October 28 29th launch report

Happy post-Halloween to all you rocket exhaust sniffing junkies. I don't know about the most of you, but I have a lot of candy leftover from Halloween night. We had a lot of trick-or-treaters, some really great and cute costumes, but enough chocolate that we can have a sweet snack each time we walk through the kitchen.
The Official October Rocket Launch was held on what I would call Halloween weekend, and we did have some spooky flights.

Saturday the 28th, as we all knew ahead of time, was projected as a windy day. I don't know the official wind speeds, but it was quite breezy to outright windy. At one time as I had my back to the launch control table while controlling the launch's, the wind blew the plywood board holding the launch slips up and onto my back.
Its like we all knew it was going to be windy and just took it as challenge from the wind gods and picked and choose what we wanted to fly to meet the challenge. Everyone did choose the lesser risky rockets, low altitude, small chutes and streamers,or heavy with power to punch through the wind and then many times a rocket that one would not cry to much over if it was to blow away to Florida.
There were a lot of people out there including, Ralph ( he was coking hot dogs and burgers, yum), Corky, Chris, Todd, Tim and Terry, but not everybody flew because they had something that, understandably, they did not want to risk. And there were a few spectators who saw the road signs and dropped in to see what we were doing. Also, Tim Durbin, a local member has started a rocket vending business as an official representative and vendor for "Giant Leap Rocketry", so we had a vender out all day also. No business web site yet, but you can get him on his business e-mail at tdurbinglr@starband.net. (the glr is for Giant Leap Rocketry).
Many of these rockets flew more than once for the day.
Joycelyn Phillips, "Dad had some really nice "Star Fighter" design rockets with big fins and wings, but wanted to wait" flew a green and white rocket called "Green Lightning".
Roy Potter, myself besides getting beat by the equipment blown by the wind, managed to fly the "Red Pup" on a streamer, "Code Red" on a streamer and the "Whistler" with the whistles in the fins.
Vic Duniec flew a Estes X-Prize designed ship modified in to WWII "V-2" that was the only rocket left in a tree for Saturday, over by the bridge.
Dan Sumner Flew a Estes "Eliminator" and a "Arcas".
Doug Knight, our favorite science professor, was really busy out there, spent a lot of time prepping his "Wet Willie" which was a blue foam pool "Noodle" floatation device with a pvc core and a soda bottle nose. It did land a long distance but was recovered. He just looks at things and go's "Hmmm.. I bet that could fly". He also flew something named the "L5", the "Pip Squeak" , a "Polaris" and Caleb flew a Estes "Porta-Pot Shot" miniature porta-pot rocket for its first flight that was underpowered for the conditions. Doug also flew the last flight of the day with a "Astro Bee-D" at 5:50 when you know that it is just dusk this time of the year.
Brad Shea and daughter Hope flew a "Naked Daddy", he just likes to fly naked the first time, bad picture, bad picture. The "Blue Ninja" with a 18 inch chute guaranteeing a long walk that was, in his opinion, the longest successful walk and recovery. And Brad flew another new Estes kit, the "lil Spool" which is a kit consisting of a plastic spool, like for electrical wire and a engine mount and chute. Flying spools got so popular that someone just had to make a kit.
TJ Shea, name on launch slip, flew a Estes "Shuttle launcher" minus the shuttles, lost a another launch I think.
Doc Russell flew a classic "Mustang" and a military scale "Honest John".
That gave us 8 flyers, but we put up a total of 33 flights that I have flight slips for. The weekend was OK'ed for over night camping so two family's, Brad Shea's and the Paul Phillips family camped over. I think the kids did better and had more fun than the parents. Which is the way it always goes I guess.

Sunday the 29th, we were expecting a better day. The projections from Saturday that I had led me to expect much calmer conditions. It was a bit calmer, but windier than I wanted. I and others had some that we wanted to put up, but still didn't feel comfortable. But a good lot of bigger and classy looking rockets did get up.
We got the campers agoing, set up and got the launch up and away. Again we had a lot of members who didn't fly and spectators who came out to watch, plus two venders, Tim Durbin with Giant Leap Rocketry who besides doing a little business took a great deal of prep time to fly the last fight of the day, and a regular now, Brent Johnson with Hobby Town USA out of Doorsill who usually gets up a flight or two of his own.
Kale Embrown flew a Esters "Silver Comet"
Jason, unknown, flew a tiny five sides saucer called the "Helicopter" cause the shape is supposed to make it spin return.
Micah Knight?, I think, flew a Estes "Sky Dive" without the paratrooper.
Sandy Houston flew a cool kit of a "Harpoon AGM", a "Big Daddy", a military scale "Patriot". a "Comet" and a extended "Sunfire".
Ralph Roberts spent a lot of time helping others with rocket science technical stuff while prepping his big scale military "Patriot" which was a crowd pleaser and later his "Mr Pringles" made of Pringles potato chip cans.
Marcus Harmon spent a lot of time prepping his 2 complicated flights. The "Escape Velocity" flew just a little too great, a loss I'm afraid. The "Behemoth" correctly named with a cluster of 2 large mains and 7 smaller engines in 2 outboard pods for 16 engines total. If one of the mains had not blew past the delay ejecting the nose cone prematurely, it would have been a spectacular lift off and flight.
Erica Owens flew a "Fat Boy".
Sarah Nickerson flew a "Star Dart".
Terry Baucom flew a Halloween flight called the "Bat" which has flown before, a 2 engine cluster flight called the "2-UP" and a "Egg Lofter" for practice flights with a golf ball.
Todd Haring was here with his Halloween special, a large black thing with wide bat wings with the head of "Dracula" as a nose cone called "Dracula's Revenge", everybody was waiting and hoping the wind would cooperate for the flight. He also flew a scale military "Nike Smoke".
Mark Ferrell flew a "HV Arcas" and a "Lil' Nuke".
Tim Durbin, our Giant Leap Rocketry representative flew his "Chester Cheatah" and for the last flight of the day flew a "Talon 3" that took most of the afternoon to prep.
Doc Russell had another anticipated flight since Saturday when we first saw it. It was the "Pumpkin Chunker", a rocket with a big pumpkin on top. Pumpkin was a fake, and busted up on landing. It was really great. He also flew a yellow and green "Grass Hopper".
Tim Franks flew the "Horizon" a popular model, a "Mini-Mag", a scale military "Amraaam", "Honest John" and "Bull Puppy", then a "LOC IV".
Roy Potter, I got the "Whistler" up again putting tunes in the air and the larger, sounding rocket looking, "Sounder" that comes down in two sections with separate chutes.
Ralph Lowe flew a Estes "Executioner".
Chelsea Lowe flew a upscale "Super Bertha".
Candi Lowe flew a "Big Daddy" and a "Canadian Arrow".
Robert and Cody Lowe flew a Estes "Cool Spool" flying spool, "Cyclotron 2", the "NORAD" and a "Pro-Maxx".
Dakota Lowe flew a Estes "Out Lander" mars lander type model and the "Rubicon".
Steve Bumgarner is usually the one who comes out with the most rockets and try's to fly each and every one of them. He flew the "Maxi-Icarus", "Pleades", "High Rise", "Grey Matter", "Deep Purple", "Cherokee-D", "Red Rock", "Fire Hawk" and the "Hot Rise".
Paul Phillips, with a collection of big winged and fin'ed cool Sci-Fi looking space fighter rockets.The "Interceptor" with a 3 engine cluster, the "Raptor", the "Hopefully" and a "Time Duration" competition rocket that was just too efficient at getting extra hang-time.
Jocelyn Phillips flew her "Green Lightning" again.
Brad Shea flew his spool "Wheel 'O' Fire" and his reliable "Blue Ninja".
Mark Canepa came prepaired and as the winds stabilized, brought out his bid and high fliers. A seven year old naked, unpainted model "LOC H45" thought long lost but returned by farm members two farms away who knew we were flying. He insisted they accept a reward for taking the effort to come over. They will keep a look for Marcus's rocket which also looked to go into the same area. Mark also flew a Estes "Screaming MiMi" that's supposed to whistle and ended up giving it to a curious youngster who was a spectator. Marks such a good guy. Then he made his big launch, the "Old Timer" which has flown as far away as at a California launch. Yea, even though the chutes deployed at apogee, it landed right in the field and this was a crowd pleaser.
Dan Sumner flew a military scale "Nike Smoke", a "Tomahawk" a "Eliminator" and a rocket named the "Barracuda".
Bob Strauss, a past club President and old time flier who builds his from scratch and even his own nose cones. Bob favors clusters of smaller engines and he didn't disappoint us. The "Mouse Trap" flew with a 4 engine cluster ignited by Flash-Powder to ensure that all 4 ignited. The "Fat Man" was a 9 engine cluster that used a Flash-Pan to ignite all 9 engines.
Whooo. That was a good day. lots of good impressive flights. Not everything worked as planed, some chutes deployed early or not at the correct altitude, but on the most part, everyone was more than satisfied overall.
We had 27 actual fliers, not counting spectators and managed a total of 72 flights.
OK. That should hold all of you Rocket Nerds till our next launch. Ralph will get an anouncement out as soon as everything is confirmed.
Till then, take care and remember, Keep those exhaust nozzles clear.
Roy, ROCC Sec.

P.S. Remember that the ROCC club membership drive is in full effect. Membership runs Jan to Jan, so this would be the Jan 07 to Jan 08 period. We start the membership drive in October. Membership covers the costs for the club to maintain, repair or replace launch equipment and supplies. And as an example, Sunday our regular launch system shorted and burned out requiring us to switch to our other system built by member Tim Franks who builds custom systems.
Donations to the Flight Jar on the sign-in table goes to the land owner, Mr, Kip Williams, to cover our "Site Fee" for using the farm. Sometimes we have to pull from the club treasury to cover the farm site fee. Ralph's Saturday barbecue helped cover that weekend.
OK, see you later,
Roy