Where to launch in the Seattle area?

[DirkTheDaring]

I'm lucky, there's a small field near my house in Lake Forest Park where I can fly low altitude rockets, but if I want to go bigger I have to go to 60 Acres, which is dedicated to soccer so much of the time.
Doing a quick perusal of this forum (which I'm new to), I've seen mention of this and that, but nothing definitive. Hence these questions:

1. Does anyone know for sure whether rockets are allowed at Marymoor park?
2. Does anyone know what time soccer starts/ends for the day at 60 Acres? Evening launches are fun this time of year, but I'd have to drive for half an hour just to see if the field is available. I'm hoping someone has more information.
3. Can you launch at Magnuson park, and if so, where?
3. Anywhere else where one can launch some that goes, say, 500 feet or higher?

Thank you.

 

[BEC]

I'll take a shot at this:

1. No they are not. I once tried to obtain permission to launch there as there is language in the King County Parks regulations that suggests that such permits can be gotten — but when I tried I found they had no process and no interest in doing so. This was some time ago, but I doubt things have improved.
2. There used to be a website with the overall schedule for Sixty Acres, but it lapsed during the pandemic and hasn't been restarted. You can get some insights by looking at the various schedules on the Crossfire and Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association sites....but there is no one place to look at the moment, at least that I know of.
3. As I understand it, Seattle Parks don't officially allow rockets, but I also have some friends who do fly there from time to time. Sixty Acres is closer for me, so I've never tried it. @Bruce ?
3 again (4?). My club, the Boeing Employees Model Rocket Club, has a scheduled monthly launch near Pacific Raceways on a site which can support flights to ~1000 feet on light wind days. However, it's been a rough year for us there between weather and the Raceway revamping the space we are currently using. Sixty Acres is much better and much closer to you, but you're welcome to join us if you like. Our next scheduled launch is this coming Saturday, and I think the weather, at least, will be OK. See bemrc.org for a little more info. How deep into the summer we'll be able to fly at the Raceway before we get shut down by burn bans remains to be seen.

Hopefully someone who lives closer to your side of the area can chime in.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

I'll take a shot at this:

1. No they are not. I once tried to obtain permission to launch there as there is language in the King County Parks regulations that suggests that such permits can be gotten — but when I tried I found they had no process and no interest in doing so. This was some time ago, but I doubt things have improved.
2. There used to be a website with the overall schedule for Sixty Acres, but it lapsed during the pandemic and hasn't been restarted. You can get some insights by looking at the various schedules on the Crossfire and Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association sites....but there is no one place to look at the moment, at least that I know of.
3. As I understand it, Seattle Parks don't officially allow rockets, but I also have some friends who do fly there from time to time. Sixty Acres is closer for me, so I've never tried it. @Bruce ?
3 again (4?). My club, the Boeing Employees Model Rocket Club, has a scheduled monthly launch near Pacific Raceways on a site which can support flights to ~1000 feet on light wind days. However, it's been a rough year for us there between weather and the Raceway revamping the space we are currently using. Sixty Acres is much better and much closer to you, but you're welcome to join us if you like. Our next scheduled launch is this coming Saturday, and I think the weather, at least, will be OK. See bemrc.org for a little more info. How deep into the summer we'll be able to fly at the Raceway before we get shut down by burn bans remains to be seen.

Hopefully someone who lives closer to your side of the area can chime in.

Thank you very much! I will for sure try to make it on the 16th, although we have a schedule conflict, so I may not be able to. I'm a former Boeing employee, but I assume it's OK to fly, Boeing employee or not. I'm happy to pay the 5 bucks in any case. I notice the limit is D engines, is this because of altitude or engine size? I'd like to fly an E in my Der Red Max, which won't go anywhere near 1000 feet. But I'll take what I can get!

I've tried studying the Crossfire and LWYSA sites, but getting actual schedules is something I have not yet succeeded at. This is something I'll continue to try to chase down.

Thanks again and with luck I'll see you next Saturday.

 

[BEC]

The D restriction is due to the site size requirements in the NAR Safety Code.

Since the Raceway has remodeled the area (it looks nothing like the image on the web site or what you see in either Apple or Google Maps now) I've been rethinking how what might be considered the size of the "range" so that we might be able to go to higher impulses, but for now the limit is D due to the usable site size. The general manager of the Raceway just told me (via email) that the second phase of the field remodel is well underway and that it should be ready for Saturday.

We don't require any sort of Boeing affiliation to fly with us. Boeing Recreation is a tiny shadow of its former self and even though they get my monthly email launch announcement/scrubs, I haven't been able to raise anyone there in over two years now.

DM me ("start a conversation" wit me) your email address and I'll put it on the distribution for the launch announcements, which I typically send out on the Thursday afternoon before a scheduled Saturday launch.

And yes I feel your pain trying to figure out an actual schedule for a venue rather than a league from those soccer web sites.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

The D restriction is due to the site size requirements in the NAR Safety Code.

Since the Raceway has remodeled the area (it looks nothing like the image on the web site or what you see in either Apple or Google Maps now) I've been rethinking how what might be considered the size of the "range" so that we might be able to go to higher impulses, but for now the limit is D due to the usable site size. The general manager of the Raceway just told me (via email) that the second phase of the field remodel is well underway and that it should be ready for Saturday.

We don't require any sort of Boeing affiliation to fly with us. Boeing Recreation is a tiny shadow of its former self and even though they get my monthly email launch announcement/scrubs, I haven't been able to raise anyone there in over two years now.

DM me ("start a conversation" wit me) your email address and I'll put it on the distribution for the launch announcements, which I typically send out on the Thursday afternoon before a scheduled Saturday launch.

And yes I feel your pain trying to figure out an actual schedule for a venue rather than a league from those soccer web sites.

Conversation started. Thanks again.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

I'll take a shot at this:

1. No they are not. I once tried to obtain permission to launch there as there is language in the King County Parks regulations that suggests that such permits can be gotten — but when I tried I found they had no process and no interest in doing so. This was some time ago, but I doubt things have improved.
2. There used to be a website with the overall schedule for Sixty Acres, but it lapsed during the pandemic and hasn't been restarted. You can get some insights by looking at the various schedules on the Crossfire and Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association sites....but there is no one place to look at the moment, at least that I know of.
3. As I understand it, Seattle Parks don't officially allow rockets, but I also have some friends who do fly there from time to time. Sixty Acres is closer for me, so I've never tried it. @Bruce ?
3 again (4?). My club, the Boeing Employees Model Rocket Club, has a scheduled monthly launch near Pacific Raceways on a site which can support flights to ~1000 feet on light wind days. However, it's been a rough year for us there between weather and the Raceway revamping the space we are currently using. Sixty Acres is much better and much closer to you, but you're welcome to join us if you like. Our next scheduled launch is this coming Saturday, and I think the weather, at least, will be OK. See bemrc.org for a little more info. How deep into the summer we'll be able to fly at the Raceway before we get shut down by burn bans remains to be seen.

Hopefully someone who lives closer to your side of the area can chime in.

Bernard,
I understand the limit for the Boeing club launch is D impulse. Does this mean I can or cannot launch a 3 engine D cluster? FWIW I believe that last time I launched a 3 engine C cluster (but might have been B), which would be greater than a D.

Thanks and hope to see you Saturday.

Ken

 

[BEC]

Bernard,
I understand the limit for the Boeing club launch is D impulse. Does this mean I can or cannot launch a 3 engine D cluster? FWIW I believe that last time I launched a 3 engine C cluster (but might have been B), which would be greater than a D.

Thanks and hope to see you Saturday.

Ken

As I understand the Safety Code field size limitations, we should limit to D total impulse, so up to 20 N-s, regardless of how you get there. A cluster of 3 Estes D12s would be in low F territory (50.5 N-s). So I don't think I could bend things far enough to allow that one at the Raceway. Sorry.

According to your flight card you flew your Tres on 3xB6 at the last launch. That would be 13 N-s or a low D. No problem.

See you Saturday as long as there are no applicable burn bans declared between now and then. The weather should be very much like today.

 

[boatgeek]

3. Can you launch at Magnuson park, and if so, where?

As one of my nieces (age 3) once said, "don't ask, might say no." Unofficially, rocketry is reasonably well tolerated in Seattle parks as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. Officially, they don't want you to launch at Discovery Park, and I didn't ask about any others. If you're launching with a kid, you get more of a pass. It would probably be reasonable to launch on either of the circled fields (pending checks of field size, whether the grass is dry enough to burn, etc., etc.) with BP motors, maybe even a 3 D cluster. Composite motors are loud enough that people might complain and get you unwanted attention. I don't think there's anywhere else that has a mowed grass surface suitable for rocket recovery.

 

[Pooklord]

As I understand the Safety Code field size limitations, we should limit to D total impulse, so up to 20 N-s, regardless of how you get there. A cluster of 3 Estes D12s would be in low F territory (50.5 N-s). So I don't think I could bend things far enough to allow that one at the Raceway. Sorry.

According to your flight card you flew your Tres on 3xB6 at the last launch. That would be 13 N-s or a low D. No problem.

See you Saturday as long as there are no applicable burn bans declared between now and then. The weather should be very much like today.

Thanks for the update, I hope to be at the Raceway also this saturday.

See you then,

Pooklord

 

[Pooklord]

As one of my nieces (age 3) once said, "don't ask, might say no." Unofficially, rocketry is reasonably well tolerated in Seattle parks as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. Officially, they don't want you to launch at Discovery Park, and I didn't ask about any others. If you're launching with a kid, you get more of a pass. It would probably be reasonable to launch on either of the circled fields (pending checks of field size, whether the grass is dry enough to burn, etc., etc.) with BP motors, maybe even a 3 D cluster. Composite motors are loud enough that people might complain and get you unwanted attention. I don't think there's anywhere else that has a mowed grass surface suitable for rocket recovery.

View attachment 532615

I recall launching low power (very low, 13mm) at Discovery Park. It was not crowded and the few people in the vicinity seemed interested and amused.

Haven't been there in years, though.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

As I understand the Safety Code field size limitations, we should limit to D total impulse, so up to 20 N-s, regardless of how you get there. A cluster of 3 Estes D12s would be in low F territory (50.5 N-s). So I don't think I could bend things far enough to allow that one at the Raceway. Sorry.

According to your flight card you flew your Tres on 3xB6 at the last launch. That would be 13 N-s or a low D. No problem.

See you Saturday as long as there are no applicable burn bans declared between now and then. The weather should be very much like today.

Roger that. That’s why I asked. I’ll save that for Sod Buster.

As I understand the Safety Code field size limitations, we should limit to D total impulse, so up to 20 N-s, regardless of how you get there. A cluster of 3 Estes D12s would be in low F territory (50.5 N-s). So I don't think I could bend things far enough to allow that one at the Raceway. Sorry.

According to your flight card you flew your Tres on 3xB6 at the last launch. That would be 13 N-s or a low D. No problem.

See you Saturday as long as there are no applicable burn bans declared between now and then. The weather should be very much like today.keep the

now I know why you keep the flight cards!

 

[Pooklord]

Roger that. That’s why I asked. I’ll save that for Sod Buster.

now I know why you keep the flight cards!

As one of my nieces (age 3) once said, "don't ask, might say no." Unofficially, rocketry is reasonably well tolerated in Seattle parks as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. Officially, they don't want you to launch at Discovery Park, and I didn't ask about any others. If you're launching with a kid, you get more of a pass. It would probably be reasonable to launch on either of the circled fields (pending checks of field size, whether the grass is dry enough to burn, etc., etc.) with BP motors, maybe even a 3 D cluster. Composite motors are loud enough that people might complain and get you unwanted attention. I don't think there's anywhere else that has a mowed grass surface suitable for rocket recovery.

View attachment 532615

As I understand the Safety Code field size limitations, we should limit to D total impulse, so up to 20 N-s, regardless of how you get there. A cluster of 3 Estes D12s would be in low F territory (50.5 N-s). So I don't think I could bend things far enough to allow that one at the Raceway. Sorry.

According to your flight card you flew your Tres on 3xB6 at the last launch. That would be 13 N-s or a low D. No problem.

See you Saturday as long as there are no applicable burn bans declared between now and then. The weather should be very much like today.

BEC,

Do we need to bring already filled out BEMC cards to the launch site, or do you have the forms there for me to fill out?

Np, either way, I just would need to get to a printer to get some forms filled out beforehand.

Thanks,

 

[boatgeek]

As one of my nieces (age 3) once said, "don't ask, might say no." Unofficially, rocketry is reasonably well tolerated in Seattle parks as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. Officially, they don't want you to launch at Discovery Park, and I didn't ask about any others. If you're launching with a kid, you get more of a pass. It would probably be reasonable to launch on either of the circled fields (pending checks of field size, whether the grass is dry enough to burn, etc., etc.) with BP motors, maybe even a 3 D cluster. Composite motors are loud enough that people might complain and get you unwanted attention. I don't think there's anywhere else that has a mowed grass surface suitable for rocket recovery.

View attachment 532615

Adding on to this, I checked minimum site dimensions, and both of the fields above are ~500 feet minimum dimension (stay in the southern area of the lower left one). That limits you to D impulse (max 20 N-s) per the NAR safety code. That's probably a pretty fair "social science" limit in terms of not getting complaints.

 

[BEC]

BEC,

Do we need to bring already filled out BEMC cards to the launch site, or do you have the forms there for me to fill out?

Np, either way, I just would need to get to a printer to get some forms filled out beforehand.

Thanks,

I will have a supply. It saves you time to be able to fill ‘em out in advance….but there is no requirement.

 

[Dotini]

Adding on to this, I checked minimum site dimensions, and both of the fields above are ~500 feet minimum dimension (stay in the southern area of the lower left one). That limits you to D impulse (max 20 N-s) per the NAR safety code. That's probably a pretty fair "social science" limit in terms of not getting complaints.

Agreed. Over the summer I've had several excellent launches at Magnuson Park. There is a dedicated RC airplane runway in the center of the biggest field, a perfect place to launch if it's not already in use by the RC airplane folks.

For denizens of Seattle preferring to avoid the traffic to 60 Acres, there is yet another manicured 500' x 500' field to choose from. It is the Waldo Dahl field in the 7700 block of 20th NE. The field is ringed by trees and power lines, so IMHO only well under 1000' altitude under light winds would be predictably successful. Be prepared to practice your social skills with the dog walkers, Osprey nest protectors and other refined citizens of NE Seattle.

 

[BEC]

Since I come from the south there’s no real advantage to going to Magnuson vs. Sixty Acres for me. But it’s good to know there are options….

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

We have a similar soccer field like 60 Acres (top of photo) but they load the Navy nuclear weapons nearby (bottom) so it’s discouraged. Sometimes a Chinese balloon floats by overhead.