Tuesday, January 4, 2005 at 7:00AM Two weeks ago Carla Linker (Bill's wife) pointed out that she couldn't add pictures. Turns out the Gallery software was a bit too secure. I've created an Album named Winter2005 which will allow any logged in user to create their own sub albums and upload pictures. Logged in users can comment on pictures in any album. Read on for the basic steps.
News Tuesday, December 28, 2004 at 4:33PM Joint Statement on BATF Litigation - December 22, 2004 This message will outline the results of the December 17, 2004 hearing in U. S. District Court in Washington, DC, before Judge Reggie Walton and next steps in our legal effort to remove unnecessary and illegal regulation of the sport rocketry hobby. NAR and TRA won both pending motions before the court. Winning these motions are important for us because we can now move forward on two key items. Granting the first motion means we can now legally challenge the illegally promulgated "Questions and Answers Hobby Rocket Motors" document at the ATF Explosives website within the current litigation. Granting the second motion for final judgment under Rule 54(b) means we can proceed with an appeal of Count 1 of the lawsuit. Count 1 argued that APCP does not function by explosion and is therefore not subject to BATFE regulation. A ruling from an appellate court on our appeal will determine a key point -- whether the ATF even has jurisdiction to regulate the hobby at all. We intend to file an appeal immediately after the judge releases his written order granting our motion. The next scheduled event will be another status hearing, January 28, 2005. BATFE has until that time to respond to our amended complaint. Upon reviewing that filing, counsel will have an opportunity to respond, most likely with a motion for summary judgment to attempt to get the court to set aside the "Questions and Answers" document. Members may obtain a copy of Judge Walton's orders from our websites; we expect to have those documents available in the next few days. We need your continued strong financial support for the legal work necessary around these two wins. The appeal preparation and filing will cost a minimum of $25,000. We estimate the total costs of remaining legal work on both the litigation and appeal will take approximately $100,000 over the next two years. Please donate today in whatever amount you possibly can. And thanks for your assistance to date. Also, we again strongly recommend that members in the field report in detail any actions taking by ATF personnel in the field, particularly if they use the ATF's "Questions and Answers" as the basis for their action. Forward to either of us the dates, times, names and offices involved, along with a complete description of your experience. Be factual and complete in your message. If we need additional information, we'll contact members individually. Secondly, we again urge members to consider donating to the Legal Fund. Please make a donation to the Legal Defense Fund today, in whatever amount you possibly can contribute. Your support and generosity will be recognized and acknowledged, and you'll be able to say "I supported the fight for an unregulated sport rocket hobby." You can make donations securely online at: https://secure.consumersinterest.com/nar/NARfrompres9911.html#donorform As we have further developments, we'll continue to report them here and in our publications. Mark Bundick, President National Association of Rocketry Ken Good, President Tripoli Rocketry Association
News Saturday, December 25, 2004 at 12:08PM Happy Holidays!!! Here's one Jean ran across on her travels to Slash-Dot... a DIY versoin of the Apollo flight computer: http://klabs.org/history/build_agc/ If ya happen to have some spare time, or just want a laugh, follow the link. Be warned that things that appear on slashdot tend to get slammed for a few days, so if the link returns a 404, try in a little while... their server just can't keep up! Doc R
News Sunday, December 19, 2004 at 5:05AM Everyone: A strong artic front is to pass by us this AM, winds will increase throughout the day growing steadily out of the NW all day with no chance of dying down toward Sunset like they normally do. I would recommend coming out early, the range will open at 11:00am. If the winds blow above 15-20 MPH sustained we will close the range. Please contact me on my cell phone at 704-560-0147 for range weather updates. You can also call my home phone for launch updates, I will have an answering machine message or you can ask Linda. Thanks, Ralph Roberts ROCC Prez PS, Yesterday was perfect, clear skies no winds, Awesome! Lots of beautiful flights! If you missed it, kick yourself.
News Thursday, December 16, 2004 at 5:04PM Yessss... It is going to be a bit cold Saturday and Sunday morning. I received a few questions on dealing with the cold out at the launch site. For those of you who have been out on the launch field in winters past, we know that the best system is to dress in layers. If the sun is out at all, we have seen how the farm fields can act like a solar collector and the air temperature can be 5 or more degrees warmer than the projected high. So if its warmer than you thought, you can shed or don clothing layers as needed. As of now, it is to be sunny, with a morning start in the low 30's moving up to the 50's. So dress accordingly, use common sense and have a lot of fun. (its rumored that flight performance is increased in dry cold conditions) And to clarify "Donations" vs "Membership fees". The "Donations" jar on the sign-in table is for the flyers flight fee, which is given to the property owners as a gratuity in appreciation for the use of their property. The present target amount requested by the property owner is $250 for the weekend. Club memberships, $5 for juniors, $10 for adults, $15 for a family or $20 with a ROCC "T" shirt included, goes into the club treasury to cover the costs of maintaining the club equipment, supplies, engine storage, Insurance and fees with both the Tripoli Rocket Association and the National Association of Rocketry. Hope that everybody is able to come out and have a good time. See you on the launch pad. Roy
News Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at 6:53AM The December 18 th and 19 th, Launch is a go for the Farm. I spoke to Mrs. Williams tonight and she says we are GO! Kip was out and about, I take that as good news. The house/bathroom will not be open and they will probably have the water off anyway due to the cold. I will proceed with trying to fiNd a source for a port-a-potty for next year. *Larry Barker had a source for one last spring I will follow up with him. I polled some of our avid volunteers and they agreed that we should start the launch at 11:00AM to extend the day. So we will be running the launch from 11:00AM to 5:00PM each day.
News Friday, November 26, 2004 at 4:15PM Again. Welcome to Part II of the November Post-Rocket Launch Report. As I said at the end of Saturdays part of the launch report. Sunday was a great day for flying. The day started off sunny with almost no wind or breeze at all. As the day progressed high clouds moved over head with sunshine poking thru (there was a projection for rain to move in that evening) and then at about 4:30 some light sprinkling came into the area but that was at the almost end of the flight day anyway. To beat the dark we started tearing down after the last flight at 4:54 by Terry Baucom. The temperature was t-shirt weather.
News Friday, November 26, 2004 at 7:23AM Welcome, welcome, welcome! To the much awaited November Rocket Launch. Turkey Day is over, so I hope your ready for the Post-Launch report. Well it has seemed like months; well actually it has been months hasn't it? Since our last rocket launch. When the coastal hurricane season started, rocket launch weekends were canceled all throughout the Carolinas. Even the big east coast rocket meet, Liberty Launch, down at Orangeburg S.C. which a lot of people were looking forward to attending. Then we had tragedy strike the Williams family, which, understandably, put our own launches on hold. But finally, and with the cooperation of the Williams family (we are glad that Kip is recovering well) we were able to effect a November Launch. A lot of us were in desperate rocket withdrawals, so it could not have come at a better time. Saturday, 20 Nov, the weather was overcast with periodic sunshine, high clouds, light wind with a few gusts every now and then, but warm temperatures in the 60's. Everybody was wearing t-shirts on the most part.
News Thursday, November 18, 2004 at 6:12PM After checking weather sites and local forecasts, and checking with a few of us who have been through "Iffy" weather before, Ralph has bitten the bullet and decided to go ahead with this weekends launch. (his computer is in several pieces on the floor right now) As it is now projected, There is a chance of scattered light rain, not really showers, nothing that heavy or concentrated during the day, with some scattered sunshine peaking through the overcast. The temps are to be in the mid 60's, so that will be good, and not windy. Any heavy rain is not to come until Saturday evening or night into the morning hours of Sunday, with a break until later Sunday on through Monday. So we plan on a reasonable to good day on Saturday and if any bad projections of bad or worse weather for Sunday comes we can make a weather decision at the site. With the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, next weekend, we just didn't think it workout any better to move the launch, it could always be even worse weather next weekend anyway. We know what we have this weekend. OK, so I hope to see most of you out there and lets have a nice time putting smoke trails into the sky. LAST Point, Due to changes in circumstances out at the farm, most probably the house will not be available for restroom use. So, we have to make a nature run to the convince store 2 miles away, if so, yell out if anybody needs a ride. Take care, Roy
News Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at 4:59PM Kip Williams' girlfriend Marty is going to have a booth at the Southern Christmas Show. It will run from November 11th through the 21st. You can check out the crafts and items available here. The booth is named Natures Works. They have things made with the corn from the field or from one of the farms. Mrs. Williams said they have one item called Raindeer Corn. It's really fun. You put an ear of red corn in a bag and pop it in the microwave. POP POP POP and you have really neat-looking popcorn. Sounds cool to me. They had to work really hard the last couple of weeks to get ready since Marty spent most of the last three weeks at the Hospital with Kip. She has really been a life saver for them. But WAIT... There's MORE! Ralph just sent me an e-mail that the new batch of T-SHIRTS are in just in time for that last minute (some of us haven't even started yet!) holiday shopping! He said that they are the really nice beefy-tees in a lovely ashe color in sizes from youth medium up to 2XL. So come on out and bring some extra cash with you and help support the club.
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