no knowledge of his arrangements. Group members just shrugged when I asked about it. I guess that in that county, rocketry isn't a big issue for the local authorities.

Depending on when you make the move back to Cali, plan to attend the next big LUNAR launch in either October or November at Snow Ranch. There are a fair number of TRF members there and I'll stop by and say hello.

Thanks for the preliminary info.

Having grown-up there I still remember when Dublin/Pleasanton was nothing but fields, and many-many other changes in the Bay Area - before the development boom in the '80s. So I'm familiar with all of the locations. Was even one of the active duty Air Force that lived at Moffett NAS, while stationed at Sunnyvale AFS (Onizuka AFB) two miles away.

So, besides landowners permission, is there anything else an individual is required to have to launch BP motors?

AKPilot said:

So we've decided to pull up stakes and head back to my native state of California; Pleasanton to be exact. Not sure of the timeline, as we will both be finding new employment.

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Troy,

Things bad in St. Louis at the Boeing plant? I know when I was with Boeing we went through a rough consoldation where a lot of us former 1st level managers were systematically demoted. I at least got to pick my demotion job, which I love! Just hope the government madness doesn't squeeze us even more.

I apologize, but I shouldn't comment on my employer.

1. Written permission from the property owner.
2. Permit from the fire authority having jurisdiction
3. Motors that bear the seal of the State Fire Marshal

#2 is by far the hardest one to obtain.

RimfireJim said:

1. Written permission from the property owner.
2. Permit from the fire authority having jurisdiction
3. Motors that bear the seal of the State Fire Marshal

#2 is by far the hardest one to obtain.

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Correct, but for number 1 you often need to have an NAR Section to obtain the often required special insurance certificates naming the land owner/government agency(s) (such as parks dept, US Army Corps of Engineers, County or City, etc.) as additionally insured or adding special wording.


It is annoying but it can be done. Being in the NAR and having an NAR section helps a lot.

That's the ticket gents. Thanks!!!