FAR 101 Resources

From Impulse Launch Systems
Note
This article is written and maintained by Thomas Kindig. Much of this content was originally written by Chuck Neff of the NARNational Association of Rocketry in an article available at Filing for FAA Launch Authorization on the NAR Website. This treatment of the subject is intended to be normalized for use by NAR or TRATripoli Rocketry Association members. You may copy some or all of this text only with attribution. Please contact me via email to copy, correct, or better yet – contribute to this resource.

It is my intention to keep this information up to date as practices and regulations change.

Overview

The FAA accommodates rocketry within carefully defined conditions. The body of regulations, CFR 101, applies to MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS, AND UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS. Under Subpart C (101.21) the FAA classifies Amateur rockets into three categories as described here.

Class 1 – Model Rockets

Class 1 rockets include what used to be known as model and large model rockets. They are defined at 14 CFR 101.22 (a) of the regulations and are listed as:

Class 1 - Model Rocket means
An amateur rocket that:
Launching large model rockets once required prior notification of the FAA. In 2008 the FAA conducted a review of policy and procedures for amateur rocketry, and the results are documented in Requirements for Amateur Rocket Activities, 12/04/2008, document #E8-28703. In a nutshell, this federal agency ruled that the safety rules of the NAR and TRA are adequate, so long as the general operating limitations of 14 CFR 101.23 are followed.
  1. ) Uses no more than 125 grams (4.4 ounces) of propellant;
  2. ) Uses a slow-burning propellant;
  3. ) Is made of paper, wood, or breakable plastic;
  4. ) Contains no substantial metal parts; and
  5. ) Weighs no more than 1,500 grams (53 ounces), including the propellant.


  1. ) You must operate an amateur rocket in such a manner that it:
    1. ) Is launched on a suborbital trajectory;
    2. ) When launched, must not cross into the territory of a foreign country unless an agreement is in place between the United States and the country of concern;
    3. ) Is unmanned; and
    4. ) Does not create a hazard to persons, property, or other aircraft.
  2. ) The FAA may specify additional operating limitations necessary to ensure that air traffic is not adversely affected, and public safety is not jeopardized.

Class 2 – High Power Rockets

The Class 2 rocket category covers high power rockets and is defined at 14 CFR 101.22 (b) and is listed as:

Class 2 Rocket means
An amateur rocket other than a model rocket that is propelled by a motor or motors having a combined total impulse of 40,960 Newton-seconds (9,208 pound-seconds) or less.

While the older rules prohibited flying unmanned rockets into controlled airspace, the latest rules do not. The newer rules do however, require prior authorization before launching. This is part of the operating limitations for Class 2 High Power Rockets found at 14 CFR 101.25 and stating:

When operating Class 2-High Power Rockets or Class 3-Advanced High Power Rockets, you must comply with the General Operating Limitations of §101.23. In addition, you must not operate Class 2-High Power Rockets or Class 3-Advanced High Power Rockets:

  1. ) At any altitude where clouds or obscuring phenomena of more than five tenths coverage prevails;
  2. ) At any altitude where the horizontal visibility is less than five miles;
  3. ) Into any cloud;
  4. ) Between sunset and sunrise without prior authorization from the FAA;
  5. ) Within 9.26 kilometers (5 nautical miles) of any airport boundary without prior authorization from the FAA;
  6. ) In controlled airspace without prior authorization from the FAA;
  7. ) Unless you observe the greater of the following separation distances from any person or property that is not associated with the operations applies:
    1. ) Not less than one quarter the maximum expected altitude;
    2. ) 457 meters (1,500 ft.);
  8. ) Unless a person at least eighteen years old is present, is charged with ensuring the safety of the operation, and has final approval authority for initiating high-power rocket flight; and
  9. ) Unless reasonable precautions are provided to report and control a fire caused by rocket activities.

Prior authorization from the FAA, as mentioned in 14 CFR 101.25, items (d), (e), and (f), pertain to having an approved Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) issued by the FAA. To get approval to make Class 2 rocket flights at a certain location, you must first apply for the COA using FAA Form 7711-2.

Class 3 - Advanced High Power Rocket

Class 3 - means
an amateur rocket other than a model rocket or high-power rocket.

CFR 101.29 Information requirements (continued)

  1. ) Class 3 - Advanced High-Power Rockets. When a Class 3 - Advanced High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below for each type of rocket to the FAA at least 45 days before the proposed operation. The FAA may request additional information if necessary to ensure the proposed operations can be safely conducted. The information shall include for each type of Class 3 rocket expected to be flown:
    1. ) The information requirements of paragraph (a) of this section,
    2. ) Maximum possible range,
    3. ) The dynamic stability characteristics for the entire flight profile,
    4. ) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural, pneumatic, propellant, propulsion, ignition, electrical, avionics, recovery, wind-weighting, flight control, and tracking,
    5. ) A description of other support equipment necessary for a safe operation,
    6. ) The planned flight profile and sequence of events,
    7. ) All nominal impact areas, including those for any spent motors and other discarded hardware, within three standard deviations of the mean impact point,
    8. ) Launch commit criteria,
    9. ) Countdown procedures, and
    10. ) Mishap procedures.

Airspace Review For Class 2/3 Rockets

The FAA is charged with ensuring the safe use of a public resource: the airspace above all our heads. The primary way they do their job is by making sure that airplanes work as they were designed and have adequate operational limits, ensuring that pilots and other airspace professionals (like controllers) have been adequately trained and receive recurrent training, and by separating airspace users in operation by adequate distances. It is the latter which will have the most bearing on your rocketry activities.

Launch Site Survey and Planning

Planning a launch should involve specific review of safety requirements. This is not limited to HPR Launches. When you agree to conduct a launch in a school yard or sporting field, you are responsible for conducting the launch according to all applicable rules. A site survey can, for example, determine the maximum motor rating allowed to launch at a given site based on the maximum supported altitude of flight. This is dependent on the dimensions of the area, and on proximity to occupied structures and roadways. more...

I have experience conducting Class 1 launches in several locations that were risk-averse to the point of involving the Fire Marshal's office to approve of the event. This is actually not a problem, as it is an opportunity to educate other professionals about rocketry. A good site survey with basic information overlaying a map image of the site will result in a bit of back and forth about the rules, likely recovery area of the rockets, and clearance to occupied structures and roadways. This makes an interesting presentation.

There are several online tools I recommend for the simplicity and fairly high accuracy of mapping. Both Google Maps and Google Earth are free and work in a browser tab. They include areal views suitable for an accurate understanding of the area. They also include measuring tools that are fairly easy to use.

Locate the position that is furthest away from occupied buildings and active roadways as your launch location. Then measure the distance to the nearest building and/or roadway.

Model Rockets

For model rickets you need to observe the minimum launch site dimensions as defined in NFPA 1122. This is the probable recovery area under fair wind conditions.

NAR-Model-Safe-Distances.png

HPR Rockets

When planning an HPR launch location you must be aware of occupied structures and active roadways. In general you must include "disinterested persons" in your thinking. E.g. if there is an RC Aircraft operation nearby, this should be treated as if it were an occupied building or active roadway. The guides are 14 CFR 101.25 (g), NFPA 1127, and the NAR or TRA Safety Codes which are aligned.

You must observe the greater of the following separation distances from any person or property that is not associated with the operations:

  • Not less than one quarter the maximum expected altitude;
  • 457 meters (1,500 ft.);

For HPR Launches the baseline separation is 1,500 ft. or more. Use the map and measuring tools to determine the nearest occupied structure, and person or property not associated with the launch including active roadways. An active roadway is defined as: A public highway on which traffic flow exceeds 10 vehicles per hour, not including traffic related to the launch. These guidelines will help you choose the optimal position for your launch location coordinates for the request.

The position you submit in your COA request should be based on the largest rocket motor you anticipate launching. If there is going to be a launch with an M or O motor, that launch position will need to be 1,500 ft from everyone. Lower power launches may be conducted from launch pads located closer to the LCO table. Be sure and ascertain the elevation at your launch location so that you may calculate the altitude in MSL.

Once you have determined the nearest limitation, multiply that distance by four to establish the maximum altitude Above Ground Level (AGL) you may request. Your actual request may of course be lower than that maximum. Be aware that requests greater than 18,000 ft above Mean Sea Level (MSL) will be referred to the FAA Office of Commercial Space (AST) for an Aircraft Hazardous Area review adding 6 to 10 weeks to the review process. To avoid tripping this rule, add your site elevation to your requested altitude AGL to determine MSL.

TRA Safe Distance Table

Tools

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Filing a Request for an FAA Waiver (COA)

Part 101 Applications for an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) are handled by the three FAA Service Centers responsible for airspace of ARTCCsAir Route Traffic Control Centers, and the TRACONsTerminal Radar Approach Control Facilities and Towers specified below. Applications for a waiver are signed, scanned, and emailed to the Service Center assigned to your area. You may also send an email with your basic information, including event locations, for verification that you are submitting to the right regional service center.

In the Western Service Center (WSC/OSGOperations Service Group)
ZLA/Los Angeles, ZOA/Oakland, ZSE/Seattle, ZLC/Salt Lake, ZDV/Denver, and ZAN/Anchorage.
email - 9-ato-wsa-osg-part101@faa.gov
In the Central Service Center (CSC/OSG)
ZAB/Albuquerque, ZHU/Houston, ZFW/Ft. Worth, ZKC/Kansas City, ZMP/Minneapolis, ZAU/Chicago, ZOB/Cleveland, and ZID/Indianapolis.
email - 9-AJO-CSA-Part101@faa.gov
In the Eastern Service Center (ESC/OSG)
ZMA/Miami, ZJX/Jacksonville, ZTL/Atlanta, ZME/Memphis, ZDC/Washington D.C., ZNY/New York, and ZBW/Boston.
email - 9-ATO-ESA-OSG-AirspaceWaiver@faa.gov


Air-route-traffic-control-centers.jpeg

HPR Instructions for FAA 7711-2

Application and Forms

To apply for authorization, you need to download the Application for Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, FAA Form 7711-2. In order to use the fill-able functions you must download and work from the copy saved to your computer. The current form edition is 8/08 and is a fill-able PDF that can be typed into and then printed and saved. This form is used for many activities and some of the form feilds are not needed for rocketry. Most of the fields are fairly self explanatory but these instruction should help explain what information is required and how is should be entered.

The form instructions state to submit the application in triplicate (3) to any FAA Flight Standards district office but that is no longer the preferred method. Once completed, the form along with any other required information should be submitted electronically via email to the appropriate FAA Service Area contact. Details for these contacts will be provided later in this article.

Also per the instructions, the application must be submitted not later than 45 days prior to the date of proposed operations but you should plan on applying as far in advance as possible. Allowing a minimum of 60 or more days to process will add some cushion to your time line and if approved, will give your launch participants the ability to know the altitude limits and other special provisions in order to plan their flights. Note that altitude requests at or above 18,000ft MSL will require review by FAA Office of Commercial Space (AST) adding 6 to 8 weeks to the review process. So plan accordingly. Higher altitude and Class 3 applications may take over 14 weeks (100+ days) to be approved.

Filling out Form 7711-2 (8-08)

Here are instructions for filling out the form. The FAA highly suggest filling out the form electronically as intended (i.e. on a computer).

Box 1
Name of the organization requesting the certificate. If you are an individual applying for a certificate, simply fill in “Individual” in the field. If it’s on behalf of a rocketry group, enter the name and serial number of your section or prefecture.
Box 2
Name of the responsible person, i.e. the certificate holder. This is the person who will be responsible for the certificate and making sure the provisions defined in an approved certificate are followed.
Box 3
Mailing address and telephone number of the responsible person. Make sure the address is filled in completely in the appropriate boxes. As for the telephone number, since the FAA needs to be able to contact someone at the site at all times during a launch event, this should be a working cell phone number. Use the full 10 digit cell phone number.
Box 4
Do you or your organization have another Form 7711-2 application pending at any other office of the FAA? Normally “No” would be entered but if the answer is “Yes”, then include the name the FAA facility where the other application is pending.
Box 5
Have you or your organization have ever had an application for a certificate denied or an approved certificate canceled or withdrawn. Normally “No” would be entered.
Box 6
The FAR section and number asking to be waived. You are applying for authorization or a "waiver" to launch rockets. The specific provision(s) are FAR 101.25 (d) and (f). Section d applies to night launches, section f is for normal daylight operations. Most waivers are simply for FAR 101.25 (f)
Box 7
A detailed description of the proposed operation. Suggested text is as follows:
Normal operations of Class 2 High Power Rockets in accordance with the (NAR 
or TRA) High Power Rocket Safety Code. See supplemental attachments.

The supplemental attachments will be discussed later in this article.

Box 8
Enter the area of operations (location, altitudes, etc.). For the location, it should be provided in latitude and longitude in the following format:
DD° MM’ SS.SS” Direction (e.g. 28° 36’ 30.01” N, 80° 36’ 14.58” W)
Where DD are the Degrees (00° to 89°), MM are the Minutes (00’ to 59’), SS.SS are the Decimal Seconds (00.00” to 59.99”), and Direction is the direction from the Equator/Prime Meridian. The Latitude is typically displayed first with the direction being either North (N) or South (S) from the Equator. The Longitude is typically displayed next with the direction being either East (E) or West (W) of the Prime Meridian. All U.S. sites should be located in North (N) and West (W) directions.

There are many ways to determine these coordinates. If you have access to a GPS receiver, you can simply visit the potential launch site and use that to determine the coordinates. You can also use programs such as Google Maps or Google Earth to find them. Google Earth has a browser version as well as a downloadable desktop version of the program. The desktop version has a slightly better user interface and more flexibility but for the purpose of determining the latitude and longitude of a potential launch site, both will work fine.

Keep in mind that incorrect coordinates will delay the review process. Take special care with generating them and it’s always advisable to have someone else review them for accuracy.

Box 8
is also where you specify your operating altitudes. After the coordinates, simply state the following:
“Surface to xx,xxx feet AGL”
Where “xx,xxx” is your requested maximum altitude measured Above Ground Level (AGL).
To recap filling out Box 8, the entered information should read similar to the following:
28° 36’ 30.01” N, 80° 36’ 14.58” W; Surface to 5,000 feet AGL (Daytime).
And if nighttime launch operations are also desired, the entered information in Box 8 would look similar to this:
28° 36’ 30” N, 80° 36’ 15” W; Surface to 5,000 feet AGL (Daytime), Surface to 2,000 feet AGL (Nighttime).
Also keep in mind that just because you may request a certain altitude, there are other factors that may affect the FAA’s ability to grant you that altitude. Be prepared to accept a lower altitudes authorization.

See Launch Site Survey and Planning for information on how to determine the maximum altitude allowable at your site.

Box 9
Enter the starting (9a) and ending (9b) dates and times. Since the application usually takes at least 45 days to process, most applicants choose to apply for a blanket certificate which covers a range of dates. As of 2022 the FAA typically encourages standard rocketry waivers for 24 months. If your waiver is for a specific event such as a national launch, you may wish to file for days, rather than months. Another example of a shorter waiver would be for a higher altitude than your long-term COA for a special project. These situations may be discussed with your regional agents.
The Starting and Ending Date fields can either be typed in manually in the typical MM/DD/YYYY format (e.g 01/01/2019 and 12/31/2019 respectively) or selected from a calendar drop down which is accessed by the small downward pointing arrow on the right end of the field. Note: you must be working in a local copy (i.e. saved on your computer) and not in a browser PDF viewer for some form features to be visible.
The Starting and Ending Hours have to be entered manually using Military Time (24 hour time). The time of day is written in the 24-hour notation in the form of HH:MM:SS where HH (00 to 23) is the number of full hours that have passed since midnight, MM (00 to 59) is the number of full minutes that have passed since the last full hour, and SS (00 to 59) is the number of seconds since the last full minute. For instance, 1:30 AM would be entered as 01:30:00 while 4:15 PM would be entered as 16:15:00.

When figuring your starting and ending times, keep in mind that they don’t mean that you have to start and end your events at these times. They simply define the time envelope in which your Class 2 rocket launches can take place. Typical entries, which would include both Daytime and Nighttime launch operations (if applicable), would be a starting time of 08:00:00 (8:00 AM) and an ending time of 22:00:00 (10:00 PM).

Since entering anything else in the field will cause an error window to pop up stating the value entered does not match the format of the field, the Time Zone for a particular location cannot be included. The time entry should be based on the applicant’s local time.

Box 10
Box 10 is irrelevant to rocket launch operations and should just be ignored.
Boxes 11 through 15
are irrelevant to rocket launch operations and can be skipped over and left blank.
Box 16
will be used to enter your proposed launch schedule for the time period entered in Boxes 9a & 9b. Event hours should be entered in the Hour (a) field, Event dates should be entered in the Date (b) field, and Event name should be entered in the Event (c) field, all on corresponding lines. For example:
0900-1800	07/20/2019	Class 2 Rocket Launch (Daytime)
1000-2200	08/17/2019	Class 2 Rocket Launch (Daytime & Nighttime)
1000-1700	10/19/2019	Class 2 Rocket Launch (Daytime)
Note: The information may be submitted in a separate attachment in the 
order and manner indicated on the form and shown above.
You may enter information for a short-term event like a national meet in it's entirety. If you are entering schedule information for a 12 or 24 month waiver, enter a typical weekend launch schedule for the first event planned, and address the recurring nature of your events in the remarks. You are not required to commit to a complete launch schedule in your COA, as you will coordinate each launch with flight control each time.
Box 17
Date and sign the application thereby certifying that you have read the “Please Read” field and the information you have entered into the Form is true. Before dating and signing the fields, it is recommended that you enter the following text into the “Remarks” field at the bottom of the form:
Remarks
All launch operations will be conducted in accordance with the (NAR or TRA) High Power Rocket Safety Code and shall be under the control of an experienced Range Safety Officer / Launch Control Officer at all times. A spotter will watch for aircraft entering the operations area and will temporarily suspend operations in this contingency.
The Dates entered in Box 9a & 9b represent a blanket request with specific dates to be coordinated with appropriate facilities prior to the event. The Hours listed in Box 9a & 9b represent the local time of the launch operations site. Specific times will be coordinated with appropriate facilities prior to the event.
101.29 (a)(1) The “organization name here” will be launching approximately number (NN) rockets each day of our weekend launch(s).
101.29 (a)(2) These rockets will be powered with rocket motors utilizing Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP) and/or hybrid rocket motors utilizing Nitrous Oxide as the oxidizer and a plastic or paper solid fuel grain.
101.29 (a)(3) The rockets will be ground launched from solid launchers that will maintain a vertical trajectory for the rocket as it leaves the launcher per NFPA 1127 and NAR or TRA safety code.
101.29 (a)(4) The rockets will contain a parachute, streamer, aero-breaking, or gliding recovery system that will return them safety to the ground per NFPA 1127 and NAR or TRA safety code.
101.29 (a)(5) The rockets will be operated below altitude request AGL
101.29 (a)(6) The operations launch site is located at GPS coordinates.
101.29(a)(7) Launches will comply with 14 CFR 101.23, 101.25, and 101.27 as well as the NAR or TRA High Power Rocketry Safety Code and the NFPA Code 1127 for High Power Rocketry with regard to safe distances for participants and availability of fire suppression equipment.

Before signing, review the Form several times for accuracy/completeness and correct/add information as necessary. Errors and/or omissions may result in a delay or even a denial of the request.

Once the review is completed, it can either be signed & dated electronically or a hard copy can be printed and then it signed & dated manually. For the first option, consult your PDF viewing/editing software for information on how to add a digital signature (if an option). If the latter option is taken, the applicant will then need to scan the Form back into an electronic format (preferably PDF) for submission.

Aircraft Hazard Area (AHA)

The FAA Office of Commercial Space (AST) get involved to write-up an aircraft hazard area (AHA) when:

  • ANY Class (I, II, or III), amateur rocket requests to go to 18,000 feet MSL or higher…..and/or……
  • the request is for Class III amateur rockets, regardless of altitude.

That is why you see a few of our COAs approved for a maximum altitude of 17,999 feet MSL (that keeps them BELOW the threshold that necessitates the AST Office getting involved). When the AST Office gets involved, they generally need from 6 to 10 weeks to produce their “AHA”.

So, in summary, the FAA AST Office needs to write an “AHA” if Class III amateur rockets are used at ANY altitude…..and/or…..the maximum requested altitude is 18,000 feet MSL or higher, REGARDLESS of Class of amateur rocket. Add an extra 6 to 10 weeks for a request, if the AST needs to get involved.

Also, a rule of thumb: the further West, and more deserted the airspace, INCREASES the chance of being approved for high altitude requests (18,000 feet or higher). Very few requests in the Eastern Service Center area of responsibility (AOR), are approved for altitudes of 18,000 feet or higher, because of the complexity and congestion of their airspace.


Filing a NOTAM for a rocket launch

Your COA or waiver will contain specific instructions regarding notifications to your regional ARTCC and possibly other entities (like a military or local airport,) and the requirment to file a NOTAMNotice To Air Missions.  A NOTAM is a source of timely information regarding conditions or activities which may impact the flight plans of aircraft traveling through your area. This activity requires either:
  1. a phone call to Leidos Flight Service (LFS), or you may
  2. file online at the FAA eNOTAM II (ENII) system. How to file.

Your COA will include instructions to contact Leidos, the contact number, a specific time frame for filing a NOTAM, and specific location and altitude information authorized by your waiver. The resulting NOTAM may be viewed online at FNS NOTAM Search] shortly after calling in.

Icao Alphabet.jpg

I strongly encourage you to learn the ICAO International Telephony Alphabet. This is an essential communications tool and it makes you sound like a professional. Learning the alphabet is useful in all aspects of communicating with the FAA, military flight operations, and in fact anyone at the other end of your phone or radio call.

The NOTAM system software permits the agent to pull up a recent NOTAM and make a copy; editing in the new times and dates. If you filed a NOTAM last month, the agent would appreciate that NOTAM ID so they can use it as a template for your new NOTAM. Usually they can only pull up NOTAMs that are from the past 30 days. If no recent NOTAM is available for reference you are going to tell the agent that this is for an UNMANNED ROCKET launch.

Here is sample NOTAM language from my experience. 

!ALM 01/009 BWS AIRSPACE UNMANNED ROCKET 
WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS 1.0NM RADIUS OF 
BWS001006(4.6NM NNW ALM) SFC-17000FT YYMMDDHHMM-YYMMDDHHMM

!ALM is the declared airspace (in this case Alamogordo, NM), and 01/009 indicates the 9th NOTAM filed in ALM in January. The term UNMANNED ROCKET is the key identifier or subject of the NOTAM. In this example, BWS is the airspace designated for a nearby airport, and BWS001006 is a location coordinate as a radial from that airport. This helps a pilot plan a flight through the area with an understanding of your launch location with respect to a standard navigation point (that airport). That radial will be called out in your COA. WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS nnNM (Nautical Mile) RADIUS OF defines the area within which you are expected to land and recover your rockets. This is the area that flight traffic control will protect by directing traffic around your assigned cylinder of airspace.

The remaining information is the authorized altitude SFCSurface-17000FT, followed by the start and end times for the activity in ZULU Time, which is a Military term for Universal Time Coordinated or UTC, used primarily in aviation and at sea. This is also expressed in 24 hour time, so that e.g. 1:00 pm is 13:00 and 11:55 pm is 23:55. Use this handy converter to supply the ZULU time of your event(s).

more...

References

FAA

NFPA

NAR

TRA

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