Launch Site Rules

Brothers Oregon Launch Site Rules

The Brothers, Oregon launch site is private property. All persons attending OregonRocketry events must follow these rules intended to protect the landowner’s property and our safety. Failure to follow these rules may result in your being asked to leave the site or other disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the OregonRocketry directors and members.

In addition to the rules stated here, all persons on the launch site must follow the NAR or TRA safety codes, as appropriate for the launch. This is not a complete statement of those safety codes; a complete list is available from the Range Safety Officer or other OregonRocketry board members on site.

  • Minimum Impact. Practice minimum-impact camping. Our goal is to leave the site with little or no evidence that we were there. Overgrazing and other activities have had a considerable (mostly negative) impact on the land, but we don’t need to make things any worse!
  • No cutting, uprooting, or destruction of sagebrush or other vegetation. We may drive, park and camp in the areas adjacent to the road which have already been cleared by past activities, but may not expand the cleared areas. Please don’t drive off-road, and try to avoid expanding tracks even when on foot.
  • Campfires are permitted ONLY in the established fire rings. In the past, people have started fires at a number of additional spots, but we must limit our fires to the established rings. If you find firewood or other debris at these unapproved sites, please bring it to one of the three established rings to be burned or disposed of.
  • Bring your own firewood. Please pile any excess firewood neatly near the fire circles. Commercial or home-grown firewood and clean dimensional lumber scraps are OK, but no sagebrush, plywood, wafer, chip or press board, glued, painted, or preservative-treated lumber. No burning of plastic or trash. Absolutely no propellant or black powder in the fire pits. All of these can give off irritating or toxic fumes and smoke or leave toxic residues.
  • Please cut or split your wood into small enough pieces – 2 cubic feet or less — to fit in the fire ring and burn completely in one evening. We cannot leave campfires burning during the day while we’re launching.
  • Pick up your trash. Pick up other people’s trash. That includes not only your own trash, but also the potato chip bags, foam cups and other “stuff” that blows through the site. And especially pick up igniter wires, Estes igniter plugs, tape, plastic caps, and other debris around the prep areas and launch pads. This stuff can be dangerous or even deadly to grazing animals, and our whole site is open grazing land.
  • PAY ATTENTION. This is the most important safety rule, and perhaps also the hardest to follow. If you have children at the launch, you MUST pay attention to BOTH the rockets and the children. We love having kids at the launches, but they don’t have the attention span or experience with potential danger that adults have, so they need you to keep them safe. If you’re preparing lunch, reading a book, watching TV, or napping, you’re not paying attention to the launch and may be endangering yourself or the others around you.
  • Dress appropriately for the terrain and weather, protect yourself from the sun, drink plenty of water. We have first aid kits (at the launch desk) and often have some medically-trained personnel on site, but they’d rather be launching rockets than patching up people.
  • Take a radio when you’re heading out to recover your rocket. You may help someone else find their rocket, or someone else may help you find yours. And the radio will let the LCO warn you if something’s headed your way. Stay clear of the launch area. Stay out of the launch area when the LCO announces that the “range is closed.” If you’re returning to the campsite with a rocket, always assume the range is closed and walk around the launch area on the road.
  • Bring small lost+found items to the LCO table. Flyers appreciate getting their rockets back! But don’t handle other people’s high-power rockets. If you find a high-power rocket on the recovery range, call the LCO on the radio (FRS channel 1) or mark the location with a flag, streamer, or whatever, but don’t handle the rocket body. Some high-power rockets carry explosive staging or parachute ejection charges that could go off in your hands!
  • No smoking within 25 feet of your own or anyone else’s camping or prep area. Note that most of our campsites are about 15 feet wide, so you can’t assume that it’s safe anywhere along the flight line or on the road.
  • Drive slowly – walking speed or less – in the launch area, and watch out for kids running out from between the cars or adults wandering into the road while staring into the sky.