Monday, March 20, 2006 at 11:09AM Looks like another Star Trek gadget is on the verge of becoming reality. Here's the link. In a similar vein, I highly recommend this show to any Star Trek fans: How William Shatner Changed the World. Inventions inspired by "Star Trek" help change the world; host William Shatner. It's on the History Channel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Regards, Bob Bernatchez
News Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 5:14PM Everyone: Ralph Roberts here, The March Launch is a go at Williams Farm this coming weekend March 18th and 19th. Ken Allen from Performance Hobbies will be at the launch both days. Come buy some stuff! If you want something special contact him before the launch. www.performancehobbies.com or just call him. Note: Due to the recent fire danger alerts, please limit flights accordingly. If you have a marginally stable shot planned, lets wait till close to sunset to fly when the winds are lowest. Also I will have the Fire Extinguishers recharged. Also, there will be two TARC groups trying to certify for the Rocket Competition, you NAR guys check in with me if you can help witness their flights. NAR contest this month, really, due to winds last month the contest was delayed until now. We'll do what we've been doing: 1/2A Boost Glider duration, C Eggloft duration 1/2A Parachute duration. We will have the Boost glider kits for sale for $5.00, a version of this kit has won the last two boost glider contest. Call me before the weekend if you want one before Saturday. The 2006 membership drive continues, please renew or join at this launch. We will also have the T-Shirts for sale. Sizes from Youth Large to Adult 2XL. We will start the launch at 11:00AM to extend the day. We will be running the launch from 11:00AM to 6:00PM each day. Setup is at 10:30AM. We will have the Porta-A-Jon at this launch. This is another expense we have to add onto our budget per launch, it cost $58.00 a month to have a porta-Jon on the site. Please come out and support the Porta-Jon! We need as many people as we can to make our flyer fee goal. Last month we had a small turnout again. We need everyone and their donations so please contribute if you fly. Remember our recommended donation is $8.00-$10.00 per flyer per day, families with lots of young flyers maybe a $10.00 donation would be good. Again, these are recommendations not harden rule yet. The requested weekend land fee from the land owner is $250, so we need everyone to drop a little something in the jar. Anyone needing to certify, please contact me ahead of time. Todd Haring or Terry Baucom can arrange to have the Level 2 NAR test delivered to the field and we can have others administer the test. Club Meeting: Per straw vote it was decided to move the April launch to the 4th weekend, Easter is the 3rd weekend. So April launch date is set to April 22nd and 23rd, Ken will not be here unless his schedule could change. Summer field to fly on. Brad Shea has done some homework here so hopefully he will have some information for us. Corn will be planted in the fields this year, We will be able to fly through May, and maybe June if we move the launch up a weekend or two. Lets discuss. If you have any questions please email me at _ROCCPREZ@bellsouth.net_ () or call me at 704-568-1070. PRE-LAUNCH TASK JOHN HOOD - Call the waiver in, contact Ralph to confirm. BOB B - Let us know what you need and how much help you will need for the contest. STEVE B - I remember Roy mentioning flight cards, do we need for this launch, if taken care last month disregard. Thanks, Ralph Roberts ROCC Prez
News Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at 2:33PM Check out this month's issue of Sport Rocketry magazine from NAR! Our friends and family are all OVER it! Great write-up and photos from Freedom Launch in Orangeburg last summer. Great job all!!! See you this weekend at the farm..... DR
News Friday, February 24, 2006 at 9:28AM Here is a pdf of the diagram for setting up the new launch control system.
News Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 2:50PM Everyone: The Make-Up February Launch is a go at Williams Farm this coming weekend Feb 25th and 26th. NAR contest this Weekend. (Volunteers need to help judge and time and assist Bob B. with the contest.) 1/2A Boost Glider duration, C Eggloft duration 1/2A Parachute duration. There will be prizes and NAR ribbons awarded to the winners. Many Mini-Manta kits were sold last weekend, look for some good compition. Brent Johnson from Hobbytown USA in Mooresville, NC will be our vendor this launch. The 2006 membership drive has begun, please renew or join at this launch. We will also have the T-Shirts for sale. Sizes from Youth Med to Adult 2XL. We will be running the launch from 11:00AM to 6:00PM each day. Setup is at 10:30AM. Attention Doc Russell: I still need setup instructions for the new launch controller/system. We may want to run both 12 pad launch controllers this launch. I want to run at least 12 Estes pads with the rest Med/High Power. We will have the Porta-A-Jon at this launch. This is another expense we have to add onto our budget per launch, it cost $58.00 a month to have a porta-Jon on the site. Please come out and support the Porta-Jon! We need as many people as we can to make our flyer fee goal. Last month we had a small turnout again. We need everyone and their donations so please contribute if you fly. Remember our recommended donation is $8.00-$10.00 per flyer per day, families with lots of young flyers maybe a $10.00 donation would be good. Again, these are recommendations not harden rule yet. The requested weekend land fee from the land owner is $250, so we need everyone to drop a little something in the jar. Anyone needing to certify, please contact me ahead of time. Todd Haring and Terry Baucom can arrange to have the Level 2 NAR test delivered to the field and we can have others administer the test. Club Meeting: (Everyone, please remind me when it is 3:00, I get caught up doing other stuff as you all know.) There will be a short meeting each day at 3:00pm to discuss some issues. New item : What to do on rainy launch days, general club meeting, hosting site? Recommendations needed. Summer field to fly on. Corn will be planted in the fields this year, We will be able to fly through May, and maybe June if we move the launch up a weekend or two. Lets discuss. When to have the Spring Campout launch, anything special here? Any other items? Anyone who can help setup and tear down will be appreciated, I may need to leave early Saturday. If you have any questions please email me at ROCCPREZ@bellsouth.net <> or call me at 704-568-1070. Weather Note: A cold front is slated to move through Saturday night. Winds Sat are to be from the SSW at 10mph. Sunday winds are slated to be from the NW at 10-20 MPH. So if you are planning to come, you may want to lean towards Saturday, just a thought. Still to early to tell. Thanks, Ralph Roberts ROCC Prez
News Friday, February 17, 2006 at 7:33PM Everyone: Explanation for the GO decision! I feel obligated to Ken and our posted scheduled to attempt to have a launch this weekend. It is a great asset to have a vendor at a launch and for so long we have struggled without one, now we have two really trying to accommodate us. Lets try to make the most out of a bad situation. Support our vendors and fly when we can. Even though moving to the next weekend was the popular choice among all of you, I am torn. I feel the best way to accommodate everyone and to stay to our posted schedule for Sunday and have a make-up launch next week. Please contact Ken at 202-723-8257 if you would like to place an order. I will be picking up orders for some others, I will be glad to pick up others. Mooresville's Hobbytown USA contact is Brent, call 704-799-9332 and leave a list for "Brent" . He said he will attend weather permitting. Thanks, Ralph
News Friday, February 17, 2006 at 12:33PM Man, have the e-mails been flyin' today!!! (culled from various e-mails by Doc): Looks like we are going to ABORT SATURDAY, go for SUNDAY ONLY for this weekend and try for a 2-day on the 25th-26th. Updated info will be forthcoming, but here's the latest from 'el Presidente: Everyone: As it stands right now the current cold front will move through today (Friday). Then it sets up for cold air to start building in with temps dropping though the day tomorrow. It will be warmest in the morning then turning colder. Rain/sleet and snow at a 60-70% chance is the call for tomorrow with a dry cold day forecast for Sunday. Sunday looks OK provided it is then not too wet. The "park at the house" rule may have to be in effect for Sunday. Ken and Brent (Hobbytown, USA) want to attend weather permitting. I need to let them know something ASAP. I will call Kip today and get his take on the situation as well. What ever we do, I would think we should plan on flying next weekend to provide another makeup day. Thanks, Ralph
News Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at 4:18PM Everyone: The February Launch is a go at Williams Farm this coming weekend Feb 18th and 19th. The issue will be weather, as of Weds night there is a 40% chance of showers Sat and even a small chance on Sunday. Winds N-NE 5-10 calming toward evening. Highs in the mid 40s. Not the best of scenarios. Please keep advised of the email and websites all weekend for last minute changes. As always launch site weather available via cell phone at 704-560-0147 the days of the launch.
News Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 2:24PM Everyone: I just received word that NAR and TRA have won their appeal on count 1 of the ATF lawsuit which is the count saying that APCP does not belong on the Explosive list. An official announcement is on the TRA site here I am sure NAR will have a notice posted shortly. I along with a TRA board member are in agreement that this is great news but the WAR is far from over. I am sure there will be further information forth coming. Please read the court brief. I am sure there will be further legal challenges ahead, so take the news with a word of caution. Thanks, Ralph Roberts ROCC Prez and Prefect
News Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 5:46PM You know, I've been building rockets for about 37 years now, starting with a Big Bertha from Estes when I was about 10 or 11. For those of you who are younger, you may have never heard or seen some of the rockets of yester-year that we remember fondly. Here's a link to one of the best, coolest sites out there: Jim Z's Rocket Plans pages. Its a trip down memory lane... LINK
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