Rocketry Planet

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands EUR — While the United States appears to be trying to asphyxiate hobby rocketry via over-regulation, Dutch leaders in The Netherlands openly embrace the sport with the recent enactment of new laws that recognize and legitimize the flying of model and high power rockets within the tiny northwestern European country.

The new Dutch law, based on U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) models, are the result of more than six years of negotiation and lobby, and are a direct result of efforts put forth by local members of the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA), an international organization of high power rocketry enthusiasts. 

Work on the new law started when Frank De Brouwer, prefect of Tripoli The Netherlands, the local Tripoli prefecture, was asked to perform exhibition flights during an air show in The Netherlands back in 1999. While working on the specifics of the exhibition launch, an inspector for the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), Dutch equivalent of the FAA, pointed out that rockets were not allowed in Dutch airspace, as they were not recognized as an 'air vehicle' in the Dutch aviation laws.  As a result, plans for the demonstration launches at the air show were scrapped.

The Netherlands in northwestern Europe is becoming "rocketry-friendly," thanks to efforts of local fliers.

The JAA is an associated body of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who have agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures.  The JAA inspector pointed out that there might be a way to make an exception for hobby rockets in the Dutch aviation law, as the whole Dutch law was being rewritten to accomodate the new JAA rulings within Europe.

De Brouwer contacted the other official Dutch rocketry organizations, Dutch Rocket Research Association (DRRA) for model rockets, Dutch Federation for Rocket Research (NERO) and Nederlandse Amateur Vereniging voor Raket-Onderzoek (NAVRO) for experimental rocketry, and together with the JAA, the new law was drafted.  Many delays were encountered due to bureaucracy and the fact that other laws took precedence, but after six years, the draft was finally finished.

During the summer of 2006, De Brouwer and Wilfred van Bergen, chairman of Tripoli The Netherlands, turned up the lobbying effort, which resulted in the law clearing the final hurdles to become official. The law was signed by the Minister of Inspectie Verkeer en Waterstaat (IVW), the Dutch Transport and Water Management Inspectorate, at the end of November and published into the official state paper on 05 December, 2006, taking effect immediately.

De Brouwer, van Bergen and the other Tripoli The Netherlands members wish to thank all persons involved in making this law a reality, and also all organizations that played a role: DRRA, NERO, NAVRO, JAA and IVW.  As a result, they are able to organize launches in The Netherlands from 2007 forward. All that remains are some small storage hurdles, but those are minor compared to what they have accomplished.  Cesaroni Technology Incorporated (CTI), manufacturers of the Pro® and Hypertek® line of hobby rocketry motors, have already completed the "CE" certification process of rocket motors required for use in the European Union, and AeroTech is currently working on the certification of their products.

The Dutch law is a milestone in hobby rocketry in the European Union, as they are the first country that has hobby rockets accepted thru an official exemption in national airspace laws.  Some small highlights of the law are:

• The whole law became part of the Dutch Aviation Laws and is subject to these laws.
• Hobby rockets are divided in 'small' and 'large' rockets: 1500 gram limit for small rockets (with a maximum of 125 gram of fuel), 35000 gram limit for large rockets.
• Only members of an official Dutch rocketry organization may launch hobby rockets: currently DRRA, NERO, NAVRO and Tripoli The Netherlands.
• Non-members may fly under the supervision of a member of a Dutch rocketry organization.
• A launch site or launch event has to be authorized by one of the Dutch rocketry organizations.
• The rocket has to be stable and must have a recovery system.
• The launch pad has to be in a vertical position and may be set 20 degrees of vertical maximum.
• The launch path of the rocket has to be pre-calculated.
• The rocket must be equipped with the name and address of the flyer.
• Launch sites must adhere to special locations with respect to airfields.
• A small rocket may be flown in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) airspace.
• A large rocket may only be flown in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions in a special closed airspace corridor.

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