Tampa Bay Rocketry Association
TBRA
SAFETY POLICIES
GENERAL SAFETY
First and foremost, Pay Attention! Rocketry is not a passive activity. If the Launch Control Officer (LCO) announces Heads Up, there is a reason.
If the LCO announces a flight as a Heads Up Flight, you will stop whatever you are doing, get on your feet, and pay close attention to the launch until the rocket's recovery system has fully deployed, or until the rocket is on the ground.
The Range Safety Officer (RSO) is responsible for overall launch site safety. The RSO may designate additional personnel as needed.
The decisions of the RSO are final and may not be appealed on the field.
Dress appropriately for the event, as well as current and expected/forecast weather conditions. Sun protection is highly recommended all year. Bring a portable shade canopy if possible, as there is very limited shade available.
Bring plenty of food and water. We do not have a food or drink vendor on site, and there are no nearby stores.
Drive slowly - 5 mph or less - while in the parking, prep, and launch areas. Be alert for children running out from behind parked cars, and for adults walking out while looking up to follow a rocket.
Spectators are always welcome but must remain behind the flight line at all times, and out of all rocket prep and launch areas unless accompanied by a TBRA member.
If you bring children to a launch event, you must pay attention to both the rockets and your children. They do not have the attention span or experience that you have. It is your responsibility to keep them safe.
Do not attempt to catch any rocket as it lands. Even a small rocket can cause an injury.
Do not pick up or move any rocket that is not yours without the prior permission of the rocket owner.
Tobacco use is not permitted anywhere on the Scout Reservation.
Alcoholic beverages will not be consumed anywhere on the Scout Reservation.
Thunderstorms may appear quickly and with little advance warning, especially during the summer months. As the launch site is within a large open field, lighting is a definite hazard, and all launch operations will cease when lighting or thunder is within 10 miles. If a storm approaches the launch area, take shelter within your vehicle, and remain there until the storm has passed.
Prep and Launch Safety
Minor participants are permitted to use commercial motors only.
Minors under the age of fourteen (14) are limited to a combined impulse of 40 N-Sec, or a single "E" motor.
Minors aged fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) are limited to a combined impulse of 80 N-Sec, or a single "F" motor.
Minors aged sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) are limited to a combined impulse of 160 N-Sec, or a single "G" motor.
These requirements may be waived for minors participating in the Tripoli Mentoring Program (TMP), The American Rocketry Contest (TARC), Student Launch Initiative (SLI), or other program recognized and supported by TRA and/or NAR.
Stay clear of all launch pad areas unless the LCO has announced the "PADS ARE OPEN". If you are returning to the launch area with a recovered rocket, always assume the pads are closed, and walk well away from them.
Do not bend a launch rod to install a rocket on the pad. Either tilt the pad head over, or ask another TBRA member for assistance.
Any recovered rocket with unfired motor(s) and/or ejection charge(s) must be rendered safe prior to returning to the prep area.
TBRA has an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) to 8,000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL), or 8,100 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL). Launch site elevation is approximately 30 feet above sea level.
The recommended ceiling is 5,000 feet AGL, due to the presence of trees and power lines. TBRA may lower the ceiling due to local weather conditions.
Do not attempt a flight that will reach within 1,000 feet of the FAA Authorized ceiling without prior authorization from the TBRA Prefect and the TBRA COA holder.
If we have overcast skies, we will refer to the cloud ceiling reported by the Brooksville Airport METARS, minus 1,000 feet.
Any flight expected to exceed 5,000 feet above ground level must use a dual-deploy recovery system to improve the chances that the rocket will recover on the launch site property.
If you insist on making a high altitude flight, you must understand that you may not get your rocket back. The upper level windspeeds are often 2 or 3 times the speed of ground level winds, and often blow in different directions.
If your rocket lands in a tree, you may need to hire a professional tree climber to retrieve it. This could cost several hundred dollars.
If a rocket hangs up on a power line, NO ATTEMPT will be made to recover it.
If the rocket ends up in a swamp, there it shall remain forever. The landowner will not permit anyone to enter a swamp to retrieve a rocket.
If the rocket lands outside of the launch site property, notify the Prefect, LCO, or RSO. We will work with the landowner and their neighbors to get access to retrieve the rocket. However, access to neighboring properties is not guaranteed. Do not attempt to enter any neighboring property without approval from the appropriate landowner and TBRA.
The RSO may request to inspect and verify the flight safety of any rocket prior to launch. Any rocket deemed unstable or unsafe will not be launched.
A separate flight card is required for each flight. Flight cards will be complete and legible. Incomplete or illegible flight cards will be returned to the flyer, and the rocket will not be launched.
If a model rocket fails to launch due to igniter failure, the rocket will be removed form the launch pad and returned to the prep area for igniter replacement.
If a high power rocket fails to launch due to igniter failure, the igniter may be replaced at the pad.
Any person who disregards safety practices, uses unsafe or dangerous motors, or in any way jeopardizes or appears to jeopardize the safety of others will be asked to leave the launch site property. If an individual continues to, or routinely follows unsafe practices, the individual will be barred from all future TBRA launch events.