BATAVIA, Illinois USA — Fallout from recent events in Kentucky surrounding a local rocketry club flying near Lexington's Blue Grass International Airport has reached out and touched rocketry enthusiasts who are employed by the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois, known as Fermilab.

Fermilab Association of Rocketry members enjoying a launch in May of 2004.

Fermilab, originally named the National Accelerator Laboratory, was commissioned by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, under a bill signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in November of 1967. Founding Director Robert R. Wilson committed the laboratory to firm principles of scientific excellence, aesthetic beauty, stewardship of the land, fiscal responsibility and equality of opportunity.

On May 11, 1974, the laboratory was renamed in honor of 1938 Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi, one of the pre-eminent physicists of the atomic age. The cross-section of employees at the laboratory includes those with all types of interests, including hobby rocketry, which eventually led to the formation of an employee-based club.

The Fermilab Association of Rocketry was originally formed in 1992 by a group of laboratory employees, and while the original club was short-lived, it reformed in October of 2000, when the club was officially approved by Fermilab's Recreation Office. Naturally, club activities have to operate under the watchful eye of the member's employer, the U.S. Department of Energy.

The club had been meeting and flying regularly on the government property, which meant that participation was restricted to the employees of the laboratory with no access for the general public.  Recently, part of that equation changed, with the facility pulling their permission for club members to launch rockets any longer on the premises.

The situation originally developed two weeks ago, when the debacle involving the FAA, a local Kentucky air traffic control manager and the Bluegrass Rocketry Society, a Lexington, Kentucky-based club affiliated with the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), was in full-swing.  Several days after that situation, Dan Barna of Dupage Airport in West Chicago contacted Greg Cisko, then-president of the Fermilab Association of Rocketry, requesting to see a copy of the club's FAA waiver. 

According to an email from Cisko, "per [the club's] agreement with them," the club did not have an FAA waiver. After following up with the facility, with Cisko notifying the public affairs department of the airport's contact, the laboratory management made the decision to discontinue launches on laboratory property. 

While members are allowed to continue meeting at the facility, any launches must be conducted elsewhere.  Cisko has since resigned as the club's president but other club officers and members are working to locate an alternative launch site, which should allow the Fermilab Association of Rocketry to open up their launches to members of the general public.

05-30-2007 03:10 PM  #1
shockwaveriderz Model Rocket Historian   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 37	"Several days after that situation, Dan Barna of Dupage Airport in West Chicago contacted Greg Cisko, then-president of the Fermilab Association of Rocketry, requesting to see a copy of the club's FAA waiver." SO why don't you call this Dan Barna and ask him what his impetus was for asking for a non-existent waiver. If this airport and the NAR section there had "an agreement" was it verbal or in writing. Its my understanding that this NAR section was forced to give up its HPR activities at this fermilab site over 2 years ago. So its not like this just happened by accident. Also did this airport mangaer call the Fermilab and request for what ever reasons that they, Fermilab, should all of a sudden pull the club's landowner permission? On what grounds did the Fermilab revoke its landowners permission to fly ? Evidently, this club was working on borrowed time for this launch site. Theres a lot we don't know here, and to say that its direectly related to the Kentucky problems maybe premature. And even if this is proven as a direct causal agent, BluesRocks in KY did nothing wrong! Thats the bottom line. This sounds to me that the airport and land owner just didn't like and or want rocketry activites and they used this as an excuse to pull the fermilab club's plug. Terry Dean NAR 16158 Bluesrocks Sr. Advisorr

06-02-2007 12:46 AM  #2
shockwaveriderz Model Rocket Historian   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 37	Thought I'd bring you up to date on the so called Bluesrocks "debacle": The "responsible person" received a phone call from the Atlanta Eastern Region FAA HQ today, informing him, that the investigation was over and he had been absolved of any wrongdoings. In addition He was informed that all future FAA waivers are to be sent to one of 3 regional FAA service Centers. No more local FSDO stuff. Bottom line: Duff Ortmann retired today from 25 yrs as a ATC. He of course insisted he wasn't forced out or asked to leave; it was a "planned retirement". 'nuff said... Terry Dean NAR 16158 BluesRockS SR.Advisor

06-02-2007 10:59 AM  #3
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2287	Terry, Congratulations. I am very glad it worked out this way and I am glad that Mr. Ortmann retired. I also hope you are able to secure another field from which to fly.

06-02-2007 12:16 PM  #4
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4157	Editor's Note Quote: Thought I'd bring you up to date on the so called Bluesrocks "debacle" Editor's Note: Please note that the title of this article begins with the words "Kentucky FAA debacle," and not the "Bluesrocks debacle." In the context of this article, the reader can discern for themselves where the source of the "ludicrous failure" (The Free Dictionary) originated from reading the NASA Safety Report issued regarding the event, specifically, "The ATM then told us NOT TO ALTER THE JET AIRCRAFTS HEADINGS. He said that they had their waiver and that we were going to have normal departures. This sounds like a pissing contest between the ATM, FSDO and the Bluegrass rocketry society." While we don't know the complete story on why Mr. Ortmann left his job, it could have been that he resigned being considered "at fault" or he could have left on his own "for principle," or he could have been simply leaving after his 25 years, but there is no doubt he was personally vested in the outcome of the events that occured. Whatever the reason, it is incumbent upon us all to consider ourselves as personal ambassadors of the hobby whenever we have interactions with the FAA and/or the local airport staff and management. The future of the hobby may very well depend upon it.

06-03-2007 08:59 AM  #5
agrippo Certified Level Three   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 131	Quote: Editor's Note: Please note that the title of this article begins with the words "Kentucky FAA debacle," and not the "Bluesrocks debacle." In the context of this article, the reader can discern for themselves where the source of the "ludicrous failure" (The Free Dictionary) originated from reading the NASA Safety Report issued regarding the event, specifically, "The ATM then told us NOT TO ALTER THE JET AIRCRAFTS HEADINGS. He said that they had their waiver and that we were going to have normal departures. This sounds like a pissing contest between the ATM, FSDO and the Bluegrass rocketry society." While we don't know the complete story on why Mr. Ortmann left his job, it could have been that he resigned being considered "at fault" or he could have left on his own "for principle," or he could have been simply leaving after his 25 years, but there is no doubt he was personally vested in the outcome of the events that occured. Whatever the reason, it is incumbent upon us all to consider ourselves as personal ambassadors of the hobby whenever we have interactions with the FAA and/or the local airport staff and management. The future of the hobby may very well depend upon it. The guy didn't retire or get fired after the terrible plane crash he was involved with so I doubt something as minor as this pushed him out the door. I don't know about accepting the role of "ambassador of the hobby" but I think a good dose of respect should always be part of the recipe when dealing with AHJ's. Andrew