Where To Fly in Tallahassee Area? Also How To Ask A Farmer For Permission??

[tfrielin]

Does anyone have any advice on where to fly rockets of the D/E/F and F&G composite motors class in the Tallahassee/North Leon County area?

I live in the north part of Leon County and shoot at the Coon Bottom Gun Club up north of here in the Concord area where there are several big farmer's fields and a sod farm outside Havana. All these look like great places to fly and actually gey my rockets back.

Any thoughts/experience on just knocking on someone's door to ask if you could fly there?

Anyone ever done that? If, so what kind of reception did you get? Get off my land or I'll call the Sheriff type of response? Or...?

Thanks for any advice or potential or actual places where people fly in this area.

 

[Bat-mite]

Step 1: join the NAR

Step 2: call the local fire marshal and find out if there are any ordinances against model rockets

Step 3: print out the insurance information (NAR members are covered to $1M)

Step 4: print out the model rocket safety code

Step 5: take all of these with you when you talk to them

Step 6: never launch on their property without permission

Step 7: follow the safety code when you are on their property

Step 8: invite them to come out and have fun with you; let them see what you do and how safe it is

None of this is guaranteed to work. But it will satisfy most reasonable people.

 

[boatgeek]

If the farmers come to the gun club and the gun club has a little space, you might see if the gun club would let you do a "more uses for black powder" launch at the club. My experience is that once people see a well-run launch, they are a lot less worried about safety. It's also a lot easier to approach people who you know a little bit before you ask them for a favor. Hopefully, that avoids the "call the sheriff" response.

Also, make sure you ask when you can be there when it doesn't interfere with farming, any special rules they have about protecting the fields (no motorized vehicles on plowed fields, ATVs only, etc.). You'll get a better response if it's clear that you respect their business.

 

[samb]

There's a NAR club in Panama City: https://www.nar.org/local_club/south-east-alabama-rocketry-society-sears-572/

Tripoli in Tallahassee: https://www.tripoli.org/Prefectures/mapID/30/hsid/0/shsc/True

Even if you don't fly with a club it might be worthwhile to reach out to those guys. I never "cold called" a land owner but if you know a guy who knows a guy whose cousin has some land ... Can your gun club contacts introduce you to the neighbors ?

 

[tfrielin]

"...you might see if the gun club would let you do a "more uses for black powder" launch at the club."

Actually, I don't think mixing skeet and target shooting guys with flying rockets at the same site will mix very well.

 

[boatgeek]

"...you might see if the gun club would let you do a "more uses for black powder" launch at the club."

Actually, I don't think mixing skeet and target shooting guys with flying rockets at the same site will mix very well.

I was more thinking of "can I have an hour on Sunday to show the gun club members what model rockets are all about" than "Launching in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, PULL!", but the latter might be fun with some cheap disposable RTF kits.

 

[Jackball74]

If the farmers come to the gun club and the gun club has a little space, you might see if the gun club would let you do a "more uses for black powder" launch at the club. My experience is that once people see a well-run launch, they are a lot less worried about safety. It's also a lot easier to approach people who you know a little bit before you ask them for a favor. Hopefully, that avoids the "call the sheriff" response.

Also, make sure you ask when you can be there when it doesn't interfere with farming, any special rules they have about protecting the fields (no motorized vehicles on plowed fields, ATVs only, etc.). You'll get a better response if it's clear that you respect their business.

Not a bad idea! You also may want to check around FSU and see if they have any open land you can use, perhaps an athletic field or land cleared for expansion. A university should be pretty open to launches.

I've also found that new housing developments cleared for construction are often rocket-friendly areas. Some places just have the roads laid but no pesky light poles and you have acres of hard-packed soil with few (if any) trees.