February 2009 Launch Report

First off, we would like to thank everyone for braving the projected cold weather February, Sat the 21st and spent the day flying.
A FOX news team came out from 1pm to almost 4pm taking stock footage and an interview with Charlie Ogino�s TARC team on what it�s all about.
We saw the footage (after the notorious cutting and editing to get it to fit in the assigned allowed time) after the Nascar race on the 10pm Sunday news. It came across pretty well, even smoothed over our one high power �Blow-By� that surprised them. It was explained to them what happened, and the lady directing the episode seemed pretty positive to our activity, specially the educational aspects.
Doug, or Dr Knight, also did great with his interview reflecting that this is where some of our future engineers and scientist�s will come from and that he includes his class in rocketry projects.
Brad Shea, ROCC Prez, also got a quick comment in on the broad spectrum of people that participate in the hobby.
The day started frosty in the upper 20�s but by launch time many others and I had dropped the overcoats to just sweatshirts or pullovers till the end of the day. It turned out to be much warmer than we expected throughout the day.
Winds were pretty mild; we had some good hang time with thermals that showed up. Dr Doug Knight and Robby Stegall who both successfully returned with their rockets performed the only really long walks.
Charlie and his TARC team had a TARC fund raiser serving Pizza and baked goods all day.
Based on the projections for Sunday, we had to agree to cancel Sundays launch due to the high winds. Turned out that it was good call. TV weather Sunday was reporting 15 �25 steady winds with gusts up to 30 MPH.
We had 28 fliers that put up 71 flights throughout the day that went up to about 5:30 with just enough light to put everything away.
LP= Low Power, MP= Mid Power, HP= High Power.
(Spelling is based on what I can decipher from the sign-in sheet and launch slips)
(Sequence is in order of the sign-in sheet)
Roy Potter, Well besides acting as RSO, I got some flights in on my �Stars and Stripes� on LP checking chute size and deployment. My scratch built sci-fi space fighter called a �Pulse Fighter� also went up on LP that turned into my medium to long distance walk.
Ralph Roberts, besides conducting Tripoli business and certifying flights flew his �Big Tube� competition rocket named �The Cosmic Staff of Azul� on MP.
Bob Bernatchez always brings out a collection to choose from and was one of the first and the last at the end of the day to fly. His NCR �Quasar NG�, the NCR �Orbit� both flew on MP. NCR is for North Coast Rocketry, a former high power section of the Estes corp. If you can find a kit at a sale, get it, they are pretty good kits. His �D-Region Tomahawk� also flew on MP. On LP, he flew a �Patriot� and a �V-2� missile and a Estes �Maniac�. His newly built �Exocet� flew its first flight successfully on a 2 LP cluster.
Doug Knight put on a good appearance with a LOC �Graduator� on MP, which also was his long recovery walk. A LOC �V-2� also went up on HP. His rocket �Yard Sale�, aptly named as he got it at a rocket yard sale for $10, it also went up on HP. His �Big Tube� contest rocket was called the �Potty Rocket� built from plastic garden flowerpots and some weird thingy things sticking out, and flew it on MP, which was a bit weak, so he will go to HP next time. This man is never boring.
Wayne Hill was a very normal flier with his �MR-1� and a nice �Bigger Bertha� on MP. His �Japanese Missile� and �April Dancer� both flew on LP. His only nonstandard flight was a brass metallic looking �Cone Head� on LP, which got a good altitude.
David Tomkinson came out and flew a Estes Classic, a �Maxi Alpha 3� on LP. I remember way back when that came out, we thought we could go to the moon with it. The biggest rocket kit I had ever seen at that time. His �Patriot� and �X-Prize Eagle� also flew on LP.
Mike O�Hara made it out with his Wife to fly a scratch built model called the �Stryker� successfully on MP. The �Low and Slow� went up on LP with a long delay to get more fall time before chute deployment but it lost expected altitude pushing through the wind and �darted� before ejection. Bummer. But his �Super-E�, a kit bash of a Estes Executioner kit that flys on a cluster of 3 LP engines made it fine.
Doc Russell also manned the launch control table but was able to put up his �Airel� and �IO� up on MP flights. He also flew a �Maxi Streak� on LP.
John Bergsmith flew a upscaled �Goblin� on MP. I think it was John also had a really big upscaled Goblin that I was hopping he was going to launch. He also flew his �G-Force� and �Mozzie� on MP. John likes upscaling, he also flew a upscaled �Der Red Max� on MP.
Gary Pfister also had a LOC �Graduator� which flew on MP, nice looking kit. He also flew the �Big Red� on MP. The �Morgans Miricale� flew on a 3-engine cluster of a MP as the main with 2 outboard engines in pods. The center MP was enough to make it a successful flight even though the 2 out board engines didn�t ignite. The �Leathal Threat� flew on LP and so did his �Mustang� but also with too long of a delay, lawn dart. But Ken was there to provide some replacement tubing for rebuilding.
Keith Wickersham mostly watched but did fly his Estes �Blue Ninja� on LP.
Cole Wickersham also had a Estes �Patriot� to fly on LP.
Kenny Wood drag raced his son; I think his son had the edge though. Ken flew a �Big Bertha� on LP while Matt flew a �Alpha 3� on the same LP. I think dad had the more impressive flight. Ken also flew a �Silver Streak� on LP.
Matt Wood also flew a �Mini Meanie� and the �High Hopes� a few times on LP.
Brad Shea flew the �Lava �; I think a �big Tube� contest rocket on MP. The Prez was pretty busy.
Brian Eagle went MP with his �Aura� and �Diablo�. He also flew one named �Fantom� that looks pretty much like the old NCR Phantom.
Ken Parker. Welcome to the nut house dude. Ken was visiting to check out our setup. Ken used to fly at Whitikers before they lost their field and we are hours closer than the other sites available. Ken is also a rocket glider radio control flier also. He only brought a regular rocket, the �Sunrise� to fly on MP. Nice feathered multicolored paint job, just like a sunrise.
Maddy Haring, one of our younger female fliers flew a �Big Dawg� on LP. Then she got into a pink mood with the �Pink� and the �Pok-A-Dot Mania� with a major pink scheme on MP.
Todd Haring flew a rocket named the �Silver Comet� (not the Estes model) on LP.
Sasha unknown, flew a �Baby Bertha� on LP.
Mary Ogino flew a �Marage� on MP.
Charlie Ogino flew repeated flights of his TARC competition rocket, the �TARC 1.5� on MP.
Robby Stegall went for his TRA Certification flights with his black and yellow �Bee II� on HP for two flights. The first was a blow-by, snuffing the engine out and igniting the ejection charge. It chuted back from its short flight with no damage to fly again later for a successful Cert-1 flight. And a long walk to retrieve it. Actually, I think he got a ride. That always helps.
Jesse Williams flew a Estes �Sky Writer� on LP. It looks like a #2 yellow pencil.
Nic Perry also flew a �Sky Writer� on LP and had a Estes �Patriot� also to fly on LP.
Josh Blackburn flew a rocket named the �Blue Bomb� on MP for a good flight.
Billy Brigman also had a Estes �Patriot� to fly. It seems to have become a poplar choice for beginners for the size, cost and inherently stable, reliable flight characteristics.

I can�t think of anything else to cover so lets close this out for now.

See you all next time on the flight line, and remember to keep those exhaust nozzles clear.

Roy
ROCC Sec.