NARAM-50 - Range Rules

NARAM-50 General Flying Range Rules

The NAR Safety Codes for model rocketry, high power rocketry, and radio-control gliders will be followed for all activities at Great Meadow. The U.S. Model Rocketry Sporting Code (USMRC or "Pink Book") will be followed for competition flying. These codes include the following requirements:
- No alcoholic beverage consumption by flyers on the range.
- No smoking around high power rocket preparation or flying areas.
- No use of rocket motors that are not listed on the most recent "Combined Motor Certification List" published by NAR Standards and Testing.

Great Meadow's field rules also require the following:
- No glass containers on the property.
- No private cooking (grills, etc.) on the property.
- Pets must be leashed or otherwise contained.
- No cutting of tree limbs or other vegetation (i.e., during rocket retrieval).
- No activities except those specified on the use agreement. For NARAM-50, this means rockets may only be flown on the official range(s). Electric radio-control planes are permitted, but they may not fly over any rocket range.

Contest or sport range RSO decisions on disqualifications or denial of flight due to safety are final. Contest RSO decisions on other aspects of contest flight qualification may be appealed to the Contest Jury in accordance with the Pink Book.

There will be two ranges setup for rocket activities: the Contest Range and the Sport Range. These will be the only areas from which rockets may be launched.
- Competition flights will be flown only from the competition range.
- Practice flights for competition models and non-competition flights may be made only from the sport range.
- Gliders may be hand tossed in cleared areas, away from launch activities.

Radio control users must keep their transmitters turned off until reserving a channel. The frequency control board will be maintained at check-in on the sport range.

Only biodegradable (and horse-digestible) wadding is permitted -- no rock-wool fiberglass. Foam plugs for competition models are acceptable, as is standard Estes and Quest wadding.

If your rocket lands in the fenced land around a private residence, request permission from the owner before going into the fenced area to retrieve it.

Do not transmit on FRS radio channel 7, which is used for NARAM management.

NARAM-50 Sport Flying Range Rules

No one under age 18 or not NAR or TRA HPR certified for the motor impulse in question will be allowed past safety check-in in the direction of the high power pads without and appropriately certified sponsor.

You must present your NARAM-50 registration badge to the sport range staff to be allowed to fly on the sport range.

Igniters for high power rockets will be installed only at the pad immediately before flight. They should be brought to the safety check-in desk separately from, but with, the rocket.
- Sensitive igniters (such as electric match and flash bulb) must be shorted until hooked up to the range launch control systems at the pad.
- Electronically-triggered ejection charges or upper-stage ignition systems must also be shorted or disconnected until the rocket is at the pad.
- Continuity checks on igniters that are installed in high power motors may only be made through the range launch control systems, after the rocket is at the pad, pointed upward, and ready to be flown.

No high power rockets may be launched at angles that would cause them to fly over the contest range or spectator area.

Our waiver has an altitude ceiling limit of 4,500 feet above ground level for all HPR flights. A lower ceiling limit may be temporarily imposed by the RSO if clouds or wind make this prudent. If questioned, the sport flyer must provide evidence that the rocket being flown will not exceed the ceiling limits in effect.

No motors larger than "J" impulse class, or combination of motors exceeding this total impulse class, may be flown at Great Meadow regardless of the intended flight altitude.

All high power flyers should be prepared to demonstrate the location and correct orientation of the Center of Pressure and Center of Gravity of their rocket.

Launch rods of 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4-inch will be provided on the model rocket portion of the sport range. Six-foot rods of 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2-inch, as well as BlackSky rails will be provided on the HPR portion of the range. If you require a different type of support (e.g., hybrid equipment), you should bring it with you.

All HPR flights of "I" or "J" motors will be announced from the sport range RSO to the contest range RSO before launch, so that all flyers on the field may be alerted to the impeding launch.

NARAM-50 Contest Flying Range Rules

Model rocketry is FUN. Lives and fortunes are not at stake in the contest events, so do not behave like they were. Good sportsmanship is expected.

Range Duty. All contestants are required to perform their fair share of some form of range duty each day.
- Each individual from a team will be expected to perform duty.
- Range duties will be assigned via a published duty roster based on the preferences indicated on your registration form, and on the needs of the contest. See the Range Operations Manager if you need to request a change.
- Contestants who fail to show up for their assigned duties will not be allowed to fly in competition that day.

Check-In. Contestants must check-in for each official flight attempt and satisfy the check-in officer that their model complies with the rules, uses motor(s) certified for NAR contest use, and is ready to be flown. A new flight card will be issued for each flight attempt. The contestant is responsible for ensuring the card contains the proper information for his flight.
- Motors should be presented for inspection before flight, at check-in. If for any reason the motor must be inspected post-flight and the model is not returned, the flight will be scored as a "no flight", ineligible for flight points, if the flight was otherwise qualified.
- Check-in for each event will close 10 minutes prior to the end of the event.
- After the official end time for an event, all flights in the launch queue at that time will be given a single launch attempt. Misfires on the pad after the event close may NOT be corrected and retried.

Pad Assignments. Pad assignments will be made only to unoccupied pads. If you have a tower or other device at a busy pad, you have the option of moving your equipment to an unoccupied pad, or waiting until the pad with your equipment is free. No stacking or pre-allocating flight cards for a particular pad will be allowed. You must re-enter the assignment queue for each flight attempt.

Requesting a Flight. When you are at the pad and your model is ready to fly, indicate this to the Launch Control Officer by raising the paddle corresponding to your pad number until he acknowledges you.
- When acknowledged, your flight card will be entered into the launch queue and you should put the paddle back down on the ground by the pad.
- The RSO will fly rockets from the launch queue in first-in, first-out sequence. If you are no longer ready to launch when your turn comes up, your pad will be removed from the launch queue.

Misfires. Stay away from your model for 60 seconds as required by the Safety Code after any misfired launch attempt.
- If your misfire can be corrected with a spare igniter at the pad, your flight card will be removed from the launch queue and re-entered when you signal with your paddle.
- If you must leave the pad area to correct a misfire, your flight card will be returned to Pad Assignment and you must return through there for a new pad assignment when again ready to fly.

Launch Devices. Towers or other personally-provided must be sufficiently sturdy and long to provide safe initial guidance to the rocket.
- Piston launchers for composite motors must include directional support after the rocket separates from the piston tube. Pistons used inside a tower are considered to have this support. Free-standing pistons must provide it in some other manner that is judged adequate and safe by the RSO.
- Contestant-provided launch devices must include an adequate blast deflector that prevents motor exhaust from directly impinging on the ground.
- Contestant-provided electrical launch systems must comply with the NAR Safety Code requirements, and procedures for control of launch with them must be approved by the RSO.

Returns. For events requiring a returned model, that return must be made within 90 minutes from the end time for that day's events. There will be a designated "returns point" at the NARAM-50 hotel if the returns desk on the field is closed. It is the contestant's responsibility to ensure that the officials have annotated the flight card to correctly mark the model as returned.
- Returns for rockets that land in dangerous or inaccessible spots may be waived under Pink Book Rule 10.4 for all NARAM-50 events except Eggloft and Payload. Such "10.4" returns can be claimed for flights that land in trees and power lines and are visible to the RSO or his designated official. These officials will not travel farther than the main racecourse rail boundary in order to view and certify a potential 10.4 return from a tree. They will go anywhere to view a potential 10.4 return from a power line.
- The NARAM-50 staff has several 30-foot and 40-foot extendable retrieval poles available for tree recovery. These poles take 2 people to use. It is a Safety Code violation to attempt to recover a model from a power line.
- Do not walk through the safety arc (200 feet) around the high power pads on the sport range while recovering your models.

Tracking. All tracking will be to the point of ejection. Please use colored tracking powder that contrasts with the prevailing sky conditions, and inform the check-in officer of the color that you used. Flights that are "track lost" or "no close" but otherwise qualified do not count as official flights and may be reflown, or can be accepted as a flight of "0" for flight points.

Radio Control Rules

In addition to the above rules, Radio Control (RC) models are subject to the following additional rules:

Any RC flying model that can be boosted with a rocket motor is considered a part of the NARAM activities. It may be launched by other methods (electric, hand launch, hi start) for test flying.
Any RC flying model on the field must have a frequency pin. They will be available at the NARAM Contest Rangehead. This includes all RC aircraft including the newest 2.4 GHz frequencies.
RC models that are not capable of rocket boost may not be fuel powered. Electric, hand launch and hi start launch are OK. Excessively noisy electric aircraft are discouraged.
Non rocket type RC aircraft also requires a frequency pin as well as proof of alternate insurance. NAR insurance does not cover flying RC airplanes or helicopters. If you have an AMA membership that will meet the requirement for alternate insurance.