Launch Reports

On a day with calm winds and sunny skies there were nineteen participants who found these conditions most favorable for mid-power rocketry at the May 22nd Dawsonville launch event. Seventy-eight launches were accomplished with many of these remarkable and some even quite spectacular.

There were five G-powered launches that provided a thrilling sight and sound coming off the launch pads. There was Joseph Barrett’s Custom Thor on a G80, Ray Lecture’s LOC Goblin powered by a G76 and his Hi Flyer XXL (upscaled upscale) on a G79, Gary Knotts with a beautiful NCR SA-14 Archer being lifted by a G64, Roy Green’s NCR by Estes Phantom 4000 launched with a G40.

Sights to behold included several of Kevin Scholberg’s uniquely designed and beautifully crafted rockets like the Sunward Gravity Rider going up on a cluster of two B6-4s and descending on twin parachutes, his scratch-built Andromeda Upscale launched twice (F63 and F51) that separates at apogee into two parts and comes down on two chutes.

Other standouts include Ray Lecture’s X-15 launched with a F67 for a spectacular flight and his 3” Goblin also flown with a F67. Tom Lacock sent up his scratch-built Grim Reaper on a cluster of two E12s. There were also four two-stage rockets launched requiring careful observation for successful recoveries. Thanks to the calm conditions everything launched at this event found its way home at the end of the day. Some photos from this event [here].

Motor Ignition Counts:
A – 9
B – 11
C – 15
D – 21
E – 16
F – 7
G – 5

On a day with calm winds and sunny skies there were nineteen participants who found these conditions most favorable for mid-power rocketry at the May 22nd Dawsonville launch event. Seventy-eight launches were accomplished with many of these remarkable and some even quite spectacular.

There were five G-powered launches that provided a thrilling sight and sound coming off the launch pads. There was Joseph Barrett’s Custom Thor on a G80, Ray Lecture’s LOC Goblin powered by a G76 and his Hi Flyer XXL (upscaled upscale) on a G79, Gary Knotts with a beautiful NCR SA-14 Archer being lifted by a G64, Roy Green’s NCR by Estes Phantom 4000 launched with a G40.

Sights to behold included several of Kevin Scholberg’s uniquely designed and beautifully crafted rockets like the Sunward Gravity Rider going up on a cluster of two B6-4s and descending on twin parachutes, his scratch-built Andromeda Upscale launched twice (F63 and F51) that separates at apogee into two parts and comes down on two chutes.

Other standouts include Ray Lecture’s X-15 launched with a F67 for a spectacular flight and his 3” Goblin also flown with a F67. Tom Lacock sent up his scratch-built Grim Reaper on a cluster of two E12s. There were also four two-stage rockets launched requiring careful observation for successful recoveries. Thanks to the calm conditions everything launched at this event found its way home at the end of the day. Some photos from this event [here].

Motor Ignition Counts:
A – 9
B – 11
C – 15
D – 21
E – 16
F – 7
G – 5

Perfect weather, mostly still air, and meeting new friends was the order for the day at SoAR’s launch at Strange Duck Brewery in Commerce on May 15. (By the way, no strange ducks were launched!)

Jorge Blanco and Leaor Schwartz arrived early to set up the range and start the Build-it/Fly-it for the brewery staff and friends, while Tim Callahan and Roy Green manned the launch panel for the more or less informal launch. Ray Lecture, David Waln, Ron Stancil, and Darren Ellsworth were among the other members flying during the day.

No flight cards means there’ll be no exact details in this flight report, but there were lots of Alpha III rockets making pretty decent first flights. Leaor Schwartz flew his FlisKits Frick’n’Frack until Frack went into the trees, but his Tres 24 had a couple of mishaps and ended up leaving the launch in a garbage bag. One family showed up for their first launch with an Aerotech Initiator, and made a couple of successful flights on F23 motors, while Richard Wise and his son got to fly their first rocket three times without getting kicked out of a city park (suggestions on informal launch sites in Athens are welcomed and will be passed on to them).

Speaking of first flights, our newest member Jordan Jacob made his (and two more) with his Estes Super Nova (named Shamrock after a departed cat).

We wrapped up about 2:30 after an estimated 90-100 flights and a few of us retired to the brew pub for delicious adult beverages and rocket talk.

Many thanks to Strange Duck Brewery for the opportunity to share rocketry with people from the Athens/Commerce area.

The weather forecast for Saturday’s launch at Creekside Farms in Taylorsville was amazingly accurate, as setup of the range occurred in freezing temperatures, but things warmed up by afternoon, the sky was mostly clear and the winds were mostly still, leading to a great day of launches.

Part of the launch site had been a firing range, but that part recently closed. However, SoAR brought out the big guns. First was Kyle Newman’s very nice and large Little Joe II that lifted off with a scale seven motors, a K711 and six G40’s for a total of about 3100 newton-seconds of total impulse, which made a perfect flight and was “caught”, in future SpaceX Starship style, by the finger of trees in the middle of the field, and was easily retrieved by Jorge with SoAR’s trusty fireman’s pole.

Later, Creekview High did a little practice with their K1085 rocket for the NASA Student Launch Initiative, sending it to more than 4500 feet, though it landed just off the property when their main chute couldn’t wait and opened at apogee.

Kevin Scholberg, as usual, had the most flights with fourteen, including two of the Estes AirShow, the second of which had both gliders operating perfectly, two of a very pretty rocket named “Mostly Peaceful”, and a flight of a PML AMRAAM 4″ on an I180. David Waln flew (and thought he lost) an ASP Corporal on a D12 (David, Roy has your rocket). Jim Henson tempted fate, taking advantage of the large field with two flights of his Commanche III 3-stage rocket with a D12/C6/B6 combination. He got it back the first time, but the second time saw the upper stage heading swiftly to parts west.

Bob Nowak was worried about the trim on the glider of his Hawks’ Hobby Super Orbital Transport, but it detached from its booster smoothly and had a leisurely flight down from orbit. Speaking of gliders, Mark Bowen, flew a DynaSoar Aurora rocket glider via radio control for a very nice flight. And Ray Lecture flew something that should be using its wings, but doesn’t, a scratch-built SR-71 BlackBird on a G138 for a flawless climb into the sky.

There were twenty-nine flights using the much-maligned Estes E12 motor, but all twenty-nine motors worked flawlessly. The only two motor failures all day were an E9, and a composite reload motor that had a forward closure failure.

Kevin Boyd’s photos are great as usual. And we have some other photography and videos to share shortly. The image above is from Kevin, and shows Katie Isdell’s “Traffic Cone” which made a perfect flight on an I284.

The final flight of the day, when all spectators had left but one family patiently waiting, was Kyle Newman’s Honest John on a J350.

Here are the motor counts for the 134 total flights (Motor counts are higher because of clusters and multistage flights).

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

You may have noticed we haven’t had Launch Reports for the last few launches. If you’re good at brief, illustrative prose, and you remember a bit of what was launched (especially for the last couple of launches) , then you too can be a Launch Reports Writer.

Basically, you just pay attention to a few notable flights at the launch, be able to describe the whole day in a few sentences, and be around at the end of the day to pick up the flight cards from the LCO table. Then, when you get home, compile the statistics from the cards (just the total of the types of motors) and write a couple of paragraphs about the launch. Look at the other reports on this page for examples. You can then send this all to Roy through the contact page on the website, and sit back and wait for it to magically appear! Roy has the stats for the July Mill Springs and Dawsonville launches; he just needs a couple of paragraphs on each.