Narrative:

A certificate of waiver has been issued for rocket launches in imperial county; ca. This has been NOTAM for the area IPL266018 FL250 and below on various dates throughout CY2007. ATC is not required to advise commercial; military or private aircraft of this activity if NOTAM. This is a considerable safety issue as it impacts upon R2510 daily military activities and san arrs from over ipl descending on the BARET4 arrival. There is a high volume of traffic in this area most receiving ATC services and a large amount of VFR traffic that is not. There are provisions for spotters at the site and the holder of the certificate is supposed to advise center of a cell phone number in case communications are to be established. This still raises several safety concerns as cell phone coverage is limited to terrain and battery life of the unit and what type of official training do the spotters have at locating aircraft as high as 25000 ft MSL? Several pilots have been asked if they are aware of the activities disseminated by NOTAM and the reply has been in the negative. Given the current climate of world events and the general safety of the flying public; this type of operation should be relocated to an area of less traffic density or a more reliable direct line of communications established between ATC and the launch site to determine or communicate any real-time concerns associated with these activities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZLA CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ROCKET LAUNCHING ACTIVITY; NOTAM PROCS; AND POSSIBLE CONFLICTS WITH MIL AND SAN ARR ACFT.

Narrative: A CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ROCKET LAUNCHES IN IMPERIAL COUNTY; CA. THIS HAS BEEN NOTAM FOR THE AREA IPL266018 FL250 AND BELOW ON VARIOUS DATES THROUGHOUT CY2007. ATC IS NOT REQUIRED TO ADVISE COMMERCIAL; MIL OR PVT ACFT OF THIS ACTIVITY IF NOTAM. THIS IS A CONSIDERABLE SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IMPACTS UPON R2510 DAILY MIL ACTIVITIES AND SAN ARRS FROM OVER IPL DSNDING ON THE BARET4 ARR. THERE IS A HIGH VOLUME OF TFC IN THIS AREA MOST RECEIVING ATC SVCS AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF VFR TFC THAT IS NOT. THERE ARE PROVISIONS FOR SPOTTERS AT THE SITE AND THE HOLDER OF THE CERTIFICATE IS SUPPOSED TO ADVISE CTR OF A CELL PHONE NUMBER IN CASE COMS ARE TO BE ESTABLISHED. THIS STILL RAISES SEVERAL SAFETY CONCERNS AS CELL PHONE COVERAGE IS LIMITED TO TERRAIN AND BATTERY LIFE OF THE UNIT AND WHAT TYPE OF OFFICIAL TRAINING DO THE SPOTTERS HAVE AT LOCATING ACFT AS HIGH AS 25000 FT MSL? SEVERAL PLTS HAVE BEEN ASKED IF THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ACTIVITIES DISSEMINATED BY NOTAM AND THE REPLY HAS BEEN IN THE NEGATIVE. GIVEN THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF WORLD EVENTS AND THE GENERAL SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC; THIS TYPE OF OP SHOULD BE RELOCATED TO AN AREA OF LESS TFC DENSITY OR A MORE RELIABLE DIRECT LINE OF COMS ESTABLISHED BTWN ATC AND THE LAUNCH SITE TO DETERMINE OR COMMUNICATE ANY REAL-TIME CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ACTIVITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.