TRA vs NAR Junior Certifications

Maybe I'm missing something here, but doesn't Tripoli's Junior Certification Program pale in comparison to NAR's?? Tripoli's allows Jr members to fly F & G motors with supervision (last I checked folks under 18 could buy F motors in most of the US anyway) where NAR's allows them to fly H & I motors, with the junior certification transferring to a L1 cert as soon as they turn 18. Doesn't NAR's allow for a lot more?

Granted, I think both of these will help- I would have died to participate in the NAR's current program before I turned 18 & got certified.

David Tietz NAR 65139 TRA 5150 L2

Reply to
David Tietz
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We have a few kids under 18 who fly H & I motors. The catch is the father is certified and the father's name goes on the card. We did have a launch where a kid launched a H or I and used the father's name. Nobody checked to see that his father was actually present. Opps.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Since adult supervision is the only legal requirement, why would the kid's name not go on the card?

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

Certification

No, it doesn't. They are already allowed by law to fly F/G motors. This "Jr. Cert" is not a true certification like the high power cert. It's just a merit badge for kids who think they haven't accomplished anything unless they get a pat on the head for it.

No, actually the NAR's program adds _more_ restrictions. In TRA, any kid can fly high power as long as a certified adult flyer buys the motor and supervises its use -- no "jr. cert" is necessary. In the NAR's program, the kid has go through their Jr. cert program before he's allowed to that.

Reply to
raydunakin

Ray, What are your children's opinions about the junior cert program? Or other "merit badge" programs?

steve

Reply to
default

David: No I don't think the TRA Jr. Certfication program "pales in consideration".... Its a compltely different program than the NAR Jr. Certifcation program: the TRA program is for those under 18, flying FG motors.... Keep in mind, that by federal law, reloads of any kind are not typically available to minors...This allows minors with adult supervision to use FG reloads under adult supervision....

the NAR program is adult/minor supervision/participation in H motors with auto cert at age 18....

2 completely different program, but I think they are both good steps for their respective orgs as those both recognize that adult supervision of minors with the larger motors is a good thing

shockie B)

Reply to
shockwaveriderz

Neither one grants a junior member anything they didn't already have. Juniors can already fly high power, with parent/guardian approval, and with direct involvement of someone who's certified at the level they're flying at.

We have a teenager who flies high power all the time; when it's I and below, he flies with dad. For those few J flights he's done, dad approves him partnering with someone else who's certified L2 or higher.

NAR actually puts MORE restrictions on them, as they say that the junior members cannot assemble the motor. The junior member should be able to assemble the motor, under the supervision of an adult and with parent/guardian approval.

It should be no different than someone with a Learner's Permit for driving -- with parent/guardian approval, an adult can let them take the wheel under their supervision.

-Kevin

Reply to
Kevin Trojanowski

The Jr Cert isn't required. The supervising adult's name is on the flight card. The benefit of the NAR program is that it automatically converts to Full Level 1 when the kid turns 18.

Reply to
Alex Mericas

Tripoli rules require one to be 18 to fly H & I motors since you can't certify level 1 until age 18.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

program?

My son is 27, my foster daughter is 26, and neither of them do rocketry. My grandkids are still much too young for rocketry.

Reply to
raydunakin

As I read it, it sure sounded like the NAR's program restricts minors from doing HPR unless they go through the jr. cert program.

Same as with TRA, so why bother?

That's great, but if a kid's been flying high power all along, it wouldn't have been that difficult to cert on his own when he turns 18

-- so the automatic cert isn't that big a deal, IMHO.

=FF

Reply to
raydunakin

Exactly Kevin... Neither program grants anything they didn't already have. My question, is why "codify" something like this, as there already seems to be the "well, you need this new Jr Cert to do what you've been doing" type thoughts.. Seems it could be more restrictive for some kids, so others can get meaningless "merit badges"!

It's like TRA's new "G hybrid" rules too... How does this all work in a joint TRA/NRA club? Why does NAR and TRA enact stuff like this without some cross-org buy-in?

Reply to
AZ Woody

Ahhh. Tripoli rules again.

I keep hearing that.

But you STILL can't merely be on the flight card, even under facist Tripoli rules?

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

That's not an ATF requirement. That's not an FAA requirement. That's not a CPSC requirement.

Must be a TRIPOLI REQUIREMENT.

The "it could be worse" arguement.

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

I do want to go on record as saying that is a real, tangible benefit. Perhaps the only one.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

My kid flew his first K at age 3. He thinks it is silly.

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

NAR/TRA:

codify everything!

Kill all exemptions.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

My 13 1/2 yr old son thinks its great. He wants to build and fly his Level 1 this summer. He already has the motor case (won it in a raffle a few years ago).

Reply to
Alex Mericas

You win. let's move on to the next silly discussion.

Alan

Reply to
Alan Jones

Tripoli's isn't any less restrictive. Instead, it gives the juniors the opportunity to earn something. That's its whole purpose. NAR's program does put more restrictions on the fliers, which is unfortunate.

Depends on whose sanction you're doing the launch under, and the NAR members flying at a Tripoli launch need to be following NAR rules, if they're more restrictive.

-Kevin

Reply to
Kevin Trojanowski

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