Theme for Sunday 5/6 - BerthaPalooza

Bring your Big, small, and all sizes in between Big Bertha's. Bertha type designs such as Big Betty, Ranger, and Brighton's all accepted.

Launch - Sunday, May 6th

This weekend we are planning for the launch on Sunday, May 6th. Ken couldn't make Saturday, but will be onsite for Sunday. 

However, I need to make sure that we will have enough people to not only fly, but to help set up and take down. So if you can help, and intend to fly this Sunday, please email me at johnbergsmith@me.com.

Set up time will be 9:30, take down will around 5 to 5:30pm.

Please let me know asap.

Thanks,

John

Sapce-X static fire to be webcast live

Thanks to my wife Jean finding this one, from Boing Boing. Space-X will webcast their live firing on Monday, 4/30/12 starting at 2:30 eastern. More info is HERE

dr

And the results are in...

NAR adviser Sandy Houston has crunched all the flight data on the April "dry run" contests. To read his detailed analysis, please, click the Read More link below... dr

Click to read more ...

April post launch report from Roy

Gather round all and you shall hear a tale of struggle, heartbreak, more struggle and eventual triumph. Here then is the April launch report from our faithful recorder of statistics and decipher-er of penmanship, Roy Potter... Just click that little "Read More" link... dr

Click to read more ...

Sunday the 22nd launch is canceled

Due to the weather forecasts for Sunday the flight operations for the 22nd of April have been scrubbed (which will, of course, means it will be a beautiful day!).

Our next scheduled launch will be the pick-up launch on the weekend of the 5th & 6th of May.

April 21st & 22nd Launch Update

Saturday, April 21st is a GO for launch. The weather will hopefully let us get close to a full day in. We will make a decision on Sunday at some point tomorrow.

Camping & the Night Launch will be cancelled tomorrow night because of the weather forecast.

Ken Allen will be onsite tomorrow so bring money! 

April 21 & 22, Weather Update #2

We are going to hold on to this weekend with a final decision at 1:00 PM today. We are hoping that the forecasts are correct that tomorrow is only a 30 - 40% chance of rain and that, if it comes, it will be late in the day.

We are canceling the camping and the night launch. We will pack the equipment tomorrow night figuring that if we do get rain it will be in the nightime hours. Hopefully if the rain is not too much we can salvage part, if not all, of Sunday.

The weather models have 3 different outcomes planned for the weekend and depending on who's forecast you take it could be completely different.

Check in this afternoon and tomorrow morning before heading to the field.

dr

The weather is of course playing with us like a cat with a bug and there are talks gong on as to what to do. Currently the best guess is to roll to the next weekend of the 28th & 29th. That has NOT been confirmed yet. We'll post a further update late today to see which way the weather is likely to go, but current forecast overnight Saturday looks like the best we could hope for would be a Saurday-only launch and you certainly wouldn't want to camp out that night.

dr Thursday am.

OK, Let me 'esplain.... no, there is too much, I just sum up...

First, there's the launch, including NAR contests for B altitude, C payload, spot landing and set duration flights. There's information on all this in the "Contest Info" section on the right hand side bar. Then there's the night launch, rules for which are posted in the same "Contest Info" section to the right. Then there's a camp-out, with possible stargazing opportunities if the cloud cover is OK. Then there's ANOTHER day of launching, with Michael Hollowell's helicopter available for rides.

I'll tell you, if all of this comes off they'll be talkin' about this launch till, well, a long time anyway.

dr

New TRA L2 test available (from Ralph, TRA Prefect)

Official Release from Tripoli April 6th 2012 regarding new Level 2 Certification Test:

 The latest Level 2 Study Guide is now available on the Tripoli website, on the Certification menu.

 All members will also receive a printed copy via mail in the near future.

The specific timeframe for mailing of the printed copies is not yet known.

 Ralph has received the new test and other Prefects will receive them shortly, if they have not already.

 Individuals taking the Level 2 test between now and May 31, 2012 may select to take either the old or the new test - this decision is up to the member taking the test, not the member administering the test. Put another way, you get to take the test you studied for.

 As of June 1, 2012, members will no longer be allowed to take the old tests.

 In addition, if you take the old test prior to June 1, 2012, you still have a year in which to make your Level 2 flight - flying after May 31, 2012 doesn't require you to retake a test you've already passed (unless you took it more than a year prior to the flight!).

Additional Launch in May

I know several of you have asked about adding additional launch dates before the field closes for the season. So we’ve added another launch on the May 5/6 weekend. Also, you will be pleased to know that Ken will be attending this launch as well. So mark your calendars and come out and fly, and buy from Ken.