Burn ban's over but I'm still shy!

Hi everyone,

My last launch was June 3rd. Shortly after that the drought up here in Indiana made me too nervous to fly, and not long after that the burn ban kicked in anyway.

In August we finally started getting some rain around here, and the burn ban was lifted this week. And in fact, it rained yesterday (about an inch and a half I think, in the area where my field is).

But I'm still a bit nervous. Not of setting the place afire... but of folks who maybe don't know the burn ban is over giving me crap, or over diligent cops or park wardens enacting their own personal local burn ban (the park has authority to do so, but there's no notation about this on the park website). All the parks and other common areas around here have big signs "fireworks not allowed" that went up on the day the burn bans were lifted, but of course model rockets are not fireworks. But still...

Social anxiety is a difficult thing. I'm going to try to launch a few on Sunday morning, weather permitting.

Marc

We'll be flying tomorrow (Aug 18) at the Academy of Model Aeronautics Aeromodelling Center in Muncie. You're welcome to come fly with us.

Would love to but my kids' combined birthday party is tomorrow afternoon so no joy. Maybe the next one!

Here's a thought...print out the official notification that the burn ban is over and the information from the park website. If you get hassled by anybody, tell them you did your due diligence and show them the papers.

Unfortunately, this may not work with cops. I have learned from my experience with cops that they are not interested in any facts that contradict their egos.

Yeah I will have the burn ban lifted thing. I also have docs with park rules (nothing about rockets in em) etc. . Its cops making stuff up that worries me.

mperdue said:

We'll be flying tomorrow (Aug 18) at the Academy of Model Aeronautics Aeromodelling Center in Muncie. You're welcome to come fly with us.

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A great place to fly. Too bad it's not in my back yard. Went to my first organized launch there.

Adrian

Marc_G said:

Its cops making stuff up that worries me.

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If you were in Gary or (God forbid) Chicago, it would be cause to worry. But it's Carmel. They'll just tell you to pack up and leave.

Call the local fire chief and inform him of where you are going to be launching and ask him if it is ok to launch there now that the ban has been lifted. If anyone messes with you after that you can tell them that you launching with the full knowlege and consent of the chief.

First, I commend you on your concern for safety and the image of rocketry in general. Has anyone of authority, park workers, local police, etc., observed your launches before and had no problem with them? If so, I might be inclined to go up to any you might find on site that day, explain what you want to do and ask if it is ok with them. If you get a negative response you leave and come back another day. Since there is no rule against rockets in the park, they can't help but respect you for asking. In uncertain circumstances like yours I have found it to always be better to approach them first than risk the negativity of them misunderstanding what you are doing and telling you to stop.

Good luck!

Jim Z

In the past, I've had some "park rangers" (my term for folks that drive around in Parks Department trucks/cars, though I don't know their actual titles) stare at me a little funny from 500 feet away. And I once had a police officer drive up to the nearest part of the driving loop (550 feet away) and sit there for a couple minutes clearly observing. Then they drove off. Nobody has ever come over and talked to me. I believe there might have been reports of "fireworks" being used there, they came, took a look, saw a nice safe rocket drifting gently down on a big chute, and moved along.

In spring of 2011 I had an email exchange with the park management folks about a section of the park transitioning from mowed grass to "prairie - grow, don't mow" format. In the exchange I mentioned my concern about the loss of mowed space squeezing activities like my rocketry and kites with the other uses such as sports. I keep a copy of that email exchange in my range box as proof I've let the parks department know of my activities. I never got any official blessing of the rocketry (didn't ask for one), but neither did I get warned off.

Model Rocketry isn't mentioned in the park rules (which I also keep with me in my range box), though there is talk about not shooting guns or firing missiles. OK, no warhead-tipped Stingers for me.

I believe model rocketry flies under the radar here, and I'm reluctant to bring it out into the spotlight by contacting the fire chief so soon after the burn ban is over. Due to abundance of caution and CYA attitudes, the chief could easily just reply "don't do it" to cover his backside, rather than give the OK to the activity, even if there's no legal reason or practical threat. From his perspective, it would be the politically / liability- safe thing to do.

I think for now I'll just fly carefully and keep it to myself. A friend of mine might join me tomorrow, which helps with the social anxiety part. But, he's talking about bringing some of those tissue balloons with the small candle in them that float away. I've told him that seems a lot riskier than model rockets, lighting on fire and setting it adrift uncontrolled in the breeze. But he's pretty determined.

It's not a perfect world, but the forecast is for calm winds in the morning so I'm going to prep tonight!

Marc

Marc_G said:

A friend of mine might join me tomorrow, which helps with the social anxiety part. But, he's talking about bringing some of those tissue balloons with the small candle in them that float away. I've told him that seems a lot riskier than model rockets, lighting on fire and setting it adrift uncontrolled in the breeze.

Marc

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Random floating lit candles under tissue balloons.....sounds cool........in winter........with three feet of snow on the ground..........PERHAPS after a monsoon rain. Any other time of year, doing this in an area with trees, brush, or tall grass is simply asking for disaster. It also may be a kind of activity that if associated with rocketry gives rocketry a bad rep.

Just watch the sparkies and you will be ok. If you are still concerned and want "extra protection", use a pad blanket. n

No worries about sparkies! I'm flying LPR only, plus MAYBE an E if I feel daring and the upper winds are light.

Sorry you couldn't make it up to Muncie, the weather was just about perfect, unlike the flight of my Incline Plane rocket. I think you'll be fine tomorrow as the forecast is pretty darn close to the same as today. Just so you know, though, next month's launch is a two day launch on the 15th and 16th.

Hi folks, Thanks for the support.

I don't have time to document my day out today right now (I'll do it later :grin but it was a fine day out, though I lost my Blood Atonement rocket on its second flight (first time as a two stager). And it took a camera with it. I know exactly where it is, dangling 35 feet up in a tree... Maybe I can recover it this fall when the leaves drop (and the poison ivy isn't so bad). I'd love to get the onboard video.

It was a grand day out otherwise, though when I showed up there were three cop cars there. Not sure what was going on but I hung out in my car for a couple minutes and then they left. I didn't want to trot out the rockets in front of them out of perhaps excess concern. However, I wasn't the only one launching that day. IT's good to have company.

Marc

I haven't launched on the south side of Indy since late May, for the same reasons. I've been too anxious to get going again, especially since my last run-in with the rangers at my close-to-home launch field. Overall, it's been a SLOW (i.e. non-existant) rocketry summer for me.

Looking forward to your reports, Marc!