Newbie Here - Where/How to Get Started?

[Dan Goldman]

Hello all,

I recently bought a small Estes rocket to launch with my sons and I was hoping someone might help me get started. I live in Livermore and thought I'd be able to use a local public space but I am starting to get the impression that this is not possible. I checked out the LUNAR website and from what I can tell the Snow Ranch location is only available next on November 1.

Please advise on where we can launch and any requirements involved? Can we just show up as newbies to a scheduled launch?

Thank you for any assistance and guidance you can provide.

Dan

[Anthony Cooper]

Three things must happen to legally fly. 

1. Permission of the land owner.
   Usually nearly impossible to get.
2. Insurance
   Some household insurance covers you. Check with your broker.
3. Fire Permit
   Difficult to get and frequently expensive. Some departments are free. I have paid as much as $100 for a single day's flying.

Yes, Snow ranch is next when the grass gets green.

________________________________________________________

Anthony M. Cooper
31120 Chicoine Ave.
Hayward, CA 94544-7432
VP for http://lunar.org

Cell: 510-589-5292

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[Dan Goldman]

Thank you for the quick reply, Anthony,

I had no idea this would be so involved. I'm probably carbon dating myself but I remember as a kid we used to just go to the neighborhood high school football field and just fire them off.

Can I just show up at the next Snow Ranch date and pay my fee and launch?

[Aleksandar Milivojević]

Hi Dan,

California is different from all the other states in the US in that to launch any model rocket, you'd need permission from the local fire authority (i.e. your local fire marshal), in addition to permission from the land owner (usually the city for parks). For better or worse.

You can simply show up for any LUNAR launch. The club does all the paperwork needed for the launch, as well as provides all the launch equipment. So you don't have to worry about any of that. You simply bring your rocket and motors, and that's about it. You do not need to be LUNAR or NAR member. Club charges a small daily fee (goes towards equipment maintenance), or you can opt for annual family membership ($25 last I checked).

Same is true for all the other rocketry clubs (the other nearby club with regular launches is Tripoli of Central California, or TCC for short).

Note that launches at Snow Ranch are fire risk and weather limited. If it is too dry (no rain), we can't launch because of the fire risk; our launch site is in the middle of a large grass field on a cattle ranch. If it is too wet (too much rain too close to launch date), we can't launch either because the pastures are too wet and muddy. November almost never happens because almost every year the conditions are still too dry (too high fire risk) out in the field. December is a more realistic first launch of the season.

The other nearby club (TCC) has a launch site on an empty plowed field, so they are not fire risk limited. However, they are a bit further away (near Fresno).

Hope this helps,

Alex

On Wed, Aug 20, 2025 at 10:25 AM Dan Goldman <dgoldm...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[William Kellermann]

Yeah, when I was in high school, model rockets were illegal in California unless you had “cold power” which was propelled by Freon.  Then they outlawed Freon!  But canned air for airbrush sprayers would work so…

When they changed the laws to allow Estes, et al. model rockets in CA, they heavily restricted flights to that which Tony describes.  So if you were in CA in high school, you were likely flying illegally. Except most PD’s didn’t know the rules (and many still don’t) and only Fire Departments can enforce them by confiscating your motors, which can be returned if you appeal. (Do you notice some experience here?). To further complicate things, in CA model rocket motors are “fireworks” and many cities and counties outlaw all fireworks.

So unless you own sufficient private land, and can get permission from the local AHJ, you are outlaw flying.  Join NAR and you have part of the insurance part covered.

If you want to fly sooner with another club there are TCC, Aeropac, and Sierra Rocketry.  TCC flys near Fresno, Aeropac at the Black Rock Desert, NV and Sierra at Misfit Flats, NV.  Those are all great launches but a bid of a hike for a day trip.  Otherwise Snow Ranch is your best bet.

William Kellermann
wt...@me.com

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[srkendal]

Sadly, the launching landscape in the Bay Area (and much of California, frankly) has changed drastically since many of us were kids. Fire danger, liability, etc., have made it nearly impossible. 

For you, unless you're willing to drive to Fresno, LUNAR is your best option. Back in the day, we all launched at Robertson Park in Livermore, but that venue is long gone now. 

LUNAR also has a launch site south of San Jose...Brigantino (sp?) Park, but I think it is closed due to fire danger.

Snow Ranch is a lovely venue, but the grass has to be green to fly there. But if you want to get your kid(s) excited to fly rockets, that's the place to go.

Good luck, be safe! 

Steve Kendall 

(Former LUNAR-tic)

On Aug 20, 2025 at 10:34 AM, Dan Goldman <dgoldm...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply, Anthony,

I had no idea this would be so involved. I'm probably carbon dating myself but I remember as a kid we used to just go to the neighborhood high school football field and just fire them off.

Can I just show up at the next Snow Ranch date and pay my fee and launch?

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 10:29:05 AM UTC-7 Anthony Cooper wrote:

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lunar-general/e29d5f20-b56d-445b-abe6-8d9cb0a46c2dn%40googlegroups.com.