How do we attract new flyers?

At LDRS no one under 18 we permitted outside the spectator area or past the high power pads. They were strict that no one under 18 was permitted at the away cell or far away cell whether they were hot or cold.

Guys,

Don't hammer too hard. Not sure what the delay is, but I'm sure there's some difficult snag holding it up. Back in March, it was all but a done deal, so I know the "stuffed shirts" support it.

I suppose it could have died. Maybe there was some insurmountable obstacle. Insurance maybe.

Hopefully, one of the "stuffed shirts" will jump in and clarify things.

Doug

I asked almost 2 years ago that it be on the NAR agenda...I was told it was discussed and there were a lot of issues. I think Mark did everything he could to make it happen, I believe that there are insurance and legal issues. So...I asked for a parent/child team certification. I never did hear if that went anywhere.

I know that my 13 year old is much less interested in rocketry now than he was 2 years ago...

He wants to at least help fly the big stuff.

Doug

That doesn't really tell me anything without knowing how you (or they) define "Models". Over here, a "Model rocket" is one that uses only low power commercially-made motors; followed by "High Power" which uses larger commercially made motors. Then there's the TRA EX program which permits homebrew motors (solids only). Everything else is considered either "Amateur" or professional rocketry and must be conducted outside the sanctions of TRA or NAR.

Uh, what's stopping him?

I really think you folks who complain about kids not being able to cert must be operating under some weird local club rules or something. The launches I've been to, there's no problem with kids flying high power (supervised) or helping a parent at the pad.

Don't confuse my use of the word hammer with flame. Just let the appropriate people know how you feel.

The last time it was discussed on the NAR Section Officers forum, most seemed to agree that something along the lines of what CAR does would be good. I thougnt that someone was going to investigate it further. Anyone know?

My sense of fun and adventure prefers to retain the normal number of fingers and eyes. :)

-- Carl D Cravens ( snipped-for-privacy@phoenyx.net) Wichita, Kansas, US -- Read my model rocketry journal at

My kids (Emily "Snitch Girl" from LDRS 22 aged almost 14 and Zach aged 11) have been attending every launch with me since I got in to this hobby almost

My kids know more about rocketry than many adult "certified" flyers and have been asking why they can't have a certification process tailored to their age. They want more than A-F motors. I don't blame them. I have not put this before the board of TRA. But I believe I will follow up and do so.

So...until things change we will fly their projects together (not so bad) and plan for their 18th birthdays...both are talking about certifying L1-3 (in the same day) at the first launch after their 18th birthday....We'll see....Until then I will encourage them in anyway possible to participate in this hobby. It is educational, fun, and it is time we spend together .....with great friends.

Mark A Palmer

TRA 08542 L3

We can onlyhope but most of the contingent at LDRS seemed to be the 4.0 GPA crowd.

I hear Invacare's have the most torque. :-)>

Gospel! GOSPEL!!!!!!

What is CPSC? If the C stands for California, I don't give a rats ass. They only effect on state out of 50.

Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency.

Under CPSC regulations rocket motors above 80 N-sec cannot be sold to persons under 18 years of age.

This regulation has been around for a LONG time...

I can support Chuck on this. Last Monday, EX Day, at Geneseo, Someone gave me an EX Sparky F Motor to fly under one condition...That My Daughter and I fly it in her slightly modified Estes Snitch. At the RSO table I told that all Sparky motors were to be flown from the away cell. Imagine the look on the faces at the away cell when I show up with my daughter, an F impulse EX Sparky motor and a 1/4 inch Launch rod (handed to me at RSO table). I was told that she shouldn't leave the spectator area and that I had to take her back there immediately. OK I can understand that they don't want kids at the away cell....I can also understand that they need to control sparky motors particularly on a field like Geneseo....However, I was told that even if I took her back...there was no pad at the away cell that would even accept a

I am not questioning the need to control the risk....but it didn't offer much encouragement to my daughter...she was dismissed out of hand....and was not happy. She attends launches regularly (approximately 15 times a year) and is extremely knowledgeable of safety precautions and the hazards inherent in HPR and EX. The letter she wrote (by herself) to our State Senator laid out clearly and concisely enough that she got calls from the Senators office.

I agree that various Clubs encourage participation ...but not all ...

Mark A Palmer TRA 08542 L3

It's not clear why it would present an obstacle to a Canadian-style "junior certification" program, though: that program was set up to allow younger roceteers to participate while respecting their (most likely parallel) regulations regarding "sale of hazardous items to minors" - in either case, the motors would not be "sold to" the junior certification candidates, but to their adult assistants (whou would act as a "purchaser of record" such that the transaction would be consummated in a legal manner).

This sort of thing is happening all the time on an informal basis (i.e., folks flying HPR with their kids "helping" them)... so why would providing a formal recognition of that cause any trouble with the CPSC?

-dave w

Wasn't familiar with that acronym. I've gotten used to Ray talking about California stuff. That's why I asked.

On the 18 thing, NFPA has it in there too.

I think that you need to run something like this past the appropriate people before getting your daughter involved. With things as they currently are, you are opening her up for disappointment if you do otherwise. If the answer isn't what you'd like, at least you can cushion the blow that she may get from someone that is not sensitive to kids by hearing it from you.

Simple, put a positive spin on the hobby. Today I was in a hobby store and a mom was buying her son a MicroMax kit. I overheard the mom saying "we can only launch in parks and the front yard" I walked up and told the lady about a .launch we have this Saturday. I told her we would be flying "big rockets" - We can only fly a full G because of field size restrictions, yet I'll bet that when that boy steps from MicroMax to see a G-Force, we could be launching a half scale space shuttle and he would not be any more impressed.

I realize I'm asking for a flame-job, but this 13 year old boy is where our future is. If we can build a base of LPR and even low end ( At LDRS, there was a minimal amount of younger flyers, say in the 18-25 age

Consumer Product Safety Commission -- a federal agency.