Notes from the recent TRA Prefects meeting taken by Andrew Buttery.

PREFECTS MANUAL 
 
- Clarity on certifications in the recently released manual (log onto Tripoli site to access) 
- Prefects do not need to certify every flight if there is an RSO delegation 
- Give the certification form back to flyer, if prevented from flying / or failure so they don't have to fill out another form / complete test if try again at another club 
- The core intent of certification is that the flyer can build a rocket to handle the stress of the impulse range of the motor 
- Do not let them retain the tests! 🙂 
 
Questions from the Prefect manual discussion 
 
- HPR pad: confirmed no non-members to be there. Any spectators need to stay behind the flight line. 
- This applies to Uni teams: all flyers must be Tripoli (not 5 to 1 as previous) to be on range. 
- Changed that non-Tripoli members in a team cannot go past flight line since the Tripoli unified safety code was released. 
- Flyers can sign up for membership on the day and use their pending certification number (see note about pre-approval form below). 
- When searching for rockets non-members can assist outside the safety distances on range. 
- Noted that 1 September 2023 Student membership increased to $20. 
- Some prefectures request that Flyers send in their certification forms due to volume (see MN below). 
 
 
PREFECTURE ROUND UP 
 
Minnesota - Brian Rose (MN) 
 
- Issues with email 
- Tripoli tech team will investigate 
- 73 Certifications in one launch day 
- Lot of pre-planning 
- Need to send info for flyers to pre-fill 
 
- FAA 
- With MN - Submit their Part 9 (?) to team at FAA, then it is referred to the local RTAC who knows them well, so usually pretty quick. 
- Anything over 18k: has to go through additional approvals (up to 45 days extra) 
- New requirement that has come in recently 
 
Argentina - Horacio Larrosa (#151) 
 
- Four launches in last year 
- Many students 
- Challenges getting motors into country due to cost / regs for dangerous goods 
- Asked about 2024 PIP 
- David Rose: PIP will be announced in a couple of weeks 
 
Certification challenges (Location?) 
 
- High turnover of members leads to one or two people doing all the heavy lifting. 
- Getting students certified as individuals / not teams can lead to some missing out. 
- In US, it appears schools will pay for the competition, infrastructure fees but not individual student rockets 
- Cheapest L1: (US) $100 + 25; L2 another $200. 
- Feeling obligated to certify everyone. 
- Tripoli leadership responded: 
- Encourage the Senior team members to get the younger ones in to support the club. 
- Not every member needs to be certified - some volunteers are great and rarely/never fly. 
- Rule of thumb for competition costs - $1 per foot of competition entered (US only). 
- Asked if NOTAM can be submitted online 
- Steve Shannon: call in NOTAM application; online not available. 
 
San Diego 
 
- New flyers: no comprehension of the power of the rockets / black powder 
- Open rocket CP/CG sims being provided by flyers are clearly off with simple real-world tests 
- Lot of time needed to help them through initial designs 
 
Tripoli New River Valley Rocketry - T. Weeks (VA) 
 
- That's why we require a pre-flight data capture form. 
- To deal with flyers showing up for first time with big motors / rockets 
- Need to send through prior to launch 
- Design plus OpenRocket sim for HPR 
- Place limits on flyers - First flight: COTS / 40FL max to make sure it is working as expect 
- Keep it simple i.e. multi-stage recovery out for first time flyers 
- Competition test flights also need to submit e.g. Spaceport / SLI: over 70FL, L motor or greater 
- Based on rocket if the rocket has flown: not the "team" as individuals turnover year to year 
 
Tim Dixon (?) 
 
- We have specifically recruited the most experienced students to sit on our Board as at-large members. 
- They are the ones that market for our club and drive interest at the university level. 
- They also do the mentoring and pre-inspection of flights. 
- Sometimes giving me a heads up a month or more in advance if there is something of concern that may show up at the field. 
 
Jackie Hanlon (W.Virginia?) 
 
- Building the board is crucial for success 
- Mentoring great: but need more people or you may burn out 
- Since becoming Prefect has not flown a rocket 
- Encouraged all Prefects to balance their role and still get to fly 🙂