Darling Downs Amateur Rocketry Association (Space Pilots Rocketry)
Toowoomba and the Darling Downs have had people doing model rocketry since the days of the Cooby Creek Tracking Station.
Model rocketry continues today as the Darling Downs Amateur Rocketry Association, a prefectorate of Tripoli (USA) helping the Rangeville Community Church Space Pilots Club to launch their small model rockets at Allora in the Southern Downs. (We also launch some hefty ones too)
We encourage education and skill building through constructing and flying model rockets up to High Power Rocketry (HPR) as the senior members are also members of Tripoli.
Next scheduled launch: Saturday 30th May see below for details.
How do I get in touch..
Address
DDARA Inc, (Space Pilots) Rangeville Community Church, 362 Mackenzie Street Toowoomba 4350 Australia
Operating Hours
Find us at 6:15 to 8:00 pm Friday (School) nights at Rangeville - The Rocketry Lab.
Launches are held on Saturdays during school term as published below, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Generally about 4-6 launches per year weather permitting.
See also our neighbour clubs, and check out Tripoli in the US.
We all need a helping hand sometimes. Here are some helpful links. Feel free to come along on a Friday school night and ask away! Another means is to come to one of our Launches, we're happy to answer any questions.
The image above is from Open Rocket.. A simulation of one of our rockets that was used to celebrate 12000 rockets launched by the Space Pilots of Toowoomba since 1969.
The history of Space Pilots and Model Rocketry in Toowoomba goes hand in hand.
We owe a lot to the pioneers of model rocketry who started a boys club and had them building model rockets around 1969. Trevor and Shirley McIvor and some local men and boys got together to imitate the regular launches of the Mercury and Apollo missions.
Rocket launches have been carried out from 1969 to the present. Recently we have thrown our lot in with Tripoli (US) so that our launches are insured and carried out with the permission of CASA and local authorities and airport operators.
The younger members can launch their rockets under the direction of adult members of Darling Downs Amateur Rocketry Assoc Inc. and judging on the wows and oohs they really enjoy the afternoon out. The older members also get to launch larger rockets and we have had some remarkable constructions fly - Boost launch gliders, tumble recovery rockets and the lolly rocket.
You can find us on a Friday school night from 6:15 to 8:15 at the rocketry lab where we are helping juniors and seniors alike to build successful model rockets, and to understand the aerodynamics and physics of a real flying rocket.
There is a lot more to tell, but drop a line to the Secretary if you want to know more.
Some of our Members and their rockets.
Early days.
More pictures will be added to bring you up to date through 2026
Our programmed launches for 2026 are:
21 March 2026 1:00 pm. - Done!
16th May - cancelled, try
30th May. -Rained out!
Next:
25th July - Make that 1st August! Winter is beautiful on the Southern Downs!
Done! A great day out, 25 flights.
Provisional:
12th September
14th November
Further launches to be advised (Generally Saturday Afternoons to line up with School Term dates.
Directions:
Follow the New England Highway from Toowoomba south, and after Missen Flat (Spring Creek sign) (A very long straight section) at the next bend before going down into Allora take Tudor Valley Road (left) for one block. Turn right at the Wagland Road T intersection and travel south for about 800m. This road is rough and unsealed. The gate is on the left, follow the parking signs to a flat section as directed.
For the GPS: 275923S 1520033E
For Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SpYWRPLxwmaAqXB2A?g_st=am
What to bring:
Sun protection and water in Summer, Warm jackets in Winter. Good shoes, or if it is wet a change of shoes and a plastic bag may be an advantage as the ground gets quite sticky. Launches may be cancelled in the case of rain or storms.