Which wind scenario applies to waiver altitude flights at a 1500 x 1500 ft field with a 3000 ft AGL waiver?

Which wind scenario applies to waiver altitude flights at a 1500 x 1500 ft field with a 3000 ft AGL waiver?

• A. You are limited only by the HPR maximum wind of 20 mph
• B. You can fly at 15 mph, if pads are at the upwind edge and tilted into the wind
• C. You can fly in winds up to about 6 mph, if pads are at the upwind edge and the rocket flies vertically
• D. This field can only be used in calm winds for flights to the waiver altitude

Answer: (C)

Waiver altitude flights on a small field must keep horizontal drift very small so the rocket can be recovered safely inside the field boundaries. With a 1500 by 1500 ft field and a waiver to 3000 ft AGL, any wind forces the rocket to drift sideways during ascent and descent, and that drift can push the landing outside the field if winds are too strong. Placing the launch pads on the upwind edge helps because wind will push the rocket downwind toward the field center rather than off the edge. Having the rocket fly nearly vertically minimizes the time and distance it spends moving horizontally, further reducing the chance of crossing the field boundary. All of this translates to a practical wind limit of about 6 mph for waiver flights under these conditions. Winds higher than that increase the risk of losing the rocket outside the field, which is not acceptable for a waiver flight. The other scenarios—allowing significantly higher wind speeds or requiring only calm winds—don’t align with how waiver flights are safely managed for a small field.

Waiver altitude flights on a small field must keep horizontal drift very small so the rocket can be recovered safely inside the field boundaries. With a 1500 by 1500 ft field and a waiver to 3000 ft AGL, any wind forces the rocket to drift sideways during ascent and descent, and that drift can push the landing outside the field if winds are too strong. Placing the launch pads on the upwind edge helps because wind will push the rocket downwind toward the field center rather than off the edge. Having the rocket fly nearly vertically minimizes the time and distance it spends moving horizontally, further reducing the chance of crossing the field boundary.

All of this translates to a practical wind limit of about 6 mph for waiver flights under these conditions. Winds higher than that increase the risk of losing the rocket outside the field, which is not acceptable for a waiver flight. The other scenarios—allowing significantly higher wind speeds or requiring only calm winds—don’t align with how waiver flights are safely managed for a small field.