Places to Launch in the Melbourne Metro Area

[natty]

Hi Everyone!

I was wondering if there is a list of places that are suitable for launching in the metro area.

I'm new to the forum and I'd like to know where there are other suitable launch sites

Cheers
Natty

[OverTheTop]

Hi Natty. Welcome to the forum.

MMRG used to launch at the Dandenong Wetlands (behind the National Volleyball Centre). I have launched a few times there myself.

I have been known to launch in Highfield Park, at the corner of Springvale Rd and Highbury Rd in Glen Waverley.

Schoolgrounds are also an option.

I have also seen others' launching at Terrara Park, off Terrara Rd in Vermont. Need to make sure soccer isn't being played. It really puts the wind up some of the dogs being walked around!

A few others' on the forum have their own favourite sites.

The usual problem you run into is horizontal space. Smaller parks mean more chance of losing the rockets, so smaller motors are the go.

There is another thread that discusses the height requirements for launches. Good info on height limits. It's not a 400' hard limit as thought by many.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2413

[Raaahbin]

Hi Natty,

As OTT says, there are quite a lot of possibilities for smaller launches (up to 400' AGL), but you need to get a bit further from the city (and, more importantly, all the airports) to fly anything higher. For example, the Dandenong Wetlands site mentioned is fine to fly almost anything you can launch outside a club context (the floor of controlled airspace is more than 3000' above the ground there). Whereabouts are you based? I'm in the inner north, so it's the local oval (and 400') for me, but fortunately I have a work colleague who has a farm out by Gisborne, and that's good for about 2500' (which is higher than anything I've got will go on less than an H).

I highly recommend Google Earth as a way to hunt for launch sites - and if you do some searching, you can even find an airspace overlay that allows you to look up where the floor of controlled airspace is for any higher flights.

Cheers,
Robin

[natty]

Thanks for you reply guys!

I'm in Bentleigh and I usually launch from Dendy Park in Brighton. I was thinking that if the weather isnt any good for a launch at Serpentine, Imight launch some rockets a bit closer to home. I've been thinking of putting together a list of launch sites

so far, we've got:

Highfield Park, at the corner of Springvale Rd and Highbury Rd in Glen Waverley.
Dendy Park, Dendy St in Brighton
Dandenong Wetlands
Terrara Park, off Terrara Rd in Vermont

I've had a look on googlemaps just quickly, has anyone been out here?
-37.95053,145.237412

[OverTheTop]

I remembered some other people launch from the Police paddocks in Dandenong.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=2766

There are also launches at Rocketfests, somewhere near Beaconsfield Reservoir.
viewtopic.php?f=62&t=3117&p=36247#p36247

[natty]

Hey Everyone!

I might check out the Police Paddock on Sunday and if the weather permits, I might launch something!

Anyone else interested in checking out the Police paddocks? If so, let me know! send me a PM

If I make it out there, I'll bring back a complete report!

Cheers
Natty

[krusty]

I remembered some other people launch from the Police paddocks in Dandenong.
http://www.ausrocketry.com/forum/viewto ... =17&t=2766

There are also launches at Rocketfests, somewhere near Beaconsfield Reservoir.
http://www.ausrocketry.com/forum/viewto ... 247#p36247

RocketRoss has some great photos of the Beaconsfield launch site - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketross ... 4132382758

There's a few trees there

I've been a couple of times to launch with Ross and it's a fun atmosphere. Also good place to try out rockets built from things like paper towel tubes and toilet rolls as there's a good chance they'll be eaten by the trees!

The wetlands makes for a good launch site, check the wind for the day. If it's blowing a northerly, park at the basketball end, if it's a southerly, park at the heatherton road end.

Here's a KMZ file for google earth showing the wetlands area - https://www.box.com/s/f65339be9392a11b52e3

Krusty

[Brian]

I'll be going with my friend, anyone olse coming?

[natty]

Hi Everyone!

I took a look at the Police Paddocks today, and there were a few people there flying planes, so I went to the back oval there and launched one of my newest scratch built rockets - so new, its only had one lashing of top coat!

It was a great flight, however the parachute didnt deploy properly, which probably was a good thing as it returned to earth right at the edge of the oval coming perilously close to some trees.

Anyway, I'm not sure I'd go back to the Police Paddocks to launch again. The trees have a me a little concerned. The ground was pretty waterlogged, and I wasnt to sure if I should swim or wade back to my car.

[natty]

Hey Guys!

I had a bit of a Father's Day Launch on the weekend, and probably shouldnt have as I launched Red Rocket and the chute deployed properly this time and carried the rocket away! Its somewhere in East Brighton! I launched from Hurlingham Park (-37.910205,145.01477) and I think this park is ok for B motors and lower.

red rocket.jpg (41.73 KiB) Viewed 3017 times

So I'm still looking for other places to launch D motors and have good confidence that they are going to return!

Looking through google maps, I've found Altona Coastal Park (-37.858744,144.854068)

Has anyone been there? If I can, I'm going to check it out on the weekend. If anyone wants to come along, let me know via PM
Cheers
Natty

[Raaahbin]

Sorry to hear about your Red Rocket! It looks like you could have a very good find with the Altona Coastal Park: going by the Wikipedia page the main terrain hazard is likely to be water and mangrove swamp, but provided there's a big enough area of dry land, it looks excellent in other respects - about 400m across, it's under the 2500' step of controlled airspace, and it is (just, but enough) over 5nm from the nearest aerodrome, so it will be legal to launch up to 2500'.

I'd quite like to give it a shot myself... but my next month is utterly ridiculous, so I might have to wait to read your review. Could be an excellent find!

[krusty]

I used to live right across the road from Hurlingham park years ago! Not a bad park

And yeah, I think we've all stood there and watched rockets drift away

What about Dendy park -
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=-37.8587 ... 1&t=m&z=16

Caulfield park -
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=-37.8587 ... 1&t=m&z=16

Elsternwick park -
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=-37.8587 ... 1&t=m&z=16

Dandenong Valley Parklands -
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=-37.8587 ... 1&t=m&z=14

Krusty

[natty]

Hey Krusty!

Thanks for more info on launch sites!

I've been to Dendy Park many times, its my local "cosmodrome". I can recommend it for C's and below, my daughter lost her rocket flying a C motor there, so not too sure about D's. At the moment they are doing a bit of ground work on the main soccer pitch and the rear ovals are always in use, so finding a time to launch has been a bit harder recently

Caulfield park - I havent tried this park yet, but Ive been past it a few times. The trees there concern me, but it might be good for B's and below

Elsternwick park looks ok for smaller launches, I may have launched there years ago, but I cant remember.

Let me know the next time you're planning a launch, I'd love to come along.

Cheers
Natty

[Raaahbin]

I had a look at Altona Coastal Park on Google Street View. Between that and Google Earth, it looks pretty good! I reckon it could work for anything up to an F or G (at least in a rocket that won't go over 2500'). Thinking about that for my next launch day, if my schedule and calm day will ever coincide.

[krusty]

Don't forget the Floaties!



Krusty