The launch at Taylorsville on February 6, 2021 turned out to be pretty darn good, even if it tied a couple of us in knots due to weather and other concerns.

Chronology:

It’s 5:30 AM. I’m in my truck moving out of my driveway with the Club trailer behind me. It’s 27 degrees but the sky is clear and there’s no wind. I’m telling myself that the launch will work.  Onward to Taylorsville!

Now it’s 6:40 AM and I’m about 3 minutes from the field when Allen Isdell (Field Liaison) calls me and says that the gate that allows access to the field is closed and locked (the gate was supposed to be open). Allen states that he’ll wait until 7:15 AM and call the field owner. I park near the field and wait. A couple of field setup HEROES arrive…all we can do is wait.  The outside air temp is around 28 degrees.

At 7 AM, Allen calls and says that the field owner in on the way.  My blood pressure drops so something approaching normal.  There are at least 6 field setup HEROES on site.  We get onto the field and in a total surprise, the field owner allow me to drive to launch area with the trailer.  Field setup gets into full swing.  I divert at 8 AM to call the Atlanta TRACON to notify them that the launch will start in one hour. There’s no wind and the air temp is up to a balmy 30 degrees.

The INCREDIBLE LAUNCH SETUP TEAM has the field completely setup at 8:30 AM….now we wait on the waiver to open at 9 AM.

Chris Short (Chris’s Rocket Supplies) shows up true to his word and set up delivery on the gate of my truck right at 9 AM.  THANK YOU CHRIS!!!!  A lot of folks are grateful for the effort you make to deliver much needed supplies!

Superlatives – OK, what I can remember.

• That “flight that shouldn’t have worked” goes to Evan Brown.  When launched, his two stage D12-0 to C6-5 rocket had a CATO on the D12-0 booster…but the second stage still lit for a successful flight.  How’d you do that Evan?
• Heartbreak flights go to Jose Morales’ Nike Smoke (lawn dart) and Kevin Boyd (most of the LOC Door Knob is still 60’ up in a tree), Ray Lecture (Beautiful Bomarc left on the top of the trees)….I’m sincerely sorry y’all.
• The “OMG!” flight of the day had to go to Gary Nettinger who launched a US Rockets kit with a central F36 with four D12-7’s.  I was off in the woods when it flew.  Anyone got a report?
• The “I want to grow up to be that guy” also goes to Gary who flew his Aerobee Hi on a G77R-4 booster staging to an F50-6 second stage.  Why did you have to fly that when I was in the woods (again).  Report for Jorge’s sake please!
• “Oldie but goodie” goes to Gary Nettinger (again) flying an Art Appelwhite Cross Fire.  I have never seen one fly so well (thanks Gary).
• The “That’s too Beautiful to Fly” goes to Kevin Scholberg who flew his PML Luna on an H238-14 for a perfect flight.
• The Teleportation award goes to Blake Friedman who flew a mini-Goblin on a D12-3.  It was on the pad and then it was 1500 feet in the air.  Good recovery on a pair of streamers.
• “Most Ooos, and Ahhhs” goes to Chris who flew his Rose-a-Roc twice.  Soooo elegant!

There were other great flights, great builds, and heartbreaks.  These were the ones I remember.

Please visit Kevin Boyd’s Flickr site to check out the pictures from the launch and make sure to THANK Kevin Boyd for superb photography!!!!!! (Photo above by John Schilling, who has additional photos on OneDrive.)

As raindrops started to fall at around 2 pm, we pulled the plug on the launch.  The field take down HEROES went to work and we were able to clear the field by 3 PM.

We had 29 people pay the $15 flight fee.  We had a donation of $20 from Chris Short (THANK YOU Chris’s Rocket Supplies), and two other donations of $10.

Total collection was $475 while will defray the $500 field fee.  We CAN do this!

Motor Ignition Counts:

•  A – 10
•  B – 13
•  C – 29
•  D – 21
•  E – 11
•  F – 14
•  G – 5
•  H – 16
•  I – 3
•  J – 3