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NAR lnsurance
We have just made available on the NAR website a downloadable certificate of individual insurance which, in combination with a valid NAR card, provides official proof of your personal coverage.
NAR insurance covers any flight that you conduct as a private individual that is made in full compliance with NAR Safety Codes, anytime and anywhere in the US. Your personal NAR insurance is valid for such flights even at launches where flights are made by others that are not within NAR safety codes (such as flights of EX motors.)
For those sections with dual charters and insurance from both NAR and TRA, NAR section and launch site insurance is not valid on any day where EX is flown. |
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Modroc Safety Code Revision
The NAR Model Rocket Safety Code has been revised by the NAR Board to eliminate the last sentence in Rule #7. This required the flier to notify FAA prior to flying a model rocket over 1 pound but under 3.3 pounds. This requirement was eliminated by the FAA in a welcome regulation change in February 2009, the result of 15 years of patient NAR work with FAA. |
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B Division NARAM Travel Grants
Thanks in part to a generous grant from long-time NAR member Bob Alway, the program we began last year to provide travel funding grants of up to $800 each to three B Division (age 14-17) first-time fliers at NARAM has been continued for NARAM-51. Young NAR members who want to attend under this program must apply by June 13. The application package is on the NAR website. |
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NAR Section Safety Grant Program
Applications from NAR sections for grants of up to $250 to buy range safety equipment under this new program will be accepted by NAR Safety Committee Chairman Andy Eng starting May 1 (but not before), on a first-come/first-served until the $4000 allocation from the NAR Board is exhausted. See the program description on the NAR website for details. |
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NARAM-51
Registration for the National Association of Rocketry's Annual Meet, NARAM-51, is now open through the event website www.naram.org . NARAM-51 will be held near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, August 8, through Friday, August 14, 2009. NARAM will include 9 competition events, evening activities at the NARAM hotel, and all-week sport flying of model and high-power rockets. On the opening weekend of NARAM, a flyoff competition will be held to select the team that will represent the US and the NAR in the 2010 World Spacemodeling Championships in Serbia.
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Message from the NAR President
Greetings!
I know you are as eager as I am for more news about the status of completely wrapping up the long-running NAR/TRA lawsuit against BATFE, but I have no new news to report. The Court decision of March 16 takes effect on May 16 and the federal explosives regulations on APCP are cancelled on that date unless BATFE appeals, and requests that the implementation of the Court's judgement be held in abeyance pending resolution of that appeal. So far they have not appealed, and that may be all that we know until May 16. If something happens before then, I will send out a special bulletin.
Meanwhile, your NAR and its volunteers have been busy developing and delivering services and programs. We announced the "NAR section safety equipment grant program" in the last newsletter. In this newsletter we are announcing the extension of the "B division NARAM travel grant program" and rolling out a new "high power rocketry competition program". We have just posted the minutes of the March 2009 NAR Board of Trustees meeting on the NAR website, and in these you can read a comprehensive update on what is going on with each of the NAR's committees and service programs.
I look forward to seeing many of you or flying with you at the Team America Rocketry Challenge Finals on May 16 in the Plains, VA; at the National Sport Launch the following weekend in Kenosha, WI; or at NARAM-51 the week of August 8-14 in Johnstown, PA.
Be safe, have fun, and pay forward.
Trip Barber, NAR 4322
NAR President |
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Team America Rocketry Challenge
(TARC 2009) Finals
The top-flying 100 teams nationally have been selected from among the 652 student teams that entered TARC 2009. These top 100 teams will meet for a head-to-head flyoff at the TARC Finals, to be held on May 16 at The Plains, VA, just outside Washington DC. There are $60,000 in cash prizes split among the top 10 winning teams, and the first-place team gets a trip to the Paris Air Show in June. A big thank-you to all the NAR members and sections nationwide who helped TARC teams this year!
These day-long Finals will be run by over 100 NAR volunteer range crew, who put on a fantastic event for the 600-700 student fliers on these teams and for the big crowd of distinguished leaders from government and the aerospace industry who attend to show their support for these students and for our hobby. Spectators are welcome.
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High Power Competition Program
The NAR Contest & Records Committee has just released a "preliminary" competition program and High Power Rocket Sporting Code. This program and Code, developed by a High Power Subcommittee led by Jim Wilkerson, is in effect now and NAR members can begin sanctioning HPR competition events through their regional Contest Board representative. The current draft of the HPR Sporting Code will remain in a preliminary or "beta test" status through the 2010 National Sport Launch, and Jim will be accepting feedback and suggestions for improvement from people who try it out at launches. A final version of this Code will be developed and released in 2010 based on this initial experience.
The HPR competition program is not designed to lead to accumulation of points and a national championship. It is intended to provide a structured, repeatable way for sections to organize fun individual competition events at their high power launches. |
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National Sport Launch 2009
The National Association of Rocketry's annual National Sport Launch (NSL) will be held at Richard Bong state recreation area in southeastern Wisconsin on May 23rd- 25th, 2009. Memorial Day weekend. The event website can be found at www.nsl2009.org and registration is open. The official hotel is the Country Inns and Suites. A block of rooms at this hotel will be held for NSL until April 28th. NSL 2009 will feature three special events: a Level-1 build and fly event; a secret payload duration event; and a Saturn mass launch event.
NSL 2009 will have a range layout of more than 44 pads thanks to the assistance of Tripoli Wisconsin Association and Tripoli Quad Cities. There will be pads large enough to handle 100 lb. rockets with ease plus support for U/C type hybrid motors.
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Get your rocketry wardrobe ready for the summer flying season! NARTS offers a very popular NAR-logo sublock hat to protect your head and neck from suburn, and great-looking NAR-logo short-sleeve polo shirts for warm-weather wear. See the NARTS page of the NAR website for prices and details. Orders made from now through May 31 will be shipped with a free NAR window decal.
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