JEAN DRY LAKE, Nevada USA — Yesterday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a "Certificate of Waiver or Authorization" to the Rocketry Organization of California (ROC), authorizing them to conduct high-power amateur rocket flights at LDRS 26, the Tripoli Rocketry Association's annual national launch event, which is being held in Jean, Nevada.

High-power rocket flights are now authorized for all six days of LDRS, which runs from July 12-17, 2007.  The launch will have an 11,000 MSL (8,228 AGL) waiver with high altitude windows available to 19,000 feet MSL (16,228 GL) during the daylight hours.

Night flights are also authorized for two hours each evening, from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with all night-launched rockets being required to carry lights that are clearly visible throughout their entire flights. Night-launched rockets going above 2000' above ground level (AGL) are required to carry flashing or strobe lights.

As a reminder for Research fliers, according to the Tripoli Research Safety Code:

9.9.1 The maximum launch altitude of a research flight shall be 75% of the waiver altitude established for the launch.

If you wish to make a flight that will exceed approximately 8,000' AGL, you will need to check off the "Need High Alt Waiver?" box on the flight card, and write in the Expected Altitude in the space provided. Once the rocket is loaded on the pad, and ready to go, we'll take the altitude you need, call the FAA with the details of the proposed flight, and request approval for a "window" of time during which they will allow flights to a higher altitude.

The FAA will evaluate the location, speed, and direction of other air traffic in the area, and, if the traffic patterns will allow it, they will give us a short time window in which to make the flight. For example, it's not uncommon for the FAA to tell us something like, "We have a flight coming over you in 2-3 minutes. We'll give you a 5-minute window to 16,000' MSL, starting five minutes from now."

Once we get the "OK" from the FAA and the "window" is open, the Launch Control Officer (LCO) will go directly to that pad, arm it, announce the flight, and launch it as soon as possible. As soon as the flight descends back below the normal waiver altitude, we will call the FAA back, and close the "window."

Advanced registration for LDRS 26 ends in one week, on June 30, 2007. After June 30, fliers must register on-site at LDRS 26, at full price. To register to fly at LDRS, or to purchase tickets for Saturday night's LDRS Banquet, please see the registration page at: http://www.ldrs26.org/flyers.html