In
the same manner that radio control model aircraft are today under scrutiny
by government regulating agencies (DHS, FBI, et al), model rocketry
suffered various forms of discrimination in its early days of widespread
popularity. Per this 1963 article from American Modeler, "The
status of model rocketry under the law has often been a questionable
one in several sections of the country. Our hobby has been variously
labeled as fireworks, handling and discharging explosives, public nuisance
(which covers a multitude of sins), disturbance of the peace, a hazard
to aircraft in flight, dangerous to persons and property on the ground,
and 'dangerous killer.' As the record shows it is none of these." The
more things change, the more they stay the same; ignorance is NOT
bliss. Rocket Trails
by Harry (Old Rocketeer) Stine

Dennis Guill, 16, New Canaan, Connecticut, follows model aloft
with tracking telescope at L.G. Hanscom Field, Mass., during
NAR meet. (USAF photo)

Canard B/G design by Old Rocketeer features low wing loading
and moderate wing sweep. Uses engine casing jerk system to actuate
canard surfaces.

Paul Hans' canard B/G was single-staged and prototype of Centuri
"Acro-Bat." Latest versions of this ship are two-staged.

Gordon Mandell, NAR#1441, one of the winners of the North Nassau
Zone Science Congress (New York) and participant in the New
York. Exposition of Technology '63. Gordon, still in high school,
has become one of the nation's experts in the theory and design
of B/G. |
The status of model rocketry under the law has often been a questionable
one in several sections of the country. Our hobby has been variously
labeled as fireworks, handling and discharging explosives, public nuisance
(which covers a multitude of sins), disturbance of the peace, a hazard
to aircraft in flight, dangerous to persons and property on the ground,
and "dangerous killer." As the record shows it is none of these.
State and local laws treat model rocketry differently from state
to state and even from town to town. The way that civic officials and
John Law look upon model rocketry can be generally classified as follows:
1. Look the other way. Certain places may have laws about
fireworks, explosives, public nuisance, etc. Officials there know that
some model rocketry is going on and that our little birds are streaking
up into the blue. But said officials have other things on their minds
like juvenile thugs, murderers, public and/or private scandals and similar
items to keep them plenty busy. They are therefore much too occupied
to bother the model rocketeers - unless some joker in town blows his
silly head off with a home-made bomb. Or until some do-gooder complains
about "those wild young men flying dangerous things out in that field
a mile from our house." Even though there is no law that sez specifically
"no model rockets," the officials can always dig something out of the
statute books and use it to bring model rocketry to a halt.
2. We just heard about it. In this situation, model rocket engines
have been sold in local stores for years. People have been happily buying
Jetex engines for model airplanes, plus pre-packaged powerplants for
their modrocs, and they have been safely flying same all over the place.
Then some official happens to see this going on. He remembers that there
is a law somewhere that says you can't do it. So he stops you and slaps
a general ban on the hobby. 3. The Flat No. Such places
have laws on the books that say in no uncertain words, "no model rockets
because they are dangerous." 4. Yes, providing ... In
this place, you can fly model rockets or otherwise engage in the hobby
providing you have a permit to do so. Said permit costs you so many
dollars per year. It can be revoked at any time for any cause. It gives
you permission to do something, but does not mean that the town or state
provides you with safety inspection, flying areas, or anything else.
It is a matter of control, they say, so that they will know who is flying
or possessing model rockets and so that they will have the ability to
yank the permission if something goes wrong. 5. So What?
In this lovely place, there are no laws agin' model rocketry, the officials
couldn't care less, and people buy and fly to their hearts' content.
6. Yes, You May. This is very rare. Said place has on
its statute books a law saying that model rocketry is definitely permitted
and encouraged providing that certain reasonable safety rules are followed.
In the United States, model rocketeers run up against all of
these, a combination of them, or variations on the theme. Often, when
you go into the local city hall to ask if you can fly, the official
you ask will say NO simply because he doesn't know what you are talking
about, and therefore saying NO gets him off the hook; he avoids responsibility
by negative action. In the past year, there has been a great
deal of activity on the legal side of model rocketry. I want to report
some of these things to give an indication of what we may expect from
time to time not only from civic officials but also from legislative
bodies. In 1962, General Counsel Richard Shaffer of the NAR
drew up the basis for a permissive, educational state statute on model
rocketry which could be used by NAR members and model rocketeers in
various states who wished to take some sort of action through the state
representatives to get a good law on the books where needed. Dick called
upon the extensive technical known-how available in the NAR and came
up with what the NAR calls "The Uniform Code of Model Rocketry." This
document was designed to served as a guide for NAR Senior Members and
other adult citizens in working with their state governments. It was
not made available generally to youngsters, who are not taxpayers or
voting citizens and therefore do not have much voice in political affairs
because of the simple fact that nobody listens to them. Perhaps sad,
but very true. And when dealing with such things as these, you have
to be quite realistic. Meanwhile, the roof caved in in California.
The State Fire Marshal's office took a look at the California Fireworks
Law which defines a "dangerous firework" as any rocket or any object
which "ascends into the air with a discharge of matter." Although they
did not stop jet aircraft from taking off at Los Angeles International
Airport and did not lift a finger to do anything about Jetex engines,
they immediately stopped shipment of all model rocket engines into California,
confiscated any model rocket engine they could get their hands on, and
called upon the FBI to help them stop shipments. When California model
rocketeers went into orbit about this, the Fire Marshal's office stated
that they were not at all against model rocketry, and that there were
perfectly reasonable rules which existed to permit the hobby.
Notwithstanding the fact that something more than $1,500 per year
in licenses was to be required from each model rocket manufacturer who
wanted to ship his products into the state, any individual who wanted
to fly a model rocket was reportedly required to fulfill the following
conditions: 1. Obtain a Pyrotechnic Operator's License,
Second Class. Cost: $5. 2. Post
bond or insurance for $25,000. 3. Obtain a Permit for Public
Display of Fireworks costing $5 for each
rocket. 4. Have an approved launching ground with a concrete
bunker or revetment at least 50 yards from the launcher. When
an adult with over a year's' experience in model rocketry applied for
an operator's license, it is reported that he was told that he did not
have the requisite experience. When he asked where he could get it,
he was sent to a local amateur rocket club. Said amateur rocket club
told him that they were not flying at all because they had not been
able to obtain insurance that satisfied the requirements. So our harried
adult checked and found that his personal liability insurance policy
was more than adequate. I understand that he went into a local hobby
store, bought a Jetex engine with fuel, and then went out and watched
a group of model aviators fly with Jetex. At this writing, the
model rockets are grounded in California, the state where Douglas, Lockheed,
North American, General Dynamics/Astronautics, and Aerojet are making
and testing nearly all the rockets made in the USA for the armed services
and NASA. Model rocketeers are unhappy. So are science teachers. And
so are a group of adults led by Larry Holliday in Whittier, who are
trying to get the whole schmear straightened out. In the meantime, the
situation isn't helping things a bit ... a kid got killed in Los Angeles
trying to make his own engines ... maybe because he couldn't buy the
mild pre-packaged ones we use and advocate. Posted June 24, 2013
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