Can the student members of my team (under age 18) fly “reloadable” model rocket motors in TARC?
Yes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that metal-casing reloadable model rocket motors be sold only to persons age 18 or older, but there are no regulations prohibiting a younger person from assembling and flying a reloadable model rocket motor that was purchased by someone else such as the team’s adult advisor. I want to use an electronically-actuated ejection charge system in the upper stage of my rocket, using loose black powder or Pyrodex powder in a small igniter-fired container to blow out the parachute. Is this permitted? No. Separate pyrotechnic charges are specifically prohibited by the TARC rules. Handling loose black powder (and potentially Pyrodex) in a rocket’s electrically-fired separate ejection charge system is an activity that requires a Low Explosives Users Permit (LEUP) from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. These are available only to adult U.S. citizens. TARC rockets must be prepped and flown in the competition and in
