Remember 1500'agl over heavily populated areas...

[WizardPilot]

Remember 1000'agl over heavily populated areas...

Saturday I was playing catch with my little brother in the park. A family showed up with their model rocket. They launched once, and it got stuck in a tree and they recovered it. While getting the rocket ready for launch again, a piper, flying 500-700 feet above the ground was headed towards us, he circled about a mile south of us for a few mins then flew towards us. By this time the rocket was on its pad ready to go. I was watching up at the plane as it was about a half mile from us and I hear this whoosh, and see a rocket go by the nose of the plane maybe 25-50 feet to the front and left of the nose! I couldn't believe it.
The guy rocked his wings back and forth, like in a daze of which way to bank away from this thing. He finally tried to circle right of it,( I think he should have kept on going, what goes up must come down and I would rather stay away from that). But I was shocked and amazed at what I just saw. I could only think back to training when altitudes were important and the magical number 1000 ft AGL popped up with pictures of builidings and cities below it. That would have been a good time to be following the rules. It was a serious issue, and fairly stupid but I couldnt help but chuckle at what I just saw. I am not taking blame from the family that was launching, but there are reasons rules are set up, and I thought this was a good story to share on why to follow them. Anybody else have any fun/stupid/intersting stories like this or would like to comment?

Still too low...You were right 1000ft. its late had to look it up. Still too low.

 

[RideTheWind]

I don't remember no 1500 AGL rule, I remember 1000 above the high obst. within a two thousand foot radious, or 500 feet from a person, vessel or man made structure.

 

[WizardPilot]

You were right, my bad, still too low.....

 

[Bluto]

You said he was 500-700 feet agl, you sure your "ocular altimeter" couldn't be off by 300'?

 

[TurboS7]

Just practice for the future, SA-7 launch without the heat seeking. If the news has its way it will be happening at every GA airport near you.

 

[hydroflyer]

I remembered doing some model rocketry when I was yonger, and I can remember those things able to go pretty high. I just checked the Estes Rockets website and found at least 12 rockets capable of altitudes of 1,000' or greater, with 3 going over 2,000'. Even if you were to maintain 1,000' over the ground, you could still have one fly past you on its way up. Oh, and most of those rockets were the Skill Level 1...beginners rockets.

 

[WizardPilot]

You said he was 500-700 feet agl, you sure your "ocular altimeter" couldn't be off by 300'?

Could be, but not if I could see the guy's giving the bird to us on the ground....I am pretty sure he was lower than 1000ft.

 

[Goose Egg]

Also, I think it's worth saying that just because you can fly around at 1000' AGL, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should.

-Goose

 

[EagleRJ]

Those Estes-type hobby store rockets have no metal, and by law carry less than a pound of propellant. Hitting one or taking one through a propeller probably wouldn't cause any damage.

Ever see those NOTAMs for "Unmanned Rockets" below a certain altitude? Those are the real deal- the rockets 4-10 feet long that exceed Mach 1 and can go above 50,000'. Definitely a hobby I'll have to waste some money on someday!

Link

 

[Crimson03]

I heard a story about a helicopter was lost to a pilot induced low G mast bumping accident after being hit with a model rocket. I don't recall if that was in the NTSB report as a contributing factor or if that was speculation by someone close to the accident.

 

[mattpilot]

how do you recover one of those rockets that go up XX thousand feet? Surely the wind will make it drift a few miles as it parachutes down.

 

[HMR]

Could be, but not if I could see the guy's giving the bird to us on the ground....I am pretty sure he was lower than 1000ft.

You are correct. When I used to check the surf off of KSBA in a C150, I had to be @ 2-300' before I could see the locals at the "secret spots" flipping me off.

 

[91100 100 set]

Saturday I was playing catch with my little brother in the park. A family showed up with their model rocket. They launched once, and it got stuck in a tree and they recovered it. While getting the rocket ready for launch again, a piper, flying 500-700 feet above the ground was headed towards us, he circled about a mile south of us for a few mins then flew towards us. By this time the rocket was on its pad ready to go. I was watching up at the plane as it was about a half mile from us and I hear this whoosh, and see a rocket go by the nose of the plane maybe 25-50 feet to the front and left of the nose! I couldn't believe it.

Maybe someone should call the TSA and bring the family in for questioning.

 

[WizardPilot]

91,100... Have you ever seen family guy? That picture reminds me of an episode where Burt and Ernie are being spoofed. Anybody ever see it?
(phone rings) Burt: Hello? SOB, I'm on my way.
Earnie: who was that
Burt: somebody just shot themselfs down at a place called hoopers
(sound of drinking)Ernie: I wish you wouldn't drink so much...
Burt: (they share a bed) (screams) I wish you would stop eating cookies in the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** bed!
Ernie: Burt You're shouting again Burt.
Burt: AHHHHHHH (wierd music plays)

I must admit it's hilarious.

 

[WizardPilot]

Funny story about the bird.

My father works with contractors down in the Las Vegas area. There was a contractor builiding some offices just down one of Nellis AFB's runways. The USAF Thuderbirds pratice there in the off season and they were buzzing this construction zone and spooking these contractors boys. The contractor was in Memphis BBQ off of Nellis Blvd. (best BBQ I've had) and the Thunderbirds were there. The contractor made a scene to the Thunderbirds and got a few of them pissed off. He asked them to stop spooking his guys by flying so low around them. A few days later, he was at the job site and thunderbird took off and buzzed the contruction zone again in a steep turn flipping the guy off. He swears it is true. If it is or is not, still a fun story to tell.

 

[TrafficInSight]

91,100... Have you ever seen family guy? That picture reminds me of an episode where Burt and Ernie are being spoofed. Anybody ever see it?
(phone rings) Burt: Hello? SOB, I'm on my way.
Earnie: who was that
Burt: somebody just shot themselfs down at a place called hoopers
(sound of drinking)Ernie: I wish you wouldn't drink so much...
Burt: (they share a bed) (screams) I wish you would stop eating cookies in the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** bed!
Ernie: Burt You're shouting again Burt.
Burt: AHHHHHHH (wierd music plays)

I must admit it's hilarious.

That would be "Homocide: Life on Sesame Street"

 

[Goose Egg]

You are correct. When I used to check the surf off of KSBA in a C150, I had to be @ 2-300' before I could see the locals at the "secret spots" flipping me off.

From the movie Endless Summer II: "And I thought the Huntington locals were bad..."

-Goose

 

[EagleRJ]

how do you recover one of those rockets that go up XX thousand feet? Surely the wind will make it drift a few miles as it parachutes down.

From what I understand, the rocket comes back down under a short streamer to control its downrange drift until it's down to 1000' or so, and a barometric sensor triggers the main parachute.
Most of the rockets have radio tracking devices for recovery, and launches are made from open fields several miles wide.