My local NAR club (PARC 710) out of Oklahoma City is having a LOT of trouble finding a local site for low-mid power launches. We’re actively exploring several options including privately owned agricultural property and public spaces.
The challenge with getting permission for private property is that the land is often owned by a trust, or a corporation there are very few sites suitable for launching that are owned by a single individual… I say very few; actually, we haven’t found one. So, "very few" should be read as: “are no.” Trying to navigate the legal and corporate bureaucracy to get to an individual that can give us a “yes” or “no” has been very discouraging.
As for the public space, I’ve been in communication with the Oklahoma City division of Parks and Recreation. Their response was: “Thank you for contacting us with your question. Currently, flying model rockets is prohibited in City of Oklahoma City parks. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.” I thanked them for the reply and asked where I could read about the prohibition of model rockets for myself. They responded with: “Here are the applicable excerpts from Chapter 38 of the OKC Municipal Code, which deals with parks. The complete OKC Municipal Code is available on the City’s website. You can find it by going to okc.gov. On the homepage, select “Government” from the list of options along the top of the page. Then, select ‘Municipal Code.’
§ 38-85. - Definitions.
(26) Model aircraft shall mean a non-human-carrying aircraft capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere.
§ 38-99. - Model aircraft.
Model aircraft flying shall not be allowed in any park except in those areas designated for such activities. (Please note: There are none.)
(Ord. No. 20098, § 2, 1-18-94)”
Now my comment/question: Is it worth pushing back on the prohibition based on the premise that model rockets are incapable of “sustained flight?” For those who have recently been given permission to launch rockets on private land, how the heck did you do it? Did you have an in, or a connection? Did you have to navigate the litigious corporate environment where your pleas fell on deaf ears? Does the NAR offer any help, other than this naive guide to finding a site: (https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/section-guidebook/launch-sites/ )? How can this hobby flourish without a space to do it? I welcome all your comments, and/or questions. Thank you!!!
The challenge with getting permission for private property is that the land is often owned by a trust, or a corporation there are very few sites suitable for launching that are owned by a single individual… I say very few; actually, we haven’t found one. So, "very few" should be read as: “are no.” Trying to navigate the legal and corporate bureaucracy to get to an individual that can give us a “yes” or “no” has been very discouraging.
As for the public space, I’ve been in communication with the Oklahoma City division of Parks and Recreation. Their response was: “Thank you for contacting us with your question. Currently, flying model rockets is prohibited in City of Oklahoma City parks. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.” I thanked them for the reply and asked where I could read about the prohibition of model rockets for myself. They responded with: “Here are the applicable excerpts from Chapter 38 of the OKC Municipal Code, which deals with parks. The complete OKC Municipal Code is available on the City’s website. You can find it by going to okc.gov. On the homepage, select “Government” from the list of options along the top of the page. Then, select ‘Municipal Code.’
§ 38-85. - Definitions.
(26) Model aircraft shall mean a non-human-carrying aircraft capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere.
§ 38-99. - Model aircraft.
Model aircraft flying shall not be allowed in any park except in those areas designated for such activities. (Please note: There are none.)
(Ord. No. 20098, § 2, 1-18-94)”
Now my comment/question: Is it worth pushing back on the prohibition based on the premise that model rockets are incapable of “sustained flight?” For those who have recently been given permission to launch rockets on private land, how the heck did you do it? Did you have an in, or a connection? Did you have to navigate the litigious corporate environment where your pleas fell on deaf ears? Does the NAR offer any help, other than this naive guide to finding a site: (https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/section-guidebook/launch-sites/ )? How can this hobby flourish without a space to do it? I welcome all your comments, and/or questions. Thank you!!!