November Launch Report -- Saturday

Welcome, welcome, welcome! To the much awaited November Rocket Launch.
Turkey Day is over, so I hope your ready for the Post-Launch report.
Well it has seemed like months; well actually it has been months hasn't it? Since our last rocket launch. When the coastal hurricane season started, rocket launch weekends were canceled all throughout the Carolinas. Even the big east coast rocket meet, Liberty Launch, down at Orangeburg S.C. which a lot of people were looking forward to attending.
Then we had tragedy strike the Williams family, which, understandably, put our own launches on hold. But finally, and with the cooperation of the Williams family (we are glad that Kip is recovering well) we were able to effect a November Launch.
A lot of us were in desperate rocket withdrawals, so it could not have come at a better time.
Saturday, 20 Nov, the weather was overcast with periodic sunshine, high clouds, light wind with a few gusts every now and then, but warm temperatures in the 60's. Everybody was wearing t-shirts on the most part.
We had a number of Certification flights Saturday also, most were successful and those who weren't will be ready again next month.
There was only one lost rocket, the upper stage of a 2 stage Navajo that was launched with the wind up and over the Simpson farm. Oh well. We know how that is.
We had 48 actual fliers that put up 129 listed flights and burned 134 engines.
Mini= 7, A= 3, B= 14, C= 37, D= 15, E= 17, F= 19, G= 14, H= 4, I= 2, J=1.
Roy Potter, I myself spent most the time assisting launch control and answering questions for a number of new people. I was also drumming up the club ROCC membership drive and ROCC "T" shirt sale. (Remember, a $20 membership comes with a ROCC "T" shirt which go for $13 each) ROCC memberships run from Jan to Jan and we start the drive in Oct or November for the next year. Club memberships goes to the club treasury that covers the cost of maintaining the club equipment, maintenance, supplies, charter association fees with the Tripoli Rocket Assoc and the National Association of Rocketry and Insurance. (Launch site donations go to the landowner, Williams Family, as a gratuity for the use of their land, Note: we are supposed to come up with $250 per weekend)
Any way, I myself only got up 2 flights, a tiny "Swift" on a 1/2A mini engine and my "Mars Probe" on a C6 to demonstrate the rear ejection system.
Bob Bernatchez flew some of his scaled and older classics from his collection. The "Pathfinder" on a D15 reload, "Titan III E" on a D12, "Orbital Transport" on a D12, "Juno-I" on a C6, "Nike Tomahawk" on a B6, a nice "Mercury Atlas" on a F24 and a cluster rocket "Replica 2650" with three E9's.
Steve Bumgarner, who always seems to be the first out on the pad flew his "Grey Matter" with a E28, one named "Single use" on a F52, "Funnel Vission" (made from a engine oil funnel) on a G64, "Rocket on!" on a E28, the "Bigger Daddy" on a F20 and the "Apogee" on a E9.
Phil Trainor came out with only one rocket, an "Initiator" but flew it repeatedly throughout the weekend; it went up Sat on F20's, a G40 and a G80.
Doc Russell, who has a classic collection himself of older models, flew an "Io" on a F20 and F40, "Strong Arm" on a F52 and a G64, the "Cherokee-E" on an E9 and the "Copter" on a 1/2A. I missed that one, was it a helicopter or tumble recovery?
Conner Deason flew a "StormCaster" on E30's, and got it back, it turned into the wind (wind cocking) and drifted back to us. The new and neat "Deuces Wild" went up on two C6's, and a "Black Brant" on a G64.
David Deason flew the first big high power for the weekend, his big "Nike Smoke" on a I600, can you say LOUD? His "Big Daddy" went up on its first flight on a F20, "DragonFlier" on a G64, and a "Bull Pup 12D" on a J350 for a level 2 certification flight. Can you say EVEN LOUDER?
Michael Bernatchez flew a "Falcon" on a C6, "Fire Hawk" on a C6, and a Star Wars "Star Destroyer" on a E28.
Charles David flew a "Bull Pup" on a G80, an "Initiator" on a F20, F25 and a G33, and his "Executioner" on a E30.
Justin Grossjean flew the "William Shatner" (we'll have to ask him why) on a G64, "Master of Puppets" in a drag race with Joe's "Shark Bait" on G64's with "Puppet" wining.
Joe Grossjean flew "Charlene" on a G35 and "Shark Bait" on the G64 and F20's.
Carla Linker flew a "P Tiny Pterodactyl" on a F20 for its first flight.
Bill Linker flew a "Mustang" on a F20 and "Dark Rider" on a H238.
Devon Tomkinson flew a scratch built "Hot Shot" with a three C6 cluster, "Big Bertha" on a D12, "Super Big Bertha" on a E9 and a "Maxi Alpha" on a D12.
Vic Duniec makes all these neat military scale models from scratch and plans pulled off the Internet, and makes his own decals for a great finish. His "Cluster Bomb" was a Estes kit but missed the runway and bombed the cornfield instead with a B6, his Estes "Smart" bomb went up on a C6, (a good kit for the price) and a "Aim 54C" on a D12.
Elizabeth Duniec flew a Star Wars "R2 D2" on a C6, which is just not strong enough to get it up high enough, maybe a D reload would work, Her "Blue Ninja" on a D12 and "Sky Writer" on a 6.
Thomas Crain flew a "Sky Winder" on C6's, a neat Estes helicopter recovery kit, and a "Star Cruiser" on a B6.
Brad Duniec flew a "Satellite Interceptor" on a C6.
Greg Curtis flew a "Initiator" on a F25 for a first flight, "Storm Caster" on a D12 and a "Patriot" on a C6.
Dan and Matthew Schallenkamp inherited two nice "F14 TomCat" glide recovery rockets and flew them on the recommended C6-3's, but in my own personal case, they just don't get high enough to recover from the ejection charge and to much drag slows them down to where their nose drops causing them to dive. But, they are repairable. They also flew a "Baby Bertha" on a B6 and C6, and a "Alpha" on a C6.
Mike, Karl and Mark Kowalewski flew a "USAF" on C6's, a "Der V3" on a D12 and a "North Coast" on a D12.
Will Matthis flew a modified "Screamer" to fly on a D12.
Matt and Kenny Wood flew a "Mini-Meanie" on a mini 1/2A, "Big Hero" on a A8, "Executioner" on E9's, "Mother Ship" on a C6, "Big Bertha" in a drag race with "High Hope" with C6's, Hope was the winner there. "High Hopes" flew again on a C6, and a "Alpha 3" on a A8.
Terry Baucom flew his "LOV IV" on a G80, a "Onyx" on a F21 and a new "Warlock" on a I212 for its maiden flight. Can you say, Nice and Loud?
Drew Baucom flew a "Super Star" and a "Initiator" on F20's.
Todd Haring flew a rocket named the "Masters Revenge" on a H180 with the Drogue chute released at apogee and the main chute successfully deploying at 500 ft.
Olivia Haring flew her "Baby Bertha" on a B6 and a "Navaho" two stager on a C6 to C6, which was the only rocket lost that day. Last seen fading from view in gray clouds.
Maddy Haring flew a "Super Bird" on a C6 and a "Big Dawg" on a B6.
Greg and Susanne Burris flew a "Mini-Mach 12" on a A8 and C6, and the "Red Special" on a B6.
Will Matthis flew a "Screamer" modified to fly on a D12.
James and Terry Hopkins flew "Goliath" on a C6 and a "Shuttle Express" on a B6.
Russell Floyd flew a "Black Brandt" on a H97 for a good Level one Cert flight.
Jesse Helms flew a "Baby Bertha" on a B6 and C6, and a "Sizzler" on a B6.
Nick, no last name, remember to sign-in next time, flew a "Falcon" on a C6, a "Nabo Star Wars Fighter" and a "Droid Star Wars Fighter" on mini A10's. "America" and "Super Neon" went up on B6's.
Nicholas Cunningham flew the "Orange Juice" on a C11, D12 and E9's.
Kevin Cunningham flew a LOC "Tomahawk" on a PRO 38, H143 for a Cert one flight with the separation and free fall from apogee and dual mains at 300 ft.
Greg Bullock flew a "Strong Arm" on a F62 and a "Great Big Bertha" on a E9.
Charlie and Joseph Woodlief flew a "CC Express" two stage with a D12 to a D12 and was recovered. Most expected high flights were angled into the wind. A modified "Comanche" was flow on a E9.
Hugh Malesh flew a "Patriot" on a C6 and the "Super Bird" on a C6.
Isabella Malesh flew the neat "Wacky Wiggler" on a B6 and suffered the same thing that happened to me. After a couple of flights, the ejection charge burns through the cotton string holding the segmented parts together, so I replaced my cord with that burn proof Kevlar string. And now it holds together as it wiggles falling back to the surface.
Emily Foster flew a "Fat Girl" on a C6.
Saturdays flights were really great, a good mixture of small to really big flights. And its great that we had almost more Junior fliers than Seniors.
We had a Silent Auction for items and rockets at the sign-in table. Some people got some great stuff for a reasonable price. The Auction was to raise money for the Williams Family in both appreciation for their kindness to us and to help and assist them during their time of need. We will miss Mr. "Squib" Williams, he was always the neat old farmer type but friendly and willing to talk and show the kids the pigs, and provide a pig for a pig-picking barbeque rocket launch campout weekend.
OK, this is big enough, I will put out Sunday's flight report later after my turkey digests. By the way, those of you who didn't come out Sunday, YOU MISSED A PERFECT WEATHER DAY TO FLY. Almost no wind, sunny, warm and clear, most the rockets landed close to the launch area for short walks. Even the big and high fliers.
OK, see you later, and remember, keep those exhaust nozzles clear!
Roy