RECENT DISCUSSIONS on most all of the online discussion areas regarding rocketry have been reeling from the disclosure that more scrutiny is coming soon from the regulatory agencies. The resulting panic that has ensued has been discouraging to say the least, full of hyperbole and bordering on pure hysteria.

Why is it, when we have been told for how many months now that these types of changes were coming, that we are all up at arms? Why is it that when we feel encroached upon that we loose all evidence of common sense? Some of the declarations I read are outright scary!

Look at it this way: Ammonium perchlorate propellant is on the ATF list of explosives, correct? Congress has charged them with the responsibility of regulating that list of explosives, correct? We have been using ammonium perchlorate in an unregulated manner because of a perceived exemption for as long as "Easy Access™" has been around, correct? Why then, when we have been basically excusing our own activity because of our own interpretations, do we get all bent out of shape when that interpretation is finally clarified?

Don't get me wrong, I don't embrace these events at all! I think these circumstances will do more to hamper the expansion of our hobby than any other event. But to take the posture that the agency charged with doing its job is a bunch of jack-booted thugs is down-right unintelligent. While there may be examples of such activities within the agency, that is far from what you will see from the broad populace of ATF agents. Most are people just doing their jobs as have been communicated to them.

We have to get our heads screwed on straight about this situation. It's time to think straight. Go back in time a few months. You are reading the hobby's high power magazine. On the back cover is a full page ad for ammonium perchlorate reloadable motors that advertises, in full color, how "you're spared the hassle of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm (BATF) requirements." This ad ran for over a year! In retrospect, how smart was that? Did we really think we could slap the ATF in the face and they would do nothing? It's OK to imply things at times, but to come right out and print it in living color was asking for it!

And we got it. And now everyone's mad. Now before everyone goes out in protest, turning over cars and setting their neighborhoods on fire, maybe it would be a good idea to think of productive ways to approach regulatory issues. Like getting legal. Getting a permit. Sharing a magazine with the club. Writing level-headed messages to your organization. Proposing intelligent solutions that will work within the system. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot, again, because eventually it's going to get difficult to stand on just the remaining nubs.

Darrell Mobley is the editor of Rocketry Planet. You may reach him by email at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .