- 5.1 Range Safety Officer
- During all operations concerned with the launching and flight of model rockets,
all authority for the safety of operations on the flying field shall be vested in a
Range Safety Officer (RSO) who must be a Senior member of the NAR in good standing.
Deputy Range Safety Officers who are Senior or Leader members of the NAR in good
standing may have this authority delegated to them by the RSO, but this delegation
of partial authority does not relieve the RSO of the overall responsibility and
authority on the flying field. If the RSO leaves the flying field, he must relinquish
his/her duties and responsibilities to a new RSO who must be a Senior member of the NAR.
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- 5.2 Flying Field
- The flying field shall have a ground area whose shortest dimension is no less than
one-fourth (1/4) the anticipated maximum altitude of the rockets to be flown. The flying
field should not contain or be adjacent to high voltage lines, major highways, multi-story
buildings, or other obstacles. The launching location shall be no closer than 10 meters to
the boundaries of the flying field.
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- 5.3 Safety Check
- All model rockets presented for operation on the flying field shall be permitted or
denied flight by the Range Safety Officer or their duly authorized deputy on the basis
of his/her considered judgment with respect to safety.
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- 5.4 Launching Device
- A launching device or mechanism must be used that shall restrict the horizontal
motion of the model until sufficient flight velocity is attained for reasonably safe,
predictable flight. A launch rod composed of approximately one meter of 1/8" diameter
rod is suggested for light models and models using less than 20 Newton-seconds of
impulse. For heavier or higher-powered models, a launch rod composed of approximately one meter
of 3/16" or 1/4" diameter rod is recommended. A launching angle of less than thirty degrees
from the vertical must be used.
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- 5.5 Momentum
- A launcher must not impart to the model any velocity or change of momentum except
that caused by the model rocket motor(s) contained in the model.
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- 5.6 Ignition
- Launching or ignition of a model rocket must be conducted by remote electrical means
from a distance as required by the safety code, and must be fully under the control of the
person launching the model. All persons in the vicinity of any launching must be advised
that a launching is imminent before a model rocket may be ignited or launched. A minimum
five-second audible countdown must be given before ignition or launching of a model rocket.
Contestants will always be allowed to use their own launchers, and to launch at the time of
their choice, within limits placed by the RSO.
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