ROCHESTER, Minnesota USA — Expanding on an earlier pilot program, the National Association of Rocketry Board of Trustees has decided to expand a program allowing NAR members the ability to fly motors which were once certified but were decertified for certain conditions.

The pilot program, which allowed for the flight of decertified motors as long as they weren't decertified for safety reasons, was developed to study the effects of flight conditions on older motors.  Of 124 motors tested under the program, representing nine manufacturers and 44 different motor types, the failure rate was limited to around 7%, considering all possible failure modes.

The program, at the decision of the NAR Trustees, has now been expanded to allow NAR members to participate in this testing protocol.  Any individual wishing to participate under the new program extension must apply for authorization to conduct a test flight and follow specified procedures for authorization, testing and collection of test data.

The initial authorization request must be made in advance to Ted Cochran, Chair of the NAR Safety Committee.  You can apply at any time, although he will need a week or so to allow for processing of the request to check the motor list you submit and to get a written authorization back to you.  In effect, a "spot re-certification" is being granted for your test flight.

To submit an authorization request, you need to submit:

• The name and NAR number of the person responsible for conducting the test and reporting on the results,
• The date and place of the test (include a brief description of the field, e.g., "school football field," "25 square miles of desert"),
• An itemized list of motors to be tested, and
• A statement of agreement to comply with the conditions listed below, and any other conditions that may be attached to the authorization (e.g., safe distances, restrictions on the list of motors to be tested).

Note that only model rocket motors that have not been decertified for safety reasons are eligible for this program. This program is only open to NAR members. Under the NAR Safety Code, you may not fly decertified motors unless you comply with these rules.

Program participation conditions:

1. Testing will be restricted to those clubs and NAR members, on insured sites, and at specific times and places, who agree to comply with these conditions.
   
   
2. Motors shall have been decertified only due to being out of production and shall not have been decertified for safety reasons.
   
   
3. Minimum distances shall be at least doubled, depending on the characteristics of the vehicle under test. Tests shall not be conducted when elevated fire hazard conditions are present, and appropriate firefighting equipment shall be available.
   
   
4. All test flights will be conducted with spectators alerted and aware.
   
   
5. All test flights shall use a single motor. The sole exception to this restriction is that black powder booster motors may be staged to an appropriate, currently certified black powder sustainer motor. No clustered motors shall be used.
   
   
6. The following data shall be provided to the Chair of the Safety Committee no later than seven days following the event, for each motor tested, regardless of outcome:
   
   
   • Motor designation
   • Date of manufacture and/or motor coding
   • Any available information on storage (e.g., "it's been in my cool, dry basement for 10 years.")
   • Flight outcome, including timed delay. If the outcome was a failure motor, details of the failure and a MESS report shall be submitted.
7. In the event two motors from the same date and of the same type CATO, no further testing of motors of that date and type shall be conducted.

Motor tests shall not be conducted without specific written authorization, because motors tested under this policy shall be considered to be certified for the date and location specified in the authorization.