| Launch Schedule |
2/6 - Club Launch - A
3/6 - Club Launch - A
4/10 - Club Launch - N
4/11 - Research Launch - N
5/1 - Club Launch - N
5/?? - Equip Cleanup - TBA
5/29-31 Mile Hi Mayhem - N
7/10-11 - Club Launch - N
9/11 - Club Launch - N
9/?? - Equip Cleanup - TBA
10/8-11 - Oktoberfest - N
11/6 - Club Launch - N
12/4 - Club Launch - A
1/1/10 - Club Launch - A
1/8/10 - Annual Meet - TBD
N = North Site, A = Atlas Site, H = Hartsel, TC = Tripoli Colorado
P = SCORE Lauch Site
CO Rocketry Calendar
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Recreation Event Inspection
Posted on Thursday, June 17 @ 10:19:24 MDT
Topic: Club News
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 Permit Holder: Northern Colorado Rocketry
Event: “Mile High Mayhem” rocket launch event
Event Date(s): set-up Thursday 5/27/10; event activities Friday, 5/28 – Monday, 5/31
Inspection Date/Time: Friday, 5/28, on-scene from approx. 0900 - 1230
Location(s): North Launch Site, Main Allotment, on National Forest System Road (NFSR) 45
Documented by: Jon Halverson, Recreation Special Uses Administrator
Comments:
Number of Participants – approx. 50 people when I was there. NCR subsequently reported ~ 100 registered flyers for the event plus spectators, etc. An estimate of the total number of people is somewhere around 350.
Saturday, 5/29 was expected to be the busiest day at the event with the most people in attendance, the most flights, etc. NCR subsequently reported that the winds that day prevented many flights so Sunday, 5/30 was the busiest day with 197 flights.
Quite a few, but not all, of the people attending camped at the site.
Site Impacts - The event site showed very little, if any, ground/vegetation disturbance or other physical impacts associated with group’s activities.
Temporary Facilities - Temporary facilities consisted of a number of tables for launch preparation and control, the launch pads themselves and electronic launch equipment, a portable PA system and safety ropes/signs. Sun/rain canopies were set up by the vendors and by individuals at their parking/camping locations. The club’s equipment trailer, which is used at all club launches, was parked near the launch control table and used for storage. The number and size of temporary facilities appeared to be appropriate for the event.
Safety/Signing – The PA system was used to announce flight information and to warn participants when flights were taking place. The spectator area was separated from the flight area by a safety rope and everyone not actually involved in a flight was kept behind that rope.
Signs advising the public of this being an FS-authorized event and warning of rocket flight activity were posted at both the north and south entrances to the area on NFSR 45. These were new signs, which replaced the old “hazard warning” signs. The wording is essentially the same as in the sample in the Standards for Operations so is acceptable.
Vehicles/Parking – I estimate there were approximately 25-30 vehicles present (including passenger vehicles, vehicles with trailers, and RV’s) when I arrived on-scene, all parked appropriately on flat, dry ground and within 100 feet of the road. More vehicles arrived while I was present. No resource damage was evident. NCR subsequently reported approximately 150 vehicles present at the height of activities on Sunday, 5/30.
As part of the set-up for the event, a line of pin flags were set at 100 feet from the road to delineate the limit for vehicle parking. This is a great idea and is above and beyond what NCR is required to do. NCR personnel observed 2 vehicles go short distances past that line (both were well beyond the end of the flag line so may not have seen it) and immediately went over to ask the drivers to move the vehicles, which they did. NCR might consider extending the flag line further on each end to cover the entire area where vehicles would normally be expected to park, based on anticipated number of participants.
No off-road motor vehicle use was observed or reported.
The only possible deficiency I noted during my visit was that the gate, supposed to be kept closed, at the south entrance to the area on NFSR 45 was left open and unattended for a while on Friday, 5/28. This was noticed and corrected (and reported to me) by NCR personnel. It did not result in any problems but it could have if cattle had been in the area. No one admitted having left it open and there was some non-event related traffic on NFSR 45so responsibility can’t definitively be assigned. The majority of the traffic on the road was event-related however. NCR needs to stress keeping gates closed at all times, if they are supposed to be closed (if that is how they are found). NCR subsequently reported that this same gate was damaged sometime later during the event, apparently by someone running into it. NCR did offer to help fix the gate.
Sanitation – No sanitation issues were observed or reported.
There were 6 portable toilets present. They were appropriately located on flat, dry ground adjacent to the road, 2 at each end of the parking area and 2 in the middle. In addition, there were several RV’s/trailers with self-contained facilities present. The number of toilets present appeared to be adequate for the number of people anticipated.
Trash cans were present. The area was generally clean and free of litter during my visit. NCR subsequently reported returning several days after the event to police the site for trash again.
Vendors – There were 3 vendors present. There did not appear to be any issues relating to vendor activities.
Fire – All specified fire protection measures were used/in place. The old fire shelters I had given NCR were being used under launch pads to help prevent pad fires.
Winds were very light while I was there, obviously well under the threshold speed for suspending launches, so were not a concern.
Two incidents of concern occurred while I was present but neither resulted in a fire. In one case, a rocket went haywire immediately after leaving the launch pad. It came down a short distance away and hit the ground with the engine still burning. Event personnel with suppression equipment surrounded it almost as soon as it hit the ground but vegetation ignition did not occur and no action was necessary. In the second incident, an engine mount tore loose from the rocket being launched and flew independently, coming down about 75 yards from the pad with the engine still burning. Event personnel responded quickly but, again, ignition did not occur and no action was necessary. Vegetation was pretty lush and green so it did not present a receptive fuel bed.
Other – I had planned to get to the site early enough to attend the daily orientation briefing but was delayed and missed it.
A satellite phone was present at the Launch Control table to ensure adequate communications were available during the event. The number was provided to me prior to the event and I gave it to District personnel for forwarding to grazing permit holders, etc.
Based on info from the District Range Staff, I had advised NCR that a rancher would be moving cattle through the launch area on Thur (the set-up day) but, as it turned out though, this actually happened on Fri during the launches. NCR cooperated fully to accomplish this without any problems. The rancher showed up at the site that morning and told NCR he was going to be moving the cattle so NCR suspended launches to facilitate the movement. After the cattle were in the proper pasture, NCR waited a reasonable amount of time to allow them to get clear and then tried calling the rancher to see if it was OK to resume launches but got no answer. I recommended waiting a few more minutes and after the additional wait, I gave them the “go ahead” to continue launches. I watched the cattle during the first several flights to see if there was any reaction to the noise, etc. from the rockets but did not see any. All told, launches were suspended for approx. an hour.
I was given a copy of the information sheet that NCR provided to all registrants. It contained a lot of good information for event participants, notably about keeping the area clean and preventing/dealing with fires. Some suggestions for additional info to include in future info sheets – to improve an already-good handout - are:
· Stress the need to keep closed gates closed in order to prevent cattle movement.
· Stress the flagged 100 foot line as the limit for vehicles off the road.
· Mention the lack of available firewood and stress use of only the single campfire ring for those camping on-site (Note: NO problems were observed with this – I’m just trying to think proactively).
Summary – Overall, the event appeared to be very well planned, organized and executed. Activities, with the one exception of the gate issue, were in compliance with the terms and conditions of the special use permit, the Standards for Operations and the approved operating plan. NCR did a very good job of preventing problems and reacted quickly to any that arose.
The group seems to be well aware of their responsibility to take care of the public’s land and grateful for the opportunity to launch here.
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