Re:FAA says monetized videos shot from drones are subject to...
by Roboprog on Thursday March 12, 2015 @11:48PM
(#9195577)
Actually, 1,000 ft flights are pretty routine. Any model rocket engine with a "-5" on the end is going to coast for 5 seconds after the fuel burns out. If the model is light enough to be near the top of its arc at that time, it will be about 1000 feet up. Flights with engines that end in "-3" (3 second coast) tend to end up about 300 to 400 feet up.
Tip: if you want to fly in a baseball field, and get your model back (not drift out of the park), stick with engines like "B6-4" or "C6-3" and models sized for those engines. If you fly a C6-5 or a D12-7, you had better have a good size farm to land in and a few friends to help spot :-)
http://www.hobbylinc.com/rockets/group/enginefacts.htm
Flying G size engines and up? Go to a special event in Nevada. Those can go a few thousand feet up. (or lift some heavy/dangerous frameworks)
Routine 400+ foot launches are more the purview of dedicated rocket launch events, which typically do go through extensive FAA clearance and such, and which have certification processes in place for those flying all but the lowest-powered rockets. Airspace is usually sanitized, and for good reason: these sorts of rockets tend to be much bigger than your ordinary backyard-launched Estes rockets, and very well could do significant damage to an airplane should a collision occur.