October 2012 Post-Launch report

Back to the Farm, 20 October 2012, Post-Launch report

Sorry it took so long, I’m building a storage attic over the garage.

Saturday was a sunny day, and quite warm after the morning chill with a light breeze.

A great day for a launch. Low power engines with a lot of streamers and small chutes to keep anything from drifting into the crops, which we were not to enter. They were ripe and fragile, ready for harvest.

We had to set up and fly at the far end of the runway well past the wind sock in the low section that actually put us out of sight from anybody who pulled into the farm, took a look around, and not being able to anybody might think “Hey, where is everybody?

Mr. Ogino, Charlies dad, put one of Charlies big rockets up by the windsock so anybody who pulled in would see it and come on down to our hidden location.

Hopefully, all those camera owners we saw at the launch contacted Doc.

I see we already have some pictures from the Launch, so check it out in the Photo Gallery.

For our embarrassment and your entertainment, any pictures you have from a recent launch that you would like to get posted on the web site for everyone to see, just contact Doc Russell at rocketrycarolina at gmail dot com, or as some have done, pass it on a disk or flash drive. We can always get it back to you.

We have started the ROCC club membership drive for the 2013 flying season.

Membership funds go to the NAR and Tripoli association fees and insurance and cover the costs of maintaining the launch equipment.

We are getting in a new ROCC “T” shirt order. We went through the grey shirts, then the tie-dye shirts and now by request we will be offering a grey polo shirt with a pocket and then some assorted solid colored shirts. All with the colored ROCC logo.

See the Web site for the monthly “Launch themes” coming up.

I will be sponsoring a “Golf Ball” launch competition to be on the January 2013 launch.

It will be the 3 greatest altitudes launching a golf ball on a “C” engine or its equivalent. Example, 2 “B’s” or 4 “A’s”.

The altitude will be recorded using the “Jolly Roger Altimeter One” provided by myself and Sandy.

Besides bragging rights, there will be 3 “Mega Mosquito’s”, Gold, Silver and Bronze for the top 3 winners.

This is not for duration, so large streamers or small chutes are OK so you can limit the drift.

Body, golf ball, nose cone, ect, need to be attached by shock cords like usual.

So start now designing your rocket and you can test fly them at the Nov and Dec launch’s.

LOST and FOUND.

A 4 inch white body tube with a green 3/fin section. It has “LOC Precision” stickers and a yellow and purple chute. And a honkin big red RMS 54/852, Dr Rocket motor. (Steve Brown ?)

I am trying to open it to clean it.

We continued with our Range Safety standards by making specific assignments of a RSO=, Range Safety Officer to pre-inspect rockets before flights and the LCO=, Launch Control Officer to check range conditions and control the launch’s in a timely and efficient manner. So far this has worked fine with little to no effect on launch flow.

Check both the WEB site and at the launch’s for info on volunteering for RSO (Cert Lv-2 required) and LCO (Cert Lv-1 preferred, but any responsible and experienced adult can apply).

It’s great for anybody who isn’t flying that day but wants to take part anyway.

And it’s fun to push the red button.

New Insurance Procedures: In order to comply with the Tripoli Rocketry Association and the National Association of Rocketry insurance requirements, our Club, “R.O.C.C.” has chosen to register our scheduled launches under the NAR flight regulations and for the insurance coverage that best meets our needs.

(NAR recognizes TRA membership and covers them under their blanket of coverage)

R.O.C.C. will still be registered as a joint TRA and NAR associated club and Tripoli flights and certifications will continue as normal.

Joining the National Association of Rocketry is quite easy.

You will find a application form in every Estes rocket kit you buy, or you can even join on-line at WWW.NAR.ORG. There are 4 yearly annual memberships.

Junior, 15 and under =$25,   Leader, 16 –20 =$25,   Senior, 21 and up = $62.

Family = with one regular Senior and $12 for each additional family member.

This membership completely covers you for liability, damage and injuries at our launches.

Saturday 19 May 2012.

It was comfortable and sunny with light winds around most of the day.

Due to the limited field size due to crops, we were restricted to the standard Estes engines.

We had 18 fliers who put up 88 flights burning 93 engines. That includes multiple flights, multi-stage and any cluster flight.

A= 23,   B= 12,   C= 37,   D= 18,    E= 2,   F= 2,     

Who flew what? Remember your penmanship of what I can read influences my spelling. 

Doc Russell flew his 1.5 upscaled “Sprint” on a D12, a “Bertha 2” on a C6, a “Nike Smoke” on a B6 and the mysterious “X-70” on a D12.

Burke Wallace flew the “Star Ship Vega” on a C6, a “Alien Invader” on a C6, a “Goblin” on a D12 that flew over toward and into trees in the left side of the field. He also had a Este’s re-released Star Trek rocket powered flying “USS Enterprise” that is suppose to fly on a “C” but could use “More Power Scotty, more power”. It recovered without damage.

Roy Potter, I flew my “Red Bull Puppy” with the horseshoe streamer recovery on C6’s, my “Test Flight III” on D12’s, “Silver 007” on a B6 and C6. I test flew my “Golf Ball” lofter to see what altitude I might get on a “B” and “C” engine, The B6 got 119 feet and the C6 got 384 feet altitude, so that can give me a baseline for the “C” engine competition in January.

Joe Pettler flew a “Tomahawk” on a D12, a two stage “Solar Flare” on a C6 to a A10 that made our second and last tree landing for the day. A “Helli Cat” flew on a C6 with the helicopter return nosecone, a “Chrome Dome” flew on a C6, a “Red Max” on a C6, a “Superideon” on a C6 and a underpowered “Venus Probe” on a C6.

Jason Pettler flew a “Baby Bertha” on a D12, a “Mini Bull Pup” on a C6, and a mini “Honest John” on a mini A10.

Sandy Houston flew a rocket I believe Erica named for him, the “Baron Von Snuggle nuzzle” on a C6. His “Alpha” flew on a C6, a “Comet” on a C6, a “Wizard” on a A8, a cool looking “Diamond Back” on a C6 and a “Patriot” on a C6.

Erica Owens flew the “Ranger Mokie” on a Cluster of 3 A8’s, the “Full Moon” on a A8, and a “Bull Pup” on a C6.

John Bergsmith flew the “Nantucket Sound Light House” on a D12, that is a flying light house you all. A “Alpha 3” flew on a E9, a small “V-2” on a B6, the “EPM-010” on a C6, the “Gee Hod” on a C6, the “Ruskie” on a C6, the “Photon Disruptor” on a C6, a “Alien Space Probe” on a D12 and the Halloween flight of the “Hyper Bat” on a C6.

John Tolppi flew a “Red Max on a C6, a “ASP V-2” on a D12, a 2 stage “Renegade” successfully on a C6 to a C6 and a “Sunward Maverick” on a C11.

Randy Bird flew a “Blue Ninja” on a D12, a “Tomahawk” on a D12, a “Renegade-D” on a D12 and the “Orange Blossom” on a D12.

Mitchell Bird flew a Estes “Converter” on a C6 and a “Payloader” on B6’s, once with a corn cob and than a flower as payloads.

Brad Shea flew the “Das Pumpkinator”, a orange foam pumpkin with 4 long wood dowels as fins (Looks like the Sputnic satalite), on a D12, a bit underpowered, then the “Spunkin” also on a D12.

Ralph Roberts flew a “UFO saucer” on a D12 and a “Nike Smoke” on a B6.

Connor Sides was doing a science experiment in preparation for world domination by flying a number of different fin designed rockets all on A8’s to record the altitude reached by each fin design, 14 flights in all. He also flew a “Mean Machine” on a D12 and a “SR-71” on a B4.

Bryson Smith flew a “Flash” on a C6, the “Buzz Light Year” on a B6, a “Wizard” on a B6 and a “SR-71” on a C6.

Kevin Burne flew a “Needle Rocket” on a B6.

Walker Lewis flew a “Sky Fighter” on a A6.

David Neimen.  A Memorial set of flights were made by Brad Shea in memory of David Neimen who passed away and left his pre-prepped rockets to be flown and donated. They will be made available as they are flown and then go into a future raffle.

Thanks to everyone who helped out.

Many times some asks “Who makes that rocket?” so I’m trying to identify the kit maker in the reports so interested fliers know what kit to look for.

Hope to see you on the pads and remember to keep those exhaust nozzles clear.

Roy, ROCC Sec.

Comments

[Steve Brown]

Hi, Yes Sandy let me know that the remains were back at the field! I will pick them up at the next launch. I would be glad to help with some club duties as well. L2 was a success @ Orangeburg in August. Golf balls.....Hmmmm, ok. Polo Shirt- yep, want one!