Outreach events

Our prez Brad will be attending a den meeting on 4/22 to help some scouts learn about rockets and also help them build some. Later they will be launching (date yet to be determined). If anyone wants to join in this will be in the University area around 6pm. Then, on the 27th, A small group of scouts in Indian Trail / Monroe has asked for help doing a small launch near Radiator Specialty. They want a quick show and tell and then 7 scouts need to launch. (From Brad...) "I'm trying to determine if this is worth breaking out the launch controller for - I think one set of PVC or saw horse pads and a single launcher might be a better fit. Any thoughts welcome as well as anyone able to help." 6pm or so - details will be shared if anyone is interested. Contact Brad on both of these.

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April 17th and 18th

Looking forward to the April launch everybody? UPDATE - SATURDAY MORNING Note: The field to the left of the runway/parking area is planted in Barley and at this point it is growing up fast, smaller rockets may be hard to find in the Barley. With the wind blowing rockets into that area this weekend please be aware. Bring streamer material to add to our recovery. It will help. With Wind Gust Saturday, as the front passes through, to 20-25 miles per hour and low humidity we are at risk for Fire Danger. We may need to limit Sparky motors and only fly rockets with know flight profiles. Everyone please fly wisely. CAMPOUT this month!!! No fires on the ground but bring your firepits or BBQ's, your vittles and your telescopes. If you remember we're going to be running the H egg loft contest during April, as well as our continuing run of the golf ball loft. The H egg loft rules are spelled out on the NAR website here . I'd like to restrict the hours for the H egg loft to between 1:00 and 5:00 pm if possible. I know that if I have to be there to run the show I'm good for that amount of time both days. I will bring stopwatches as well as my gram scale, so that we can weigh the eggs before flight, and I will bring a carton of 18 grade-A large eggs. I will say that at least 10 of those are spoken for between Wayne, Sandy and I, so if you want to be sure I have eggs for you then please let me know at rocketrycarolina@gmail.com. If you want to bring your own grade-A larges that's OK as well (hence the scale!). The golf ball loft is our just-for-fun contest to see who can get the longest duration flight on a B engine. There's a nice prize from Paul Phillips' carbon fiber glider company up for grabs at the end of it. Right now, unless there's a result I don't know about, I have the lead at 1 minute and Roy Potter's right behind me with :58 seconds. Stewart Samuel had a great riff on it by doing a NERF football loft in March. It gave me a great laugh! Remember, Ken will not be with us (he's at Red Glare) so I hope you shopped for supplies over the last few months. If not, you can contact him directly at the Performance Hobbies website but do it soon so he can ship it. Next to the last thing... We're on You Tube! I got 1 of Sandy's videos up on Friday. I'm playing with the bit rates and such to try and get the best balance of speed and resolution. Our "channel" is located here. If you search youtube.com for rocketrycarolina, without the space, you should find it as well. There's also a video up there from someone who came out to visit us and had a lot of fun. As always, thanks for all who make this a great club. Please step up and volunteer your time in some way, either as set-up/tear down, RSO/LCO, or some of the many outreach opportunities there are out there. The old saying is still good, "Many hands make light work". Remember also to sign up with Rocketry Planet to participate in the ROCC blog. Thanks, Doc Russell, ROCC VP

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March Launch Report

Welcome to all Rocket Junkies and Nerds. Our March Launch this last 20 � 21 March was pretty good overall. Saturday was T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoe weather. It started warm in the morning and ended up in the mid 70�s by the afternoon. Winds started real mild early in the morning then picked up with some strong gusts through the rest of the day. We did have a lot of good launch�s including 4 �I�s� and 2 �J� flights. Sunday we had Scout Pack 163 come out for a Pack launch, up until the rains drove us out at about 3:30. Continued thanks to those who are providing us with photos of our launches. If you have any and would like to get them posted on the web site for our embarrassment and your entertainment contact Doc Russell at docr@wireknot.com or jeanr@wireknot.com. Or as some have done, pass it on a disk or flash drive. We can always get it back to you. Not confirmed, but how about a �Camp-out� launch weekend next month? Sat, 20 March we had 44 listed fliers that put up 101 flights with an average of 2.3 flights ea. Counting multi stagers and clusters we had burned 111 engines. A= 4. B= 21. C= 14. D= 9. E= 16. F= 5. G= 26. H= 8. I= 4. J=2. Wanting to insure the safety of both the spectators and fliers alike, we upgraded 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. Check both the WEB site and at the launch for info on volunteering for LOC and RSO shifts. It�s great for anybody who isn�t flying that day but wants to take part anyway. For the Play-By-Play, click the "Read More" link...

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Joint Statement on the BATFE Litigation Legal Fee Recovery Motion

March 27, 2010 On Friday March 26, Judge Reggie Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on the TRA/NAR motion for recovery of the legal fees we incurred in our successful nine-year case against BATFE regulation of APCP. The judge rejected the government's argument that we were not entitled to any reimbursement for our attorneys fees. However, he ruled that we will only be reimbursed based on the artificially low hourly legal rates established for use in federal court cases, and only for legal work performed after the Court of Appeals remanded the case back to Judge Walton in 2006, including legal work on the fee recovery motion itself. The amount will likely be less than half of the $196K that we had requested (the amount we requested if the court would not grant recovery at an enhanced fee rate), but will still be substantial. The exact amount corresponding to the judge's decision has not yet been calculated. This re-calculation will need to be re-submitted to the judge by April 16, and for payment at some date yet to be established after an April 30 BATFE response to our submission. Ken Good President Tripoli Rocketry Association Trip Barber President National Association of Rocketry

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WOW, What a weekend

Man, what a great launch weekend. It started out a bit rough for me personally but thanks to Roy, Ralph and a bunch of others the weekend got off to a great start. Lots of flights on Saturday with some of the best temperatures we've seen so far. It was a bit windy, and several flights ended up on the north adjacent properties, but I didn't hear of anyone getting into real trouble with any of the landowners so it all worked out well. There were some brilliant flights, and Charlie Ogino had his monster rocket on display in the parking area. I've got a photo from Sunday. Click the read more tag to see it (Remember, there's a 10' booster section yet to be built!) I started to run out of steam about about 4 and apparently I missed the flight of the day. Our own Dr. Doug decided to fly a J motor as the winds were settling down. It took off and got several hundred feet up when the forward closure failed, popped the nose off and then it miraculously got stable again, but horizontal and headed due north under full power. It impacted into the woods with a resounding THUD. Ouch!!! I heard from Brad on Saturday night and he was having a great time in San Fran, but wished he was burnin' some AP with us! Really big news, the ROCC membership overall has stepped up and donated $500.00 to the Mitchel USLI team and the team is well on their way to making their ultimate goal. They still need to raise more to go to Huntsville, so if you know of a corporate sponsor or some organization with some money and a desire to foster science education, then get in touch! Go Team!! Sunday dawned cloudy but hopeful, and we had a reasonable turnout. It really heated up once troop 163 (I think that's right) got there and had some great demo flights, then we flew their rockets. They had about a dozen and a half rockets and everyone had a great time. Rain hit us about 3:30 and closed down the field a bit early, but we all pitched in and got it done, a bit damp but safely. Hats off to all, and we'll wait for Roy's official wrap-up soon. Doc Russell ROCC VP

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March ROCC Launch - Sunday Morning Update

Well our biggest issue today will be weather. Official forecast 50% chance of showers with winds 5-10 from the South Southeast. Note: Ken Allen is here this weekend and will not be here next month (April) so come out and see him today if you need stuff for next month. The Sunday Morning forecast is trending that we may have some showers in the afternoon. A small band of rain is in southern Georgia getting ready to move into SC. We may have a few showers in the afternoon that we may be able to work around, however, if we get a band of rain that could possibly soak the equipment we may call the launch early. Now all that said the area where we launch from tends to stay drier than the surrounding areas so our rain may hold off longer than Charlotte's. Our suggestion is get there as early as possible. We will be set up by 11:00AM. We have a 1:00 PM Scout group with about 6-10 kids so any help with this would be appreciated Thanks, Ralph - Tripoli Charlotte Prefect We will try to post updates throughout the day as we have them, otherwise call Ralph on his cell 704-560-0147 for on field updates. PS Yesterday was great, a lot of great flights, good food, great weather, lots of flyers!!!!

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March ROCC Launch - Sunday Morning Update

Well our biggest issue today will be weather. Official forecast 50% chance of showers with winds 5-10 from the South Southeast. Note: Ken Allen is here this weekend and will not be here next month (April) so come out and see him today if you need stuff for next month. The Sunday Morning forecast is trending that we may have some showers in the afternoon. A small band of rain is in southern Georgia getting ready to move into SC. We may have a few showers in the afternoon that we may be able to work around, however, if we get a band of rain that could possibly soak the equipment we may call the launch early. Now all that said the area where we launch from tends to stay drier than the surrounding areas so our rain may hold off longer than Charlotte's. Our suggestion is get there as early as possible. We will be set up by 11:00AM. We have a 1:00 PM Scout group with about 6-10 kids so any help with this would be appreciated Thanks, Ralph - Tripoli Charlotte Prefect PS Yesterday was great, a lot of great flights, good food, great weather, lots of flyers!!!!

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March ROCC Launch - Sunday Morning Update

Well our biggest issue today will be weather. Official Forecast 50% chance of showers with winds 5-10 from the South Southeast. The Sunday Morning forecast is trending that we may have some showers in the afternoon. A small band of rain is in southern Georgia getting ready to move into SC. We may have a few showers in the afternoon that we may be able to work around, however, if we get a band of rain that could possibly soak the equipment we may call the launch early. Now all that said the area where we launch from tends to stay drier than the surrounding areas so our rain may hold off longer than Charlotte's. Our suggestion is get there as early as possible. We will be set up by 11:00AM. We have a 1:00 PM Scout group with about 6-10 kids so any help with this would be appreciated Thanks, Ralph - Tripoli Charlotte Prefect

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March Madness

Our next launch will be the regular 3rd weekend, March 20th & 21st., weather permitting. Brad will not be able to attend due to proir travel plans so it'll be myself (Doc) there for set-up and I could use some hands. I still have a weight limit of about 20 lbs. so I could use some "muscle" to get the set-up done. Set-up time will be 10:00, as usual, with launch activities to commence right after set-up, about 11:00. We can probably fly till about 6:00 because of daylight saving time. WEATHER UPDATE: Wind forecasts: currently Wunderground is predicting 4-6 MPH winds from 200 to 180 degrees, so recovery should be straight across the runway to the right hand fields. Percip & temps look to be beautiful for Saturday, in the low 70's with hardly a chance of rain. Sunday however is looking dicey, with a 60% chance of thunderstorms. We can make the call about Sunday when it gets a bit closer, maybe even on Saturday. I know there is a scout troop wanting to come out on Sunday but if there is any way we could accommodate them on Sat. it might be the better bet. RSO The new process worked well but we didn't have high volume. We plan to stick to the RSO all rockets model for the next launch. Please be aware that any rocket without RSO initials on it will not be launched until this is addressed. Volunteer Please We will need volunteers at the next club launch. Multiple jobs are available and I will send my sign up sheet template to the others for them to use. Please chime in online if you know ahead of time that you can be available to assist. Jobs are listed below: Setup - 2-3 people to help carry gear and setup pads. May need someone with a truck to help haul equipment back and forth. Tear Down - 4+ people to help tear down the gear, move it and stow it. May need someone with a truck again. RSO/LCO - We need people 3+ people each day to sign up for 2 hour shifts at LCO & RSO (6 people total at a minimum). LCO's can be any adult member of NAR or Tripoli (L1 preferred). RSO requires L2 or higher certification. LCO's need to be aware of the rules including verifying the skies are clear and avoiding launching at an angle that brings rockets back over the crowd during recovery. March 2010 continuing - Golf Ball Loft - LPR Competition The complete discussion is located on the ROCC Rocketry Planet blog. The basic idea is a fun reinvention of bowling ball lofting with LPR rockets and golf balls. Key aspects: B motor, Must keep the ball on the field - no off field recovery, ball can recover by itself - only the ball is timed, "booster" must recover safely but need not be on field or returned, ball must stay with the booster even if turned upside down until the rocket is launched. Doc set the bar by flying his with > 1 min duration! Roy Potter flew for a :58-second duration and is right in the #2 slot right now. Way to go Doc. Doc & Roy are the only flyers with qualified flights so far. Certify and FLY Remember that APCP is no longer regulated as an explosive so you are free to certify and fly up to your certification level with only minimal regulations (FAA, DOT, etc.). Remember that our field does not support motors over K. Performance Hobbies ? I have not yet checked with Ken Allen. You can contact Ken if you want to confirm this or order from him. (DR note, from his website calendar it looks like he will be with us, but in April it looks like he'll be at Red Glare in MD.) NAR HPR H Eggloft - April 2010/b> Doc has agreed to step up and be our Contest Director for the NAR HPR Provisional contest. We plan to fly this one in April 2010. See discussion on Rocketry Planet. The official (provisional) rules are located here. (From DR), Please read the "read More" link for some info I'd like to propose for the H-Eggloft in April. Last thing... (from Doc) The Mitchel Community College USLI (University Student Launch Initiative) team coordinated by our own Dr. Doug Knight & Rocket Clan Ogino (motto: we likey big motors) is working on getting their cash together before they must travel to the Huntsville, AL launch at NASA on April 17th. They are competing against some pretty heavy hitters, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Iowa State, University of Alabama, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, just to name a few. They have a great deal of information available here. They are looking for tax-deductible donations, with some "perks" available (think PBS fundraiser) as incentives. These young folks are doing some real rocket science folks. The site is well worth a visit even if you don't donate. Some of you may recall a very strange looking nozzle on top of a white 4" airframe going off at the last few launches. That's what this is all about. Thanks Thanks to all who help make this a great club. We have had good participation with setup and tear down and plenty of additional help in other areas. Pat yourselves on the back - you make this club a great place to have fun. Sincerely, Brad Shea ROCC President roccprez@rocketrycarolina.org

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Y-Guides build & fly

Just a short blast to let you all know that the ROCC was well represented on the 6th at the Y-Guides build & launch. Bob B., Sandy, Malcom, Brad, Brandon and I went out to River Hill plantation and gave some education, did some demo flights and flew over 126 B-motor rockets for about 275 dads & kids. Hats off to Sandy who went out Friday night & picked up all the equipment, gave Brad apoplexy, and showed up with the rest of us on time and ready to work to make it a GREAT time. We launched the 126+ flights in about 2&1/2 hours by the way (whew!) Way to go guys, and an extra special thanks to Malcom for getting me there & back! DR

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