Model Rockets, hazard to aircraft

[radio ears]

I am in the UK near oxford and have been given a small model rocket, that claims it can reach 190meters, where can I fly it?

I have tried asking the the shops that sell them, and one shop said they had flown one next to RAF Brize Norton! and though as nobody stoped them they were not causing a problem.

What do people think about sales to the uneducated public?

[mattpilot]

funny, i've been talking about the same subject with a friend today. He said he often launches rockets in a park, which is just off the end of 08 here at KTUL. Its only a crosswind runway so it doesn't get much use, but still...

Anyhow, in canada they have a law that you can't launch rockets within 100km of an airfield - I find that kinda extreme. You couldn't even make a law like that in the US cause there are airfields everywhere :rolleyes:

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I can't find anything in the Air Navigation Order about model rockets but the following page may be of interest as it provides pretty good guidelines: http://www.bmfa.org/ANO/

[Eboy]

These are the "model" rockets I launched as a kid. I lost them so quickly in cornfields I never posed a concern to aviation.

I believe the FAA generally does not concern itself with rockets less than 1 pound. In the U.S., one can move beyond model rocketry to "high-power" rocketry and "amateur" rocketry, which have FAA notification/permission requirements depending on what you are doing.

The Arizona High Power Rocketry Association has an annual bowling ball loft contest. Their record was set in 2000 when a 16 pound bowling ball was carried to over 17,000 feet. The rocket had a lift off weight of 200 pounds.

http://www.ahpra.org/TLVBB.htm

[EI_Sparks]

In Ireland, you have to give notice to the IAA and be more than 8km from an airfield. Unless the rocket uses less than 100g of propellant; or is made of something insubstantial and weighs less than 500g in total; or is part of a fireworks display with a max ceiling of 400'.
But the important bit is that it says they can't be operated in a manner that causes hazard to people, property or aircraft.
So as long as you don't fire it straight up into the circuit you ought to be okay. But, remember, standard disclaimers apply :):rolleyes: :eek: