There seems to have been a lot of posts lately asking about rules regarding HPR, waivers, experimental (EX) motors, laws and club rules. I just thought I would post some guidelines to help folks who are new to the hobby understand the authorities that govern what we do.
I can only speak for people the in the USA, and mean no slight to other nations; I simply don't have access to your laws, nor do I have a need to know them.
In the USA, rocketry is governed by two federal authorities, as well as state and local authorities. The federal authorities are the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, or "the ATF").
I. The FAA has authority over everything that enters the air, including rockets, drones, gliders, remote control planes, etc. The FAA has regulations that specify what can fly where. Section 101 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) regulates all forms of rocketry.
The good news for low power rocketry (LPR) and mid-power rocketry (MPR) is that the FAA is pretty much hands off. Go to Hobby Lobby, buy a kit, build it and launch it (provided you have landowner permission), and you are good to go.
The above is true for anything that is a class 1 rocket -- that is, it meets none of the requirements to be considered a class 2 rocket, which we generally refer to in our hobby as a high power rocket (HPR).
You do not need special permission from the FAA (i.e., a waiver) to fly a class 1 rocket in the USA. A class 1 rocket meets these restrictions:
A class 3 rocket is anything with a P impulse or higher, and incurs some more regulations, including the need to obtain the waiver a minimum of 45 days in advance.
You do not need to be a member of a club like TRA or the NAR in order to legally launch rockets with FAA approval. If you have a sufficient land area and file for your waiver, you can launch any rocket that you want, under the auspices of the FAA.
II. The ATF has authority over rocket motors, black powder, igniters, electric matches, and other incendiary devices commonly used in rocketry. Motors must be shipped, stored, transported and utilized according to ATF regulations. Whereas the FAA only cares about the air space, the ATF is concerned with the things that burn and/or explode.
Years ago, the NAR and TRA went to federal court with the ATF in order to get certain ATF restrictions on rocket motors deregulated. Rocket motors are no longer considered explosive devices by the ATF, which means we do not need to register rocket motors with the ATF, or be subject to their inspection. However, rocket motors are still considered hazardous materials, and many of them must meet hazardous materials shipping requirements (HAZMAT) in order to be shipped from a vendor to a consumer.
The deregulation, unfortunately, did not extend to igniters. So, sadly, igniters that use pyrogen or black powder do fall under ATF regulations. Some vendors have worked with the ATF to get their own products deregulated. Estes Industries igniters (now referred to as "starters" in order to specify the difference) no longer use any combustible material and do not fall under ATF regulations.
III. Local authorities.
Many states have adopted the National Fire Protection Act (NFPA) as their state fire laws, though some have adopted only portions of the NFPA, or have their own laws and do not utilize the NFPA.
The NFPA has three sections which regulate rocketry by those states that have adopted it: 1122, 1125, and 1127.
NFPA 1122 regulates model rocketry. If your state has adopted this portion of the NFPA as law, then you must follow the regulations for model rocketry even though the FAA does not require a waiver to use the air space. Launching an Estes Alpha at a state park might be a violation of local laws, so do not presume that where no FAA waiver is required, it is a free-for-all.
NFPA 1125 regulates the construction of rockets and motors. If you are a scratch-builder or research motor-maker, you will want to peruse this section.
NFPA 1127 regulates high power rocketry. It defines a high power rocket, and regulates the conditions under which a high power rocket may be launched. This is a must-read if you are expecting to get into HPR.
There are a lot of laws from the ATF, FAA and NFPA that regulate rocketry; however, the good news is that the NAR and TRA have lawyers who have understood these laws and built them into the model rocket and HPR safety codes. TRA and the NAR are on good terms with the ATF and the FAA. TRA prefectures and NAR sections are able to easily get waivers and ensure that rockets are launched according to the laws and regulations pertinent at the launch site.
So, while you don't need to be a member of a club in order to launch rockets, it makes the process very easy. Someone else has incorporated the relevant laws into the club's rules; someone else gets the FAA waiver; someone else works with the FAA and ATF to ensure that what you are doing is legal and safe.
As a result, the NAR and TRA are able to cover their members with liability insurance. As long as the rules are followed, the member is covered if a freak accident causes an injury or damage to property.
The clubs also have rules that are not strictly law, and members of the clubs must agree to these additional rules in order to take advantage of the clubs' benefits. As an example, both the NAR and TRA consider "sparky" motors (e.g., motors that emit burning bits of titanium sponge) to be HPR motors, regardless of the impulse class. TRA limits EX flights to 90% of the FAA waiver; this is not an FAA requirement; it is a TRA safety rule.
IV. Experimental Motors
An EX motor is any rocket motor that was not commercially manufactured, and/or has not been certified by the NAR, the CAR (the Canadian Rocketry Association), or TRA. Whether the motor uses black powder, ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP), sugar, or any other fuel or oxidizer, it is an EX motor if it was not purchased commercially and/or certified
TRA allows TRA members who are level 2 or 3 to launch EX motors at a Tripoli Research Launch (TRL). The NAR does not allow EX motors at any NAR-sponsored launch. Note that these are club rules, and not law.
Anyone can launch an EX motor if he complies with NFPA (as applicable), ATF and FAA laws; however, he may not do so at a TRL or NAR launch except as specified above.
Anyone can make an EX motor, as long as he complies with NFPA 1125 as applicable. The motor maker does not need to be the flier; however, TRA does not allow EX motors to be sold for profit. EX motors made and sold for profit are not allowed to be launched at a TRL.
FAQ
1. "I want to make and launch my own motors. I am not a NAR or TRA member. How can I do this?"
A. Go for it. Comply with your states' fire laws, obtain your own liability (if desired), and apply for your own FAA waiver. The FAA does not care whether or not the motor is commercial or EX.
2. "I am a NAR member and I want to fly EX motors."
A. See #1 above. You may not fly EX motors even if you are level 2 and at a TRL. Get your own waiver, or join TRA and go to a TRL. Certifications are reciprocal, but require paperwork.
3. "I am a TRA level 2, I am at a TRL, and my friend gave me an N motor he made. Can I launch it?"
A. No, because you would need to be level 3. However, if your friend is a TRA level 3 and present at the launch, he may partner with you in the launch and put his name on the flight card. As such, he is the one responsible to ensure that the safety code is followed.
4. "I like making motors, but I am not a TRA level 2. I have made an M motor for a friend who is a TRA level 3 and is going to a TRL. May he launch my motor?"
A. Yes.
5. "I am a TRA level 3 and I want to launch an EX K motor at a NAR HPR launch. May I?"
A. No, the NAR does not allow EX motors at their launches.
Okay, any experienced fliers reading this, please chime in with corrections and additions. Thanks.
I can only speak for people the in the USA, and mean no slight to other nations; I simply don't have access to your laws, nor do I have a need to know them.
In the USA, rocketry is governed by two federal authorities, as well as state and local authorities. The federal authorities are the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, or "the ATF").
I. The FAA has authority over everything that enters the air, including rockets, drones, gliders, remote control planes, etc. The FAA has regulations that specify what can fly where. Section 101 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) regulates all forms of rocketry.
The good news for low power rocketry (LPR) and mid-power rocketry (MPR) is that the FAA is pretty much hands off. Go to Hobby Lobby, buy a kit, build it and launch it (provided you have landowner permission), and you are good to go.
The above is true for anything that is a class 1 rocket -- that is, it meets none of the requirements to be considered a class 2 rocket, which we generally refer to in our hobby as a high power rocket (HPR).
You do not need special permission from the FAA (i.e., a waiver) to fly a class 1 rocket in the USA. A class 1 rocket meets these restrictions:
- Uses no more than 125 grams (4.4 ounces) of propellant;
- Uses a slow-burning propellant;
- Is made of paper, wood, or breakable plastic;
- Contains no substantial metal parts; and
- Weighs no more than 1,500 grams (53 ounces), including the propellant.
A class 3 rocket is anything with a P impulse or higher, and incurs some more regulations, including the need to obtain the waiver a minimum of 45 days in advance.
You do not need to be a member of a club like TRA or the NAR in order to legally launch rockets with FAA approval. If you have a sufficient land area and file for your waiver, you can launch any rocket that you want, under the auspices of the FAA.
II. The ATF has authority over rocket motors, black powder, igniters, electric matches, and other incendiary devices commonly used in rocketry. Motors must be shipped, stored, transported and utilized according to ATF regulations. Whereas the FAA only cares about the air space, the ATF is concerned with the things that burn and/or explode.
Years ago, the NAR and TRA went to federal court with the ATF in order to get certain ATF restrictions on rocket motors deregulated. Rocket motors are no longer considered explosive devices by the ATF, which means we do not need to register rocket motors with the ATF, or be subject to their inspection. However, rocket motors are still considered hazardous materials, and many of them must meet hazardous materials shipping requirements (HAZMAT) in order to be shipped from a vendor to a consumer.
The deregulation, unfortunately, did not extend to igniters. So, sadly, igniters that use pyrogen or black powder do fall under ATF regulations. Some vendors have worked with the ATF to get their own products deregulated. Estes Industries igniters (now referred to as "starters" in order to specify the difference) no longer use any combustible material and do not fall under ATF regulations.
III. Local authorities.
Many states have adopted the National Fire Protection Act (NFPA) as their state fire laws, though some have adopted only portions of the NFPA, or have their own laws and do not utilize the NFPA.
The NFPA has three sections which regulate rocketry by those states that have adopted it: 1122, 1125, and 1127.
NFPA 1122 regulates model rocketry. If your state has adopted this portion of the NFPA as law, then you must follow the regulations for model rocketry even though the FAA does not require a waiver to use the air space. Launching an Estes Alpha at a state park might be a violation of local laws, so do not presume that where no FAA waiver is required, it is a free-for-all.
NFPA 1125 regulates the construction of rockets and motors. If you are a scratch-builder or research motor-maker, you will want to peruse this section.
NFPA 1127 regulates high power rocketry. It defines a high power rocket, and regulates the conditions under which a high power rocket may be launched. This is a must-read if you are expecting to get into HPR.
There are a lot of laws from the ATF, FAA and NFPA that regulate rocketry; however, the good news is that the NAR and TRA have lawyers who have understood these laws and built them into the model rocket and HPR safety codes. TRA and the NAR are on good terms with the ATF and the FAA. TRA prefectures and NAR sections are able to easily get waivers and ensure that rockets are launched according to the laws and regulations pertinent at the launch site.
So, while you don't need to be a member of a club in order to launch rockets, it makes the process very easy. Someone else has incorporated the relevant laws into the club's rules; someone else gets the FAA waiver; someone else works with the FAA and ATF to ensure that what you are doing is legal and safe.
As a result, the NAR and TRA are able to cover their members with liability insurance. As long as the rules are followed, the member is covered if a freak accident causes an injury or damage to property.
The clubs also have rules that are not strictly law, and members of the clubs must agree to these additional rules in order to take advantage of the clubs' benefits. As an example, both the NAR and TRA consider "sparky" motors (e.g., motors that emit burning bits of titanium sponge) to be HPR motors, regardless of the impulse class. TRA limits EX flights to 90% of the FAA waiver; this is not an FAA requirement; it is a TRA safety rule.
IV. Experimental Motors
An EX motor is any rocket motor that was not commercially manufactured, and/or has not been certified by the NAR, the CAR (the Canadian Rocketry Association), or TRA. Whether the motor uses black powder, ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP), sugar, or any other fuel or oxidizer, it is an EX motor if it was not purchased commercially and/or certified
TRA allows TRA members who are level 2 or 3 to launch EX motors at a Tripoli Research Launch (TRL). The NAR does not allow EX motors at any NAR-sponsored launch. Note that these are club rules, and not law.
Anyone can launch an EX motor if he complies with NFPA (as applicable), ATF and FAA laws; however, he may not do so at a TRL or NAR launch except as specified above.
Anyone can make an EX motor, as long as he complies with NFPA 1125 as applicable. The motor maker does not need to be the flier; however, TRA does not allow EX motors to be sold for profit. EX motors made and sold for profit are not allowed to be launched at a TRL.
FAQ
1. "I want to make and launch my own motors. I am not a NAR or TRA member. How can I do this?"
A. Go for it. Comply with your states' fire laws, obtain your own liability (if desired), and apply for your own FAA waiver. The FAA does not care whether or not the motor is commercial or EX.
2. "I am a NAR member and I want to fly EX motors."
A. See #1 above. You may not fly EX motors even if you are level 2 and at a TRL. Get your own waiver, or join TRA and go to a TRL. Certifications are reciprocal, but require paperwork.
3. "I am a TRA level 2, I am at a TRL, and my friend gave me an N motor he made. Can I launch it?"
A. No, because you would need to be level 3. However, if your friend is a TRA level 3 and present at the launch, he may partner with you in the launch and put his name on the flight card. As such, he is the one responsible to ensure that the safety code is followed.
4. "I like making motors, but I am not a TRA level 2. I have made an M motor for a friend who is a TRA level 3 and is going to a TRL. May he launch my motor?"
A. Yes.
5. "I am a TRA level 3 and I want to launch an EX K motor at a NAR HPR launch. May I?"
A. No, the NAR does not allow EX motors at their launches.
Okay, any experienced fliers reading this, please chime in with corrections and additions. Thanks.
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Thanks for the endorsement and additions.
