April Mill Springs Launch Report
At the April 13th Mill Springs launch we had twenty-five participants accomplish 114 launches. The event began with very light winds which provided excellent conditions for boosted gliders and seeing many parachute recoveries return close to the launch pads. Winds from the south picked up in the afternoon and made the day a little more challenging for those wanting to reach higher altitudes.
Marcus had excellent success with an Estes A.R.V. Condor powered by a B6 with its twin gliders performing lazy circles as they glided down, and he also launched an Estes Sky Dart II with a B6 then a C6 that took the glider far down field. Kevin Scholberg also had great success with his scratch built NLR flown on an E30 with a parasitic foam glider that after a few test flights and adjustments made some outstanding flights with long duration glides. Allen Isdell came out with a LOC Phoenix that thundered off the pad with an E30 and was successfully recovered. Another standout was the scratch-built Micro Scud by Jose Morales that was launched multiple times with A8 motors.
The entire day maintained a steady pace of activity and provided spectators many thrilling flights. Coyote Rocketry was in attendance to provide supplies and refreshments.
Motor ignition counts:
- A – 19
- B – 42
- C – 40
- D – 6
- E – 10
- G – 1
The March 24th launch event at the Creekside Firing Range in Taylorsville had over thirty-four participants and 138 total launches. Good field dimensions and very agreeable weather encouraged many participants to get the most performance from their low to mid-powered rockets. Up until early afternoon the recovery walks were fairly short, but as winds picked up later in the day, some recoveries involved a bit more effort. The overall consensus was that the field provides ample room for minimum high power consideration.
At the February Mill Springs launch event there were 110 launches accomplished by twenty-three participants. Very light winds, cool temperature, and slightly overcast skies encouraged a steady pace of activity out on the pads throughout the afternoon.
2019 finally got off to a roaring start with a great turnout for the January SoAR launch event in Dawsonville. Participants were met with a sunny blue sky but gusty chill winds from the west. Nonetheless there were seventy-two launches by twenty participants that included many mid-power rockets that streaked skyward to some neck challenging altitudes.
The 2018 Turkey & GRITS launch is in the books! Nearly 50 registered flyers came out over the two day event and 253 rockets took to the air in what was one of our most successful launches to date. Highlights included Joshua Finn who smashed two NAR glider records (1/8A and F duration) with his beautifully engineered switchblade gliders, the long awaited first (and last) flight of Jorge Blanco’s upscaled Rubicon on a K780, a pair of very successful two-stage high power flights from Gary Dahlke & Greg Hassler, Steve Pollak’s huge pool-noodle covered saucer, as well as several other odd-rocs and saucers.