February 2012 post-launch report from Roy

All Rocket Nerds;

Welcome to the Post-Launch report of Sunday, 26 February 2012

For a one day out of a hopeful two day makeup weekend, it was pretty darn good.

We Got Pictures. Check out the Gallery.

Anyone else take any pictures this weekend?

Any pictures you have from a recent launch that you would like to get posted on the web site for our embarrassment and your entertainment, 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.

This was a special launch for two reasons.

First, this is the first launch with our new ROCC President, John Bergsmith, Welcome John. Everybody be sure to give him a pat on the back at the next launch.

Second, this is the farewell launch for Bob Bernatchez. Bob has been here for so long that there is a rumor that it was his involvement with the early history of rocketry that was the true reason for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Bob has a new job opportunity in Texas and has our best wishs. See the pictures in the Gallery.

This month’s special launch category was scale, of either a actual missile or a upscaled or downscaled model from a kit.

Next months is CLUSTERS. Anything with 2 or more engines ignited at once.

We continue 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.

Note: Curtis Beal, I still have your Club Renewal and check.

As a note to all members, we have a difficulty in cashing checks if it is made out to “ROCC” or “Rocketry of Central Carolina” or even to my name with “Secretary of ROCC” or “Treasure”. The banks consider it a Business check and question the legality if it is not made out to a specific persons name only. You can always make notes on the “Comment” line at the check bottom.

We are looking at trying to get a club account, but there are a lot of difficulties involved.

Important:

New Insurance Procedures: In order to meet and 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 launchs under the NAR flight regulations and for the insurance coverage that best meets our needs.

All rocket fliers who are members of the National Association of Rocketry are fully covered by NAR liability insurance against damage or injury caused by their rocket launch.

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

Fliers who are not NAR or TRA members will be required to sign a waiver on the launch field stating that the Launch organizers, property owner or launch sponsors are not liable for any damage or injury caused by their rocket launch and that they would be flying under their own homeowners/private insurance.

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 launch’s.

R.O.C.C. club membership is a separate local only membership that supports the club only.

We know that there will be questions, so feel free to ask out at the field.

Sunday, 26 February. Our backup weekend after bad weather on our regular weekend.

Great weather. A lot calmer than I expected and though chilly first thing in the morning, with the fire pit to warm the fingers, it was warm in the afternoon.

We are continuing with our “Big Boy’s Rocket Raffle” with 5 rockets to choose from.

A Aerotech “Arreaux”, a FlisKit 2 stage “Nomad” and a LOC “Norad”, a Estes “Executioner” and a 4 ft big bertha like “Long Sword”.

Tickets are $1 each and there is a separate ticket box for each rocket you want to draw for.

We will have 2 drawings at the March launch and the last 3 at the April Campout launch.

For a one day flight weekend, we really had a good weekend.

We had 28 fliers who put up 93 flights burning 123 engines. That includes multiple flights, multi-stage and cluster flights. That’s 4.3 flights per flyer.

A=4,  B= 19,  C= 32,  D=17 ,  E= 22,  F= 10,  G= 6,  H= 8,  I= 2,  J= 2.  

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

John Metcalf flew a Wildman “Dark Star” on a CTI H118 that unfortunately suffered what looked like a front and rear closer failure. Didn’t hear the official CSI investigation results.

His Estes “Blue Ninja” flew fine on a E9 just to show the rocket gods that he will not be stopped.

Doc Russell mostly acted as our RSO and filled in at the launch control table, but still had the opportunity to launch his “ARCAS” on a E9, his “Aerial” on a H180, a custom “Laser” on a D12 for a successful 1^st flight. Then his Estes upscaled “Interceptor E” on a E30 in tribute to Bob’s departure.

Bob Bernatchez, this being his last club launch went out with his very nice black and yellow military scale “WAC Corporal on a G53, his scale French missile “Matra Magic R.550” on a F39, a Estes “Patriot” on a C6, a scale missile “Exocert AM.39” on a E18 and a scale of the new orbital launch vehicle “Falcon + Dragon” on a C6. Way to go Bob.

Roy Potter, I did a lot of Launch Control but still got my “Union Jack” up on a E15 that went up then turned horizontal. Unknown cause, chute deployed so no damage. My “Test III” flew on D12’s and my scale flight was the German “Ver Gelt Ungwaswaffe A-4” that later became the V-2 up on a F32. Not for sure on that spelling.

Malcolm Smith flew a Flis Kit “Star Lord” with a cluster of three C6’s that all ignited nicely. Two 5 sided saucer’s, one was on C11 and then a saucer on a 38mm H112. It held together and actually got a respectful altitude. His “Ugly Bertha” (a Estes kit?) flew on a cluster of two B6’s.

John Bergsmith, ALL Hail the Chief !  Flew the “Cowabunga” on a H123, a Dr Zook “Titan IIIC” on a C6, a Estes “Mega Mosquito” on a E9, a “Hi-Flier” on a E9, a nice scaled “Saturn V” on a C6 and then a nice “WAC Corporal” and military “Honest John” on G64’s.

Dan Mathers flew a nice one I’m not familiar with, a “MMRX-2” also on a G64.

Michael Hollowell took a lot of time prepping a spectacular large, high-powered two stage flight. The “Thunder and Lightning” flew with a booster of a I 435 to a H123 on the upper stage. The flight lifted with a roar and angled downwind toward the left. The Booster separation was perfect and after deploying it’s own chute landed in our field. The main stage ignited perfectly taking it up and up. The altimeter separated the main body at apogee into two halves connected by a tether to freefall to a programmed altitude of 500 ft for a successful main chute deployment. But it was still drifting way out past the tree line, but Michael has it equipped with a radio transmitter locator. So he will tack it down.

Sandy Houston flew a black and yellow “V-2” on a E11 for the scale flight for it’s first flight and then a “Lil Dither” on a loud H242.

Steve Brown had the largest number of different rocket flights. A original “Worm Burner” flew on a F35, a Quest “Full Betty” two stage flew on a C11 to a B6.

His large LOC “HyperLoc 835” (I hope I didn’t get this mixed with Richards flight) flew on a I 170 8 second delay Mojave Green engine, for its first flight paying the ultimate sacrifice to the Rocket Gods with a ejection failure requiring a hike across the creeks beaver dam to the far field for retrieval.

A Flis Kit “Tres” flew on a cluster of three B6’s successfully on it’s first flight. A Estes “Mega Mosquito” flew on a D12 and the “mini Mosquito” flew on a mini A10. A original “North Star” flew on a D13 and a “Micro Mirage” a 4.6:1 downscale of a Aerotech kit flew on a mini 1/2A3.

Steve’s Estes “CC Express” two stage flew on a C11 to a D12, a “Comanche 1” flew on a D12 with a “P”nut altimeter to record the flight, and a 4:1 downscaled LOC “Mini Fantom” on a A8.

Corky Story flew a giant over sized emerald green fat boy looking rocket called “Galaxy Girl” on a very loud J350 for a good flight and the evil eye of the sky, “Wild Eye” on a equally noisy J570.

Brad Shea flew a “NSL Starship” on a C6 and his “Miranda” on a H143 smoky sam.

Adam Shea flew a “Cherokee Goonie D” on a C6, a “Cherokee D” on a D12 and the Estes Boost Glider “The Eagle” on a B6 that once it fully separated from the booster and got out of the stalls, it leveled out and did quite well.

David Reid flew a “Matra” on a D12, a “Lightning” two stage from a D12 to a D12 for a really good staged flight. His “Comet” flew on a D12, a Estes “Cork Screw” on C6’s, a Estes “Fat Boy” on a C6, a “NASA something” on a B6, a “Lance Beta” on a F50, a Estes “Screaming MiMi” on a D12. A old school, North Coast Rocketry “Bomark” flew on a G80 with a almost too long of a 10 second delay that deployed the chute JUST before impact. I hope it came through without getting zippered.

Tyler Deaton, one of our junior fliers, flew a “Vaga Bond” on a E9, a Estes “Chrome Dome” on a C6, a “Astra III” on a C6 and a “Tracer” on a C6.

Courtney Tomkinson, another Jr flier, flew a Estes “big Bertha” on a D12 and a small “Baby Bertha” on a C6.

Jason Pettler flew a 7 engine cluster Kit rocket, the “Stovi” on E9’s. They all ignited and it was very impressive to see all that E9 power multiplied by seven. He also flew a “Baby Bertha” upped to a D12 from the original C engine.

Joe Pettler, flew a classic Estes “Der Red Max” on a C6, the Estes “Cosmic Cobra” with the nose cone helicopter return, on a C6, and a mini “Honest John” on a mini A3.

Brian Gossiaux flew a classic Aero Tech “Initiator” on a E30 for a low flight, then upped it to a F20 for a much better high flight.

David and Michael Strunk flew the “Onery Machine” for its first flight on a G54 with a altimeter deployment of the main chute at 500 ft. A “Honest John” flew on a D12 and a two times upscaled “Big Bertha” for its first flight on a G56.

Ralph Roberts, flew his daughters Estes “Big Bertha” on a C6 and his “So Easy Anybody Can Do It” cave man rocket, the Estes “Rock-It” on a D12.

Jim Eddings and the GDS TARC Team flew the “Nomad” repeatedly on F20’s for test, evaluation and qualification flights.

Samuel Morrison flew the “Ultimate” on a B6.

Kevin ?, you did not sign-in Kevin, flew a Estes “Mean Machine” on a E9.

Brendan Welch flew the “Farside” on a B6.

Charlie Hardy also flew a Estes “Mean Machine” on a E9, then a short, pointy, squaty looking “TNT” first on a E9, but had just a tad to low a thrust, so he went to a E15 next for a much better performing flight.

Richard Mathers flew the Christmas colored rocket called “Ho Ho Ho” for a Lv-1 cert flight on a H128. I don’t remember how that turned out. I hope well. I hope I didn’t get him and Steve mixed up.

Erik Evens flew a “Little Rascal” many times on a B6.

That was the weekend as a whole. 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.