Launch Recap - July 10th, 2008 Today was a bit unusual in that we did our normal monthly launch on a Thursday. Our purpose was two-fold: 1) to avoid the association of Model Rocketry with fireworks and 2) to accommodate the launching of a second set of rockets built by kids at Great Oaks Village in Orlando. We interspersed the launch of the GOV rockets with our club rockets to allow all to get in some good fly time. Despite the moderately high temperatures (90F+), and the heat index, which made life on the field in the sun quite toasty, we had clear skies and once again almost no wind. By mid-afternoon we had a variable up to 5 MPH wind from the SSE which made flying very predictable. Four club members participated in the builds with GOV and two others came to help out with the launches. Our thanks go out to Robb H., Brian C., Carl C., Ken C., Russ M. and Ryan. Tom D. performed coordination with GOV. We wish to extend our appreciation to the Staff and Leadership of GOV for allowing us the privilege of investing in the lives of your students. We were blessed to be a part of this effort. Thank you, and we hope that we can do this again in the future. Our first GOV launch took place June 26 after a two-day introductory build of some Estes Alpha III rockets. All 17 rockets flew very well for the two flights completed. Only two parachutes decided not to deploy, but the rockets still recovered with no damage. Thirty-two B6-4 motors gave plenty of woosh and wow effect for the day. Several of the club member also flew their rockets as demonstrations of other types of rockets that can be built and flown. The hope was to give the kids some ideas for what they could do with building their second rocket from either a Fliskits "Thingamajig" or from scratch using RockSim plans based on known models. All but two of the RockSim models flew well. The TubeRocs were unstable at first, but with a little nose weight applied, they became decent fliers. Other than an occasional tangled chute, we had a few issues with igniters not being inserted correctly. The students also did altitude tracking using inclinometers.; Two stations were set up to collect data on each of the 21 flights completed. Congratulations to all of the students completing the crash course in Rocketry, (without crashing a rocket!)! We also saw more flights from club members. True to his word, Ryan's Space shuttle returned and flew flawlessly! Tom D later flew his Columbia adapted Dr. Zooch Space Shuttle and had a really cool glide all the way back to the control table. Roger and Ryan each flew two-stage models. Ryan's flew nicely, but separated on recovery, Roger's also flew well and was recovered after some coaxing from a tree with Carl's telescoping pole. Chris M. flew his OddRoc Hotdog twice. The first flight was less than stable.; His second flight was much better. His rocket made a quite tasty looking rocket and also prompted hunger pangs. Jason flew his nifty "Hi-Silver" for its maiden flight on an E9-8. Great ascent, but the long delay resulted in nosecone separation from the airframe. The airframe spinned as it floated horizontally back to ground without damage. I believe that the nose floated off, but was recovered. Nice recovery for a separation! Ryan also flew his Gemini Titan on a dual B4-4 cluster. His first flight looked as though one motor did not ignite, but the second try resulted in a beautiful flight. Nice, Ryan! Brian C, demoed his ROT-A-ROC for the GOV students on a B6-2. On recovery, the rotor did not deploy as expected. When the roc was nearly halfway back to the ground, the blades deployed, caught lots of wind and kept going to nearly exit the field. It landed in a low branch of a tree on the north perimeter and was recovered. Whew! We thought it was a goner ... twice! Carl C Flew his Bumper 8 and his Delta heavy, for gorgeous flights, but couldn't get his Rubicon to fly. The Copperhead igniter did not cooperate. Roger finished off the time for the GOV kids with a flight of the Akavish, his spider rocket, on a G. See you in August! High-Speed Video of the July Launch See additional photographs at PayloadBay.com .... Impulse Breakdown Motor Count Comment A 8 1 on June 26 B 79 36 on June 26 C 10 3 on June 26 D 6 2 on June 26 E 3 1 on June 26 G 1   Total Number of Motors: 107 Total Number of Launches: 91 Approximate Total Impulse: 228.75 Ns (equivalent to a medium H motor)

Launch Recaps Launch Recap - January 7th, 2012  OF PIGS and Crickets What an absolutely beautiful Florida Day!   Not only were the launch conditions near perfect at the field, but so many joined us to fly.  We had a blast (pun intended!) and hope you did also! ... [More] Launch Recap - December 3rd, 2011   Wow!  what a day for flying! Skies were beautiful and temperatures quite cool.  However, the winds caused several launch delays as they exceeded NAR safety limits. One of the things I like about launches is... [More] Launch Recap - October 1st, 2011 Wow!  I thought that September was a beautiful day for flying!  Today was exceptional. Yes, it was cooooler--finally! Roger put up pictures from September's launch on http://www... [More] Launch Recap - September 3rd, 2011 Wow!  what a day for flying! Weather and skies were calm for the most part though it was a warm September day in Florida.  Welcome and thank you to the many newcomers visiting with us and to Cub Pack 250.  We really enjoyed... [More] Launch Recap - August 6th, 2011 Wow!  what a day for flying! Weather was beautiful for a launch day and YES it was hot!  The skies were calm for the most part though it was definitely August in Florida.  The heat index of 106 didn't hinder many from coming... [More] Launch Recap - July 2nd, 2011 July In Florida- a great time to launch rockets but a warm, really warm time! This launch was a really great event. The conditions were excellent: winds under 10MPH, skies were patched with clouds, and the field was dry. The grass was a bit... [More] Launch Recap - March 5th, 2011 Spring In Florida-  a great time to launch rockets.  Well, mostly great...  Once again we had a windy day for our March launch.  Skies were mostly clear, after clouds blew off.  For the most part we recovered our... [More] Launch Recap - February 5th, 2011 Spring In Florida-  a great time to launch rockets.  Well, mostly great... The windy weather and beautiful temps did come through on Saturday for our February Launch.  The direction of the winds also made for challenges to... [More] Launch Recap - December 4th, 2010 What a marvelous day for a launch!   Incredible weather, beautiful temps, sunny blue sky.  Fall temperatures made it a cool day in Florida!  Welcome newcomers!  We enjoyed having you.  We hope that you had... [More] Launch Recap - November 6th, 2010 Florida's fall did arrive and this launch in full display!    Although the cool temps are particularly ideal for Rocket launching,  the winds made flying a challenge.  We decided to carry on given that the drought... [More] Launch Recap - October 2nd, 2010 What a marvelous day for a launch.   Incredible weather, beautiful temps, mostly sunny sky.  Fall may be on the way for Florida!  Welcome newcomers!  We enjoyed having you and helping you enjoy our hobby. ... [More] Launch Recap - August 7th, 2010 Today the thunderstorms did materialize in the early afternoon.  We never actually got wet because we decided to pull up stakes and shutdown when thunder could be heard   We had a brief stop with a slight shower in the morning,... [More] Launch Recap - June 5th, 2010 The forecasted thunderstorms never made an appearance, so our June launch was a success. Chris's cardstock-clone of the Estes Orbital Transport flew on an A10 motor. He kept telling us to keep an eye on the glider, but it never separated... [More] Launch Recap - May 1st, 2010 What a marvelous day for a launch.   Incredible weather, beautiful temps, mostly sunny sky.  Florida day in May.  Excellent.  Welcome newcomers!  We also are thankful to Nick R for hosting the ROCK May Open... [More] Launch Recap - April 3rd, 2010 Where was Tom?   Marrying off his oldest daughter, that's where!  It's nice to be missed.  :)  Florida is ideal in March, particularly for Rocket launching.  Deep azure sky, cool temps, warm sun, just a... [More] Launch Recap - March 6th, 2010 Where's Tom when you need him? What kind of lousy excuse does he have for missing the March launch? Tom normally provides our Launch Recaps each month and does an excellent job of documenting all the excitement of the last launch. In March,... [More] Launch Recap - February 6th, 2010 The February range was quiet. We didn't have a lot of flyers this time, but still had fun! Thanks to all who helped with the set up and tear down. You made a difference! Winds were still heavy and we did have a sprinkle which probably... [More] Launch Recap - January 2nd, 2010 The launch Saturday was great!   Welcome newcomers!  Conrad, Benjamin, James, Paul, Carl, and Preston!  If I missed your name, forgive me!  With several of you, it was hard to get all of your names! Winds were... [More] Launch Recap - June 27th, 2009 The launch Saturday was  a typical warm day in Florida!  Winds were from the west which would have typically meant no tangle with the trees to the West of the field.  Storm activity in the area got us a bit damp once, and cut... [More] Launch Recap - June 6th, 2009 Unfortunately upon arriving at the field, we discovered the recent rains had not had time to drain away and it was too swampy for a safe launch. The tall grass hid the water from general view, but anywhere you stepped, was 2 or 3"... [More] Launch Recap - May 2nd, 2009 After forcing a scrub for April, the drought index dropped enough to allow our May launch to proceed as scheduled. Attendance started off light, but steadily grew thru the morning. The official event for the day was gliders, but the National... [More] Launch Recap - March 7th, 2009 For the third time this year, we were blessed with beautiful rocket flying weather- temperatures in the 70's and low winds-- except for one.  We had a micro burst "dust Devil" come through our spectator area inverting all 3 of... [More] Launch Recap - February 7th, 2009 Today's launch was also blessed with beautiful rocket flying weather- temperatures in the 70's and low winds. Our flyer turnout was a bit lower than January.  Still we had a great time. The ROCK rocket contest yielded 5 entries of varying... [More] Launch Recap - January 3rd, 2009 Our first launch of 2009 was blessed with absolutely perfect rocket flying weather- temperatures in the high 70's and nearly no wind. We had 29 flyers and guests logging 80 flights. Welcome to the Maciaszek family, ROCK's newest... [More] Launch Recap - December 6th, 2008 What started out looking to be like a rainout, turned out to be another beautiful sunny day in Florida  The winds were low until the end of the day.  Weather cleared up early and we had a full day of flying.  The low turnout... [More] Launch Recap - November 1st, 2008 We live in Florida for this kind of day!   Winds from the North/ North East on this beautiful day were significant and contributed to several smaller rockets leaving the field and entering the woods/brush.  As far as I know,... [More] Launch Recap - October 4th, 2008 The launch Saturday was great!  What a beautiful day for the first of our fall launches!  Winds from the North East were significant and contributed to several smaller rockets leaving the field and entering the woods.  Over 30... [More] Launch Recap - August 2nd, 2008 The launch Saturday was great! We found it to be a typical August day in Florida - hot! Winds were either from the west which would have typically meant no tangle with the trees to the West of the field. Still, we did have two flights into... [More] Launch Recap - July 10th, 2008 Today was a bit unusual in that we did our normal monthly launch on a Thursday. Our purpose was two-fold: 1) to avoid the association of Model Rocketry with fireworks and 2) to accommodate the launching of a second set of rockets built by kids... [More] Launch Recap - June 7th, 2008 This launch Saturday was a great day. Winds were either from the east or non-existent. We did have some flights into the woods, but to my knowledge all but one was recovered. Our first launch of the day was a sweet little Swift on an A engine.... [More] Launch Recap - May 3rd, 2008 We got started a little late on Saturday, but that did not dampen the full day's launch! Later in the afternoon we felt a few drops as a small shower passed over, but that didn't stop the launch either. Winds were from the south giving us the... [More] Launch Recap - April 5th, 2008 Saturday was a nice but windy day.  Winds were from the south, so we had a good opportunity to fly into the field for recovery.  The winds became stronger in the higher altitudes. As such, thehigher power rockets didn't fare well... [More] Launch Recap - March 1st, 2008 Blue skies, Temperatures in the 70's, minimal winds, open fields, quiet... wait, except for the occasional whoosh of  a rocket leaving the pads--yes--that was today at ROCK's monthly launch! A perfect day allowed for many really nice... [More] Launch Recap - February 2nd, 2008 What a full and fun day This launch day we had a great turnout and lots of fun predicting our flight durations. While we had some durations go longer (and farther - into the trees) than we hoped, we still managed to only lose two... [More] Launch Recap - January 5th, 2008 We had a slightly smaller turn out than usual (possibly due to the New Years holiday), but that didn't limit the fun or number of flights! In addition, we had guests from the Seminole Chronicle covering the launch. An outstanding article with... [More] Launch Recap - December 1st, 2007 What a great day at the field! We had Sunny skies until mid-afternoon, and it was a bit windy above 100 feet, but we still had a great time. This launch was dominated by the Steamer Spot landing contest. We had a number of other fun flights, but... [More] Launch Recap - November 3rd, 2007 Greetings after a BEAUTIFUL Saturday of fun in the sun flying rockets!  The moderate temperatures finally arrived!  Only the moderate Southerly (up to 10 MPH) winds gave us some challenges and we did lose a few rockets to the trees and... [More] Launch Recap - September 1st, 2007 Greetings after another WARM Saturday of fun in the sun flying rockets! Our turnout today was about average in terms of numbers but certainly not with regard to flying! Glad to have you all out after the soggy field in August!... [More] Launch Recap - August 4th, 2007 Today was different! Besides the reality that many of our regulars were unable to join us, we had several new faces at the launch. Welcome David and Andrew P, the Charleton family visiting from Phila, Jay and Brandon, and Trent, Alex, and Andrew... [More] Launch Recap - July 7th, 2007 We were really excited to be able to fly this month. As you may recall from our June meeting, we are now flying year round, and started the new cycle with this launch. We also decided to set up earlier to avoid the potential of early afternoon... [More] Launch Recap - April 7th, 2007 We were really excited to be able to fly in April with absolutely clear blue skies. The higher and variable direction winds in the morning caused us to limit our flying to smaller engines, but the afternoon, we were in full swing launching several... [More] Launch Recap - March 3rd, 2007 After losing our opportunity to fly in February because of the weather, we were really excited to be able to fly in March. Though the lower cloud ceiling and higher wind in the morning cause us to limit our flying to smaller engines, but the... [More] Launch Recap - January 6th, 2007 Wow! What a wonderful way to start the New Year- flying rockets! The unseasonably great weather not only attracted many Section regulars and a few old-timers, but also some new faces! WELCOME! We had twenty flyers and spectators and launched so... [More] Launch Recap - December 2nd, 2006 Another day of great flying! Welcome to all! Gliders and copters were definitely out today. We logged 63 flights across motor classes A thru F. With minimal wind and partly cloudy skies, we had prime flying conditions for the gliders and... [More] Launch Recap - November 4th, 2006 We had another great day of flying!Welcome to all, particularly Tom, Madeleine, and Jack C., hopefully your first time experience will result in many return visits! Thanks to Winston C. for your help yesterday in assisting as LCO! We logged 44... [More] Launch Recap - October 7th, 2006 We had a great day of flying at the October launch! Many new faces and a few new section members. Welcome to all, hopefully your first time experience will result in many return visits! We logged 62 flights across motor classes A thru G, a few... [More] Launch Recap - September 2nd, 2006 We had a great day at our new launch site. Turnout was small, probably due to the Labor Day holiday weekend. A total of ten flyers launched 38 successful flights- no rockets were captured by rocket-eating trees! Winds were light and variable,... [More]