Rocketry Certification

To participate in High-Power Rocketry you need to be certified with either NAR or TRA. There are three levels of certification:

• Level 1 – You can fly with H and I motors.
• Level 2 – You can fly with J, K and L motors.
• Level 3 – You can fly with M, N, and O motors.

Level 2 certification requires that you hold a valid Level 1 certification before applying. Similarly, level 3 certification requires that you hold a valid Level 2 certification before applying.

The purpose of this page is to briefly explain the process for certification, and to provide links to additional resources.

Why Certify?

To fly motors larger than a G, a person must be certified. Level 1 certification lets you fly rockets with H or I motors. Level 2 certification lets you fly J, K, and L motors. In California, Level 3 certification lets you fly M motors. Outside of California, Level 3 lets you fly M and up.

TRA or NAR?

To become certified you must belong to either the Tripoli Rocketry Association TRA or the National Association of Rocketry NAR and certify with one or the other (or both if you want). Either is acceptable and in general, if you are certified by one of them, you can fly at a launch administered by the other of them. Here is a list of the major differences:

• TRA is focused on high power rocketry and rocketry research. NAR is focused on model rocketry, but they support high power as well.

• Certifying Level 1 with TRA requires that you have a prefect, technical advisory panal, or TRI director observe the flight. Certifying Level 1 with NAR requires that you are observed by any member with Level 2 certification or two members, one of which having a Level 1 certification.

• NAR has many more members. TRA is a smaller community.

• TRA’s annual national launch is LDRS (Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships). NAR’s annual launch is NSL (National Sport Launch).

Once you’ve decided which to join, go to the relevant website and sign up. It is possible to join on site, the day that you certify, but it’s better to join a month or so before your certification flight. Tripoli describes membership here and the actual sign-up form is here. NAR describes membership here and the actual sign-up form is here.

The high-power rocketry club that we most-often launch with is the Rocketry Organization of California (ROC). Barring adverse weather conditions, they fly every month on the second Saturday at the Lucerne Valley dry lake bed. They have a couple of TRA prefects and a large number of NAR observers. The high power on-site vendors keep changing due to economics and other factors. Check the Vendors List on the ROC website to see who is likely to be on site.

Level 1

The detailed description of TRA’s Level 1 certification process is here. The detailed description of NAR’s Level 1 certification process is here. In short, the process is:

1. By yourself, build a rocket designed to fly on H impulse or I impulse motors.
2. Prep the rocket for flight and prep the H or I motor for flight by yourself.
3. Fly the rocket while the required observer is watching (at a sponsored event).
4. Bring back the safely recovered rocket to the observer to verify that no damage has occurred that would keep it from flying again.

Level 1 Strategy

Most people trying to certify Level 1 build the simplest, least expensive (SLE) rocket they can that will fly on a small H motor. The thinking is that once you are certified, you can experiment with more complicated configurations, but the first order of business is to get certified. However, if you are a person who pays attention to detail and are willing to ground test before flight, you can certify on a more complex, and more expensive rocket.

If you choose your rocket carefully, you can certify both Level 1 and Level 2 on the same rocket (and on the same day, but most senior people recommend against same-day multi-certs).

Level 1 motor recommendations

You can certify on either an H or an I motor, but you cannot take possession of the motor until just before your flight. You can have someone already Level 1 or above buy it for you and give it to you when you’re ready to prep for launch. Some on-line vendors are willing to sell you one motor for certification purposes, or you can buy it at the launch site when you’re ready to prep for launch if there is an on-site vendor. On the complete list of approved motors, the naming of the motors is framed as (Impuse Class) (Average Thrust) - (Time Delay)(Color) The most popular choices for Level 1 and Level 2 certification are the Aerotech single use motor, an Aerotech reload, or a CTI reload. Both the Aerotech and CTI reloads require you to have a motor case. Aerotech single-use motors are slightly more expensive than either brand of reload, but the CTI cases for the reloads are expensive, and the Aerotech cases for the reloads are even more expensive. Many rocketeers have cases you can borrow for the most common Aerotech sizes, and a case or two for CTI motors, so a reload with a borrowed case is the cheapest way to go. For a SLE rocket, the top two choices are the Aerotech H128W-14A reload and the CTI H163-14A reload, but for SLE you can use any H reload that fits in the Aerotech 29/180 case or any H reload that fits in the CTI 29mm 3-grain case. Many vendors have a qualification discount for your first HP motor for a qualifying flight.

Level 1 rocket recommendations

There are lots of rockets that will work for Level 1 and Level 2 qualification flights. By no means consider the list below to be exhaustive.

Madcow 1.6” Mini DX3

Coming in at about $70, this rocket will easily let you certify Level 1 (assuming you include a GPS Tracker) if you follow the linked construction techniques. In addition to the kit, you will need an Estes 29mm motor retainer and 5-minute epoxy. The perfect cert motor for this rocket is the Aerotech H128W. Recommended assembly instructions are found here.

Estes Pro Series II

The least expensive way to certify Level 1 is to buy an Estes Pro Series II with a 29 mm motor mount (not 24 mm) for between $20 and $40 and make the modifications to fly it on an H motor. The Super Big Bertha is an upscale of a classic Estes rocket and may be worth considering. If you can’t get Pro Series II rocket for around $20-to-$40, you’re better off spending your money on the Madcow or one of the other rockets below.

To modify a Pro Series II for an H motor: * Leave out the engine block on the motor mount if the kit has one. * Put epoxy fillets on the fin joints. * Replace the shock cord with 10 to 15 feet of kevlar and attach it to the motor mount or through the wall, not just glued on. * Consider replacing the existing 1/4” launch lugs with heftier 1/4” launch lugs or rail guides.

These rockets do not feature very rugged construction and will survive a few flights, but don’t plan on doing much more than qualifying on it. Available from Estes, eRockets, Sirius.

Aerotech Arreaux

The Aerotech Arreaux is an excellent SLE rocket. However, to fly H motors, you’ll need to replace the stock 12” motor mount tube with a 15” or ~18” motor mount tube. See the construction hints below. Beyond the kit and the extra tube, all you need are CA adhesive and JB weld. We used modified Arreauxs in our classes for years. It’s much sturdier than the Estes Pro Series II, but not as sturdy as the Phobos, the Vulcanite, the Wildman Minis, or the Madcow thin-wall fiberglass. The rocket is available from Wildman, eRockets, Sirius, Apogee Components. The replacement motor mount tube is available from Aerotech, or eRockets.

PML Phobos

The PML Phobos is an extremely rugged and reliable kit. If you pay attention to the instructions and are careful during construction it will last for years. You will want a motor retainer. You can certify Level 2 on it as well, but you’ll want to make certain of your construction techniques. Available from LOC Precision, eRockets.

LOC Precision Vulcanite

You will build a Vulcanite as part of Labs 4 and 5. The Vulcanite is a fairly rugged rocket that can be used for both Level 1 and Level 2 flights. It’s not quite as rugged as the PML Phobos. You’ll want to order an Aero Pack Quick Change motor retainer. See building recommendations below if you want to try to cert Level 2 on it as well, or just want a very well constructed rocket. If you go for your Level 2 with it, you’ll want to use the Aerotech J270W-14A motor with 0.6g of BP. Available from LOC Precision, Wildman, eRockets, Sirius.

Wildman Mini

Any of the Wildman Mini series rockets will work very well as a Level 1 qualifying rocket. They are extremely sturdy and will last for years. Be sure to get the quick-change retainer. The Nomex chute protector is also useful, but may only last a few flights. Consider the dual deploy upgrade if you don’t want an SLE rocket. Available from Wildman.

Madcow

Madcow has a number of rockets that will work for Level 1 and Level 2 flights. The previous E190 Class Rocket was a modified version of the Madcow Go Devil 38. However, the instructions are much less detailed and are designed for more experienced builders. Consult Prof. Spjut if you would like assistance with choosing a Madcow kit.

Apogee Components

One option to consider is the Apogee Peregrine. It is designed for dual deploy and will also work as a Level 2 rocket should you decide to use it. It has an amazing set of videos on construction if you need a little guidance. They also sell the Zephyr.

Level 2

The detailed description of TRA’s Level 2 certification process is here. The detailed description of NAR’s Level 2 certification process is here. In short, the process is:

1. Earn your Level 1 certification.
2. By yourself, build a rocket designed to fly on J impulse, K impulse, or L impulse motors.
3. Take and pass the Level 2 qualifying test. The TRA study guide is here and the NAR study guide is here. The NAR exam consists of 37 questions taken from the list of questions. You must get 32 correct to pass (meaning you can miss up to 5 questions). The TRA exam consists of 50 questions taken from the list of questions. You must get 45 correct to pass (meaning you can miss up to 5 questions).
4. Prep the rocket for flight and prep the J, K, or L motor for flight by yourself.
5. Fly the rocket while the required observer is watching (at a sponsored event).
6. Bring back the safely recovered rocket to the observer to verify that no damage has occurred that would keep it from flying again.

Level 3

Consult the relevant website. We will not focus on Level 3 in Advanced Rocketry

Level 1 Checklist

• Join either TRA or NAR. Best to do a month before flight.
• Construct yor rocket by yourself. Follow the hints below if using one of my recommendations.
• Weigh your completed rocket and find the center of mass fully loaded (’chute, electronics, etc) but without the motor.
• Use either Rocksim/Open Rocket or the kit information to locate and label the Center of Pressure (CP). The symbol is a circle with a dot in the middle, ☉.
• Decide on the motors you might use.
• Using Rocksim/Open Rocket and your measured mass and CM, determine the optimal delay. The delays on the motors can be adjusted downwards (but not upwards) in 2-second increments. Plan on adjusting the motor accordingly.
• Determine how much black powder you will need for ejection. Weigh out the correct amount, and package it for travel. PML used to have has guidelines for its kits. They tend to require much less than other rockets. For non-piston eject rockets, there are guidelines here and here.
• Print out and fill out a copy of the paperwork. They usually have it on site, but it doesn’t hurt to bring your own copy. The TRA form is here. The NAR form is here.
• Check ahead of time that there will be someone at the launch who can handle the certification procedure. TRA is more restrictive than NAR, but make sure someone will be there.
• At the launch site, prep your motor and rocket according to your checklist. Nervous people without checklists make mistakes.
• Take your rocket and paperwork and find the person who will certify you, and follow their instructions.

Level 2 Checklist

• Make sure you are a member of either TRA or NAR, you have your member number, and you have certified Level 1.
• Study for the exam. Just memorize the answers. It’s easier than trying to figure out why they chose certain answers.
• Construct your rocket by yourself. Follow the hints below if using one of my recommendations.
• Weigh your completed rocket and find the center of mass fully loaded (’chute, electronics, etc) but without the motor.
• Use either Rocksim/Open Rocket or the kit information to locate and label the Center of Pressure (CP). The symbol is a circle with a dot in the middle, ☉.
• Decide on the motors you might use.
• Using Rocksim/Open Rocket and your measured mass and CM, determine the optimal delay. The delays on the motors can be adjusted downwards (but not upwards) in 2-second increments. Plan on adjusting the motor accordingly.
• Determine how much black powder you will need for ejection. Weigh out the correct amount, and package it for travel. PML used to have has guidelines for its kits. They tend to require much less than other rockets. For non-piston eject rockets, there are guidelines here and here.
• Print out and fill out a copy of the paperwork. They usually have it on site, but it doesn’t hurt to bring your own copy. The TRA form is here. The NAR form is here.
• Check ahead of time that there will be someone at the launch who can handle the certification procedure. TRA is more restrictive than NAR, but make sure someone will be there.
• At the launch site, approach the person who will certify you, and take and pass the Level 2 exam.
• Prep your motor and rocket according to your checklist. Nervous people without checklists make mistakes.
• Take your rocket and paperwork and find the person who will certify you, and follow their instructions.