December 4, 2016 - Cancelled

Weather forecast changed again. Bringing the higher possibility of some rain in the morning and early afternoon.

So tomorrows launch his cancelled. We will make up the date by making the January 1st launch a two day event. So it would be 12/31 and 1/1. We also have 12/17 & 12/18 right around the corner has well.

Hopefully we can get some breaks on the weather and make the go/no go decisions a lot easier!!!!!

Launch Update - Sunday, 11/27 is a go

WHEN ENTERING THE FARM, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO DRIVE ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND PLEASE DRIVE SLOW!

When: Sunday, November 27, 2016 – No Sparkie type motors, No Odd Rocs allowed because of the dry conditions.

Where: The Williams Farm. See Web Site for directions if you are new.

Set Up: Volunteers show up at 9:30 am to help setup.

Launch Start: As soon as set-up is complete.

Launch Ends: Approximately 4ish PM so we have some light to close up by.

Ken Allen, with Performance Hobbies is scheduled to be at the farm. 

Jason will have the grill open. 

Any pictures you take from any recent or upcoming launch that you would like to get posted on the web site for our embarrassment and your entertainment, just contact Doc Russell at: rocketrycarolina@gmail.com. (Remember to make the appropriate substitutions... we don't like spam bots!) Or, as some have done, pass it on a disk or flash drive. We can always get it back to you. We are continuing with our Range Safety standards by making specific assignments:

RSO/ LCO = Range Safety Officer to pre-inspect rockets before flights combined with the Launch Control Officer to check range conditions and control the launch’s in a timely and efficient manner. Check both the WEB site and at the launch for info on volunteering. It’s great for anybody who isn’t flying that day but wants to take part anyway. It’s fun to push the little red button.

ROCC Club Memberships. Memberships run Jan to Jan with the drive starting in Oct for the new coming year. Onsite: See our Membership Officer Jason Pettler. For MAIL-IN: See the web site for downloadable membership forms and e-mail address. 

Raffle and Yard Sale on Saturday, November 19th

Roy wanted me to post about the raffle for next weekend

"Celebrative, Opening Rocket Launch Season, ROCC Rocket Raffle" will be there. I've got 15, LP, "A" through "E" motor rockets available.

Also, we will hold a yard sale on Saturday, November 19 since Ken wont be onsite. So if you have rocket stuff to sell bring it out. I have a ton of mostly low power rockets I will be selling.

Season Starts on 11/19 & 11/20

Great News!

I heard from Ralph yesterday and Kip removed the last of the beans yesterday. So the farm is open for the rocketry season.

First weekend will be 11/19 and 11/20. Ken will only be onsite for Sunday 11/20. So plan ahead if you need motors for Saturday.

Hey kids, we need your input!

Hey everybody. I got an email from Brian Dilger, a ROCC alumn who's now working at Black Hawk Hardware. He's got a request, I'll let him tell it:

"Good evening. My name is Brian Dilger. I am a former member of ROCC. I am currently working for Blackhawk Hardware here in Charlotte. The owner and I have been discussing bringing into the store Hobby Supplies for building models. This would include a variety of supplies including paints and essential tools for building both plastic, wood and metal models of all kinds including rocketry.

My question to you and membership is what “Brand” paints, tools and other supplies would you like to see if you ever considered purchasing locally? Our goal at Blackhawk Hardware is to inventory the most wanted (popular) of these for our loyal hobbyist customers.

If you and the membership of ROCC would be so kind as to provide me with a small listing I will do my best to ensure that these products are included in our inventory. Brand names are most important.

Most sincerely, Brian X. Dilger"

So send in your lists! Now that most of the Hobby Town USA's have closed we're running short on local merchants to support! (Gosh, I really miss Science Hobbies!) If you want to just use the email link on the site I'll collect 'em and send it over to Brian.

Thanks, dr

Right Around the Corner!

Look at the calendar rocket Dudes, we should be about a month away from kicking off our season. If you’re not excited about that, something is wrong with you! :)

Doc has more of the new style pads made for this season so we can retire the older taller Tri-pod pads. The new pads are a huge improvement! I can't thank Doc aka Tycho Brahe enough for doing this for us.

Please feel free to make any suggestions you would like to see for the upcoming season.

The Charlotte Mini Maker Faire

The 2016 Mini Makers Fair was a great success even with Hurricane Matthews dumping rain all night and day, until about when it was time to break down at 5pm. Some of the attendees were coastal evacuees staying at a local hotel looking for some diversion. Turned out they picked a great weekend to be stranded in Charlotte and everyone was trying to look after them.

Doc Russell, myself (Roy) and Laura Owens-Bailey, who had to travel up from SC right along with the weather front the whole way, set up a really good display next to the Rain Garden site by the stairs to the lower level. We really hope to get the same site next year. It provided more space and working area than we would have had restricted to the tent outside. And we really had the crowd when they had to pass right by our display anyway when going further inside.

Laura brought a lot of "give-a-ways" for the kids and a couple of her rockets. Doc and I had a good selection of low power, mid and his big High power to show the range of rockets that we can fly out at the farm.

Our booth turned out to be a terrific site after being moved inside due to the forecasted weather.

Doc had a few hundred ROCC informational fliers made up and we must have given out a couple of hundred of them to a lot of interested spectators. Of course this was essentially a Science Geek convention so most everybody there was into the sciences in one form or another so most everybody was wanting to talk and tell stories. Most had dabbled or flown rockets as kids or while in school so were all potential "Reborn Rocketeers". Many conversations were had with kids about how they could participate and a good number of parents seemed like they would come and fly with their children. We may get a number of visitors this season if only to bring a picnic lunch and watch the show. Some may get the bug again.

We hope to see everybody soon, and everyone's looking toward a November "return to flight"!

Remember... Keep those exhaust nozzles clear and be ready.

rp & dr

2016 Charlotte Mini Maker Faire

Just a heads up. Doc is applying to get the club reserved a spot for this years event.

The 2016 Charlotte Mini Maker Faire is right around the corner!

The Call for Makers is now open!

Thanks to folks like you, the 2015 Charlotte Mini Maker Faire was a great success.

We'd like you to consider attending again this year.

This year's CMMF16 will be on Saturday, October 8, 2016 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

New River Valley Rocketry invite

Hi all;

Steven Batten (he of such punny rockets as Strakes on a Frame, Spark Knight Rises) wrote to us to convey an invite from our old friend and former ROCC member Bob Schoner, president of the New River Valley Virginia rocketry group to come to their July 25th & 26th launch. 

From Steven:  "The NRVR club wanted me to make sure all of us ROCC folk know that there is a two-day launch up in Virginia next weekend the 25th and 26th. There will not be a vendor on-site, but they are taking motor orders from Wildman for delivery at the field on launch day. Check out NRVR.org for details and directions. Oh, and did I mention the current forecast says the high temperature should be in the low 80's?"

It looks to be a pleasant drive to their SITE near Blacksburg, Va., and they usually have a waiver about the same as ours, with call-ahead altitudes to about 6K.  

dr

2015-16 Season is Complete

It's a wrap, hard to believe but the 2015-16 season at the farm is already over. I wanted to thank everyone for making this such an outstanding club to be a part of. Now we wait until November to start the 2016-17 ROCC season! Hope you all have a great summer!