Rocketry in Australia

Why don't you load up a container with kits & motors and send it down there?

Thanks GD. That's some helpful info and appreciated!

Sounds like you have some interesting projects... The Chute Mech....

So where are you at? Or is that 'Classified' :-)

Cheers, Clint

I'll let you know over the next 6mnths :-)

Well maybe I should have contacted you first Jerry?

So how do I get hold of mega motors (Solid), igniters & other pyro devices, keep them at my place and fly to obscene altitudes with a video packed rocket etc. etc...?

And do all this without realy knowing how to go about it? And knowing nothing of importation laws etc? And doing this in a legal manor?

The last thing I need is a couple of stun grenades being lobbed thru the windows. Followed up by 3 or 4 German Shepards, followed by 12 guys in riot gear with autos pointed at my head.

Rather than answer directly since the answer is not installed yet, I say "watch".

I agree that is a major issue.

Jerry

Yes, and they can't ship them marked as "model airplane parts" either.. (:-)

Don't be so sure.

Go for it; "live the life stile"!! (;-)

Stupid is, as stupid does.

"CJC" wrote in news:Vvvke.14860$ snipped-for-privacy@nasal.pacific.net.au:

Not really. I think I might have even mentioned it here before. The half built plan is to separate the nose cone and body at ejection (no shock cord) and each half comes down under its own parachute. Each is radio controlled, and the two folks on the ground have a little competition as to who can steer their piece back most accuractely.

At this stage, body and nose cone is built. I have one 'nasa parawing' parachute but need to sew together another one. The radio control mechanism in the nose is installed. Just need to fit the RC mechanism in the body and make the motor mount, and model it all in rocksim.

I'm doing my best, but I'm one person. I need other Aussies to get off their backsides and be proactive in promoting the hobby.

Thanks, but unless you can do something about the strangle hold our hobby wholsaler has on us, I'm afraid the future looks grim. The best motors I could get this season were a couple of F40 Ecconojets. No

Destruction? The Triploi folks over here are just stagnant. David Boyd told me that most of the members keep in touch via email - that almost makes TRA a closed club - the last time I visited the web site, it was two years out of date and with very little, almost 0 info. It doesnt show up in the search engines when you search for rocket clubs in australia.

I don't know what your gripe with Tripoli is and I've never had any dealings with them myself, but PARC is a free spirit and is not tied in with any other org.

Don't I know it....it's Dawn Trading that has me most worried. They can pull the pin on the hobby for evryone at the drop of a hat.

Have who contact you? Dawn trading? They wont talk to me. Period. Because I'm not a hobby shop, I don't exist.

That's correct. If I had the means, I would start a business that imports rocketry stuff and I would get mid power kits and ground support into every hobby store in the country. I wouldnt care how long it takes to recoup my costs...just so long as I can say 'yep - heres a G64 to pop in my amraam' or 'BT to fix the lawn dart Strong ARM? No probs'.

Who? The hobby stores? Most of them don't even know what a rocket is. This country is so backwards in so many ways.

How? You found a way to clone rocketeers? Is that legal??? :-)

When was the last time you saw a mid power kit in a hobby store? That's how I found out about mid/high power rocketry - from seeing aerotech kits in the shop - so I bought two of em in 2002 and the shop hasnt replaced the ones I bought yet. I bought the old NCR launchpad & firecontrol kit they had and thats all the mid power launch stuff they had - if shops carried the stuff, people buying their estes toys might see a real rocket and say 'wow! gotta have one of thoes!' just like I did.

I blame it all on Dawn Trading, the hobby shops and the draconian laws that govern the hobby. This year I had to get police clearance to be able to apply for my permit to purchase composite motors which requires photo ID and proof of membership in a rocket club. Next year they will want a DNA sample - I'm sure of it.

not a bad idea. We need motors - 29mm stuff and large 24mm stuff. And I just wrote off my estes executioner, so I am in the market for a

Yes, but you can buy stuff interstate and get motors and spares. Not so easy for us guys. I just bought 3 PML kits only to find out there are almost zero 29mm motors left in the country and no word when (IF!!) there will be any more!

Spot on. Australia should find it's own way instead of hanging of America's skirts all the time.

In WA, the law is: You need to have your club membership endorsed to fly on H & I impulse motors - no mention of how the club should do that. PARC follows the NAR guidlines because they make sence and it is wise for a rocketeer to display a certain amount of knowledge before stepping up to bigger motors, but we are not required by law to follow any US codes - only thoes set out by the local club.

Get them in the hobby stores here and we'll fly 'em.

It's all about state laws over here. As far as I can tell, federal laws don't realy touch rocketry - it's up to the state and more precisley, the body that governs pyrotechnics, which is usually the mining and resources arm of the state gov. Also, CASA have a big say (obviously).

It's -=CASA=- that limits liftoff weight and total impulse. In WA, CASA limit us to 1.5kg liftoff weight and 320Nsec thrust. And it goes without saying that CASA limit the launch altitude. Which for the most part is stupid, because we have so much unused airspace it just isn't funny. They pulled a face when I asked for 3500ft and we get like, 1 aircraft a month in the area if we are lucky.

Australia will recognise NAR and TRA certs, but that means nothing realy because you need a permit from the state gov (and that now includes a requirement for police clearance (in West Aust at least). So, without the police clearance and state permit, NAR and TRA certs mean nothing. But if you do have thoes things, the clubs will honour your certs.

Now if the TRA site would have some useful info like this on it, people wouln't be walking around aimlessly trying to figure out how to step up from black powder, to mid power to high power. And they are not a very visible club to start with.

Why don't you move there and show them how to do it?