A pilot reported the need to take evasive maneuvers to avoid an amateur rocket launch.

Attributes
ACN	1505052
Time
Date	201712
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.TRACON
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	VFR Route
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25 Flight Crew Total 14500 Flight Crew Type 350
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Miss Distance	Horizontal 24000 Vertical 0

Narrative:

I was cruising at 1500 feet enroute to my destination. There was a high overcast ceiling with very good visibility below. My heading was approximately 180. I noted something odd ahead of my flight path. On looking closely I realized it was a smoke plume from a rocket launch. The white smoke trail went straight up and disappeared into the overcast. I turned slight west to pass by rather than over the launch site. The wind was calm; so the smoke trail stayed visible for a long time. I noted a large number of vehicles at the launch site and a small group of people near the base of the smoke trail. I saw no subsequent launch. I continued to my destination.my guess is this was a launch of an amateur rocket with a club; etc. Viewing. Neither flight service nor I can find a NOTAM for this activity. I was very glad I wasn't over the site during the launch.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A pilot reported the need to take evasive maneuvers to avoid an amateur rocket launch.

Narrative: I was cruising at 1500 feet enroute to my destination. There was a high overcast ceiling with very good visibility below. My heading was approximately 180. I noted something odd ahead of my flight path. On looking closely I realized it was a smoke plume from a rocket launch. The white smoke trail went straight up and disappeared into the overcast. I turned slight west to pass by rather than over the launch site. The wind was calm; so the smoke trail stayed visible for a long time. I noted a large number of vehicles at the launch site and a small group of people near the base of the smoke trail. I saw no subsequent launch. I continued to my destination.My guess is this was a launch of an amateur rocket with a club; etc. viewing. Neither Flight Service nor I can find a NOTAM for this activity. I was very glad I wasn't over the site during the launch.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.