Apr 26, 2024
SoAR’s next launch happens this Saturday, April 27th at our Dawsonville/Ball Ground site from 9AM – 2PM.
This is our mid-power field, where rockets up to G power can be flown. It is very hilly, and cow-patties abound, hidden in the tall grass in the recovery area, so pick your shoes accordingly. Spectators are always welcome. If you’ve got a rocket, come fly it with us.
The latest forecast shows some winds from the southeast and warm temperatures reaching the mid-70s by the afternoon with mostly cloudy skies but no precipitation throughout the event. So come early and enjoy the most favorable conditions. Setup begins at 8:00 and help is greatly appreciated.
Apr 13, 2024
At the April 13th SoAR launch event at Mill Springs Academy the skies were sunny, the temperatures were pleasant, but gosh… those wind gusts were not friendly. Nonetheless there were many excellent flights throughout the day. Once the field setup was complete, and while the winds were still favorable, there was time to take advantage of prime conditions for less risky flights.
Outstanding launches included Darren’s Dynastar LexxJet flown twice on E12-4 motors. He also dialed in a successful launch rod angle for his Quest Harpoon that went up three times on C6-5s for good altitude and then successfully recovered on the field. Kevin Scholberg had a number of impressive flights including his LOC 429 SS on a quad-cluster of two E16-4s and two C11-0s, a LOC Norad powered by a F32-4T, his scratch-built Red Devil flown with a D24-4T, and his scratch-built Steve Bellio Special also powered by a D24-4T.
The event had twenty participants launching a total of sixty-seven rockets. Some pictures from the event [here].
Motor Ignition Count:
A – 24
B – 16
C – 12
D – 8
E – 8
F – 2
Apr 12, 2024
SoAR’s Mill Springs Academy launch event is this Saturday, April 13th. The weather forecast calls for clear skies all day and mild Spring temperatures with winds picking up in the afternoon. So, make plans to come out early and enjoy a wonderful day of rocketry where we will be launching from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Remember to bring water to help stay hydrated. This is our low power launch, where we recommend altitudes no higher than 1000′ (usually no more than D power level).
As always, the public is invited to watch, or join in!
Mar 23, 2024
At the March 23rd Mill Spring Academy launch event SoAR hosted a large group of over 50 participants from the FIRE Rocket Challenge led by Robin Houston. Activity started at around 10:00 a.m. and then was winding down just after noon with a hamburger and hotdog lunch provided. Many SoAR members arrived early and helped set up 40 launch pads, tables and chairs, and a large tent over the eating area. The participants arrived with Estes Generic E2X rockets ready for final prep and safety check and flew them on mostly A8-3 motors. Winds were a bit of an issue with some rockets drifting into the adjacent field or getting snagged in a tree, but with some adjustments to the parachutes and launch angles the recovery success rate was improved.
In the afternoon there were our usual attendees and some first-time families getting to launch rockets at a slower pace. Some standouts included Steven’s Aerotech HV Arcas flown with a F67-6 for power, Kevin Scholberg’s Art Applewhite Priority Stealth roaring up on a G77-10R (red flame) and his scratch-built Space-X Starship with a C11-3.
Special thanks for supporting this busy day includes:
Keith Frazier and his brother for preparing the excellent food, Allen Isdell for providing and setting up the dining tent. Jorge Blanco for organizing the event and picking up the rented tables and chairs. Tom Thurmond for being Launch Control for the entire event. Many other volunteers were helping out at the prep tables and launch pads to keep the event progressing smoothly.
The final launch count for the day totaled 126. Event photos by Kevin Boyd [here]. Some additional photos from the event [here]
Engine Ignition Count:
A – 94*
B – 16
C – 10
D – 1
E – 3
F – 1
G – 1
* includes 30 unknowns that were most likely A or B
Mar 21, 2024
On Saturday 03/23/2024 starting a 10AM, the candidates that will represent the United States at the 2025 International Space Modeling Championship will be joining us at The Mill Springs Academy for a couple of hours to fly Estes Generic Rockets for Fun.
There will be approximately 100 participants from the International group (this includes mentors and chaperons). The Mentors are the Best of the Best…come and learn from them.
We will need to get the International group flown and fed in about 2.5 hours.
What we need is a bunch of you to volunteer to show up at 9AM for range setup (40 Pads) and dining setup (we have ten, eight-foot tables with 80 chairs).
If we have 10-15 of us doing the work, it will go quickly and if you help with setup, you will get a hamburger, chips, and a drink…plus you get to fly before anyone else.
Please come out and pay it forward.
