News & Updates

The October 26^th Southern Area Rocketry launch event in Dawsonville had excellent weather conditions with clear blue skies, warm temperatures, and light to moderate winds; all of this with colorful Fall foliage as a backdrop.  No wonder then that the event was well attended and for the day there were 129 total launches accomplished.  Mid-power rockets were steadily being placed on the launch pads with excellent flights and generally good recoveries (always a few mishaps).

Jorge Blanco got in a successful flight of his Apogee TTV “timer test vehicle” with an E30-4/B6-4 two stage combination and with a new altimeter that solved earlier problems.  Kevin Scholberg brought out his scratch-built Halloween Hellraiser flown on a cluster of two D12-5s and recovered in two parts with entrails spewed out – quite a sight.

For G-power there was Dion’s Estes Der Big Red Max powered by a G77 as was the LOC/scratch-built The Raven which was also flown on a G80.  Herb Howe launched his Sunward King Tut pyramid with a G35-4 which was impressive and unique.  Ryan Campbell had two flights (powered by G64 and G76) of his LOC Alien with dual deployment on recovery.  Well done.  These were just a small sample of the highlights.

Some event photos [here]

Motor ignition counts:
A – 16
B – 28
C – 22
D – 26
E – 28
F – 15
G – 8

On a perfect (especially for rocketry) Fall day, SoAR’s October 12^th launch event at Mill Springs Academy, there were 127 launches accomplished.  The early morning participants included cub scout members who were very enthusiastic about getting their rockets into the blue sky, and this kept the launch pads very busy.  As the day progressed, there was still steady activity and many interesting rockets being launched.

Steven sent up his handsome Mad Cow Patriot on a F67-6 which did make it off the field to the other side of Little River but ultimately recovered successfully and with just some scuff marks as it came through the trees.  Very fortunate.  Other remarkable flights included Sean’s Estes two stage Solar Flare that was launched on an A8-0 booster with an A3-4T for a sustainer to a good altitude and then successful recovery on the field.  Jorge flew his FlisKits Tres on a cluster of three A8-3s for a short but successful flight.  There was also an attempted drag race of nine Baby Berthas on B6-4s (ended-up six initially launching then three to follow) which was quite a sight.  One of these Baby Berthas by Dennis Walker took up an Astrocam [video here].  A great flight was achieved by Rick Young with an Apogee Mini-Copter lifted by a 1/2A3-4T and successful recovery with a slow helicopter descent.  Fun to watch!  Another Rick and his family accomplished three Estes Payload flights on D12-5s with an Eggbert (hard boiled) going along for the ride.  Eggbert was only a tad anxious the whole time.

Event photos by Kevin Boyd [here]. Some additional event pictures [here]

Motor ignition count:
A – 32
B – 63
C – 22
D – 9
E – 4
F – 1

The August 10^th launch event at Mill Springs Academy was held under mostly sunny skies with mild winds that helped (at times) moderate the summer heat.  Turnout was moderate but busy with a total of ninety-six launches accomplished – mostly during the cooler morning hours.  With the calm winds, most rockets were launched straight up with no angle needed to ensure recovery back on the field.

Notable flights included Darren’s first flight of his scratch-built Biggs Revenge powered by an E12, and Kevin Scholberg’s Art Applewhite UFFO with Streamers on an E12 – quite the crowd pleaser.  Kevin also flew his scratch-built Captain America’s Shield with a cluster of three D11s while Darren was able to successfully ignite all four C6-3s on his scratch-built X-wing (and a prayer).  David Cain brought out an updated scratch-built UNICON that launched on a C11 and features a unique break apart recovery method.  The calm winds also enticed some to try rockets with parasitic gliders with many great flights with long-lasting glide patterns. Terry Bliss experimented with a number of spinners (and “brain pans”) with various balance points set by engine placement to evaluate stability of these inexpensive scratch-built designs.  The event also included some nice scale model rockets including an Estes Saturn V launched by Santwan with a C6-3 and an Estes Mercury Redstone by Marcus sent up on a C5-3 and recovered with twin parachutes.

Some photos from the event [here].

Motor Ignition counts:
A – 22
B – 26
C – 38
D – 11
E – 4

Despite the forecast of afternoon sweltering heat, SoAR’s first summertime launch event for the year was well attended with those who were well prepared for the heat and enthusiastic to launch.  The sunny skies and mild winds from the east made for an outstanding mid-powered event with lots of steady action throughout the entire day.  There were a total of 111 launches accomplished.

Of special note were two launches by Darren of his NCR Archer with both flights being powered by thunderous G77-7s.  There were also seventeen F-powered launches including Steven’s HV Arcas on an F67-6, Tony Paridon’s Sky Hook XXL with a F27-4R for power, Chris’ Big Der Violet Max going up twice on F52-5s, Bill Humiston’s Apogee Kronos with two flights each on a F42-4T, and Katina’s Estes Big Red Max powered by a F67-6.

Other launches of interest included Tom T.’s Boosted Bertha going up for the first time on a B6-0 and A8-3 combination, Joseph’s two-stage Rocketarium Super Chief II with a D12-0 booster and a B6-4 upper stage, and Kevin Scholberg’s Fliskits Preator plus Booster powered by a D12-0/C6-5 combination.  Jorge launched his Apogee TTV with an E30 to a B6 setup but still did not get the full success he was trying for as the second stage again failed to ignite.

Some photos from the event [here]

Engine ignition count:
A – 19
B – 23
C – 20
D – 19
E – 20
F – 17
G – 2

The May11th SoAR launch event at Mill Springs Academy had near perfect weather with mild temperatures, low humidity, sunny skies, and low winds during the first hours.  Attendance was good and the launch pads stayed busy throughout the event with a nice variety of sport and scale rockets providing excellent spectator viewing.  Members of Trail Life Troop GA-1613 participated in the event with a good number of successful flights and tons of enthusiasm.  By the afternoon some of the forecasted gusty winds arrived but with enough lulls to still get in some excellent flights.  For this event there were 154 total launches and a good recovery rate (but less than 100%).

Some of the more interesting or challenging flights included a successful result of Jorge’s Fliskits Tres powered by three A8-3s all igniting for an impressive liftoff.  Davud did multiple qualifying launches of his Cirrus Breeze boosted glider on A3-2Ts and his scratch-built Up In The Clouds parachute duration with some excellent results.  Kevin Scholberg’s Condor ESO went up on an A10-3T with parasite glider that performed very well, and he also had a scratch-built Bullet Skeet with a cluster of three C6-5s for power.

Moving up to D, E, and F powered rockets there was Darren’s scratch-built Colonial Viper rocket named Starbuck and his X-Wing Rev 02 “Not Porkins” each flown on D12-5s and his Dynastar LexxJets powered by E12-4s.  Then finally for F power there was Steven’s successful flight of his Aerotech HV Arcas launched on a F67-4 and Kevin Scholberg’s Aerotech Initiator powered by an F15-6.

Here are a few [photos from the event].

Motor Ignition Count:
A – 52
B – 53
C – 30
D – 9
E – 10
F – 4

Excellent field conditions, mild temperatures, manageable winds and mostly overcast skies encouraged a good turnout for the April 27^th launch event at Dawsonville.  There were many mid-powered flights that were successfully flown and recovered but also more than a few heartbreakers as fate would have it.  In total the day had twenty-eight participants launch 107 rockets – a busy day.

Some of the more impressive mid-powered flights included Darren’s North Coast SA-14 Archer powered by a F67 (twice), Gary Knotts launched his Estes Nike Smoke PSII on a G64, Ray Lecture got in a good flight with his LOC Goblin 4” with a G76, Steven flew his Aerotech HV Arcas with a F67, and Brian & Austin launched their scratch-built Apollo on a F41.  To end the day there was Katina’s Estes Mega Mosquito with two flights, E then F powered with good results.

Other remarkable flights were accomplished by Jorge with his third flight of the two-stage Apogee TTV (“Hope”) that proved the technology worked, but after the E30-7 initial stage separated the upper stage C6-5 did not ignite (may not have been recovered if it actually had) although the igniter had been successfully activated.  So, we look forward to the next TTV launch in May.  Then there were a number of mid-power and low-power flights by Kevin Scholberg with rockets pulled from his deep inventory that were needing a day out.  Most (if not all) of these were creatively designed and finished like the impressive Purple Firebreather (Estes Ventris) flown on an E16, a scratch-built Megafin powered by a E28, and a scratch-built Venom going up on a D21 to name a few.  See some of these and other event photos [here].

Engine Ignition Count:
A – 11
B – 15
C – 30
D – 18
E – 24
F – 8
G – 3

At the April 13^th 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

At the March 23^rd 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

At the SoAR “replacement” launch event on March 16th at Dawsonville there were twenty-six participants launching a total of eighty-four rockets.  The day started off mostly cloudy and cool but became sunnier and warmer during the afternoon.  Winds from the west were persistent but manageable with a bit of adjustment to the launch rod angle.

Some impressive flights included Chris Lucas’ LOC Goblin and his LOC IV each flown on G74-4s, Kevin Scholberg’s Estes Canadian Arrow flown twice on D12s and Jorge Blanco’s Apogee TTV back in the air powered by an E30-7 staging to a C6-7.  Although the C6-7 failed to ignite, the dual deployment recovery was successful with altimeter working as designed – the overall flight was exciting.

There were also several teams and individuals perfecting and/or qualifying for the NAR American Rocketry Challenge with scratch-built designs powered by F15s, F23s and F42s.  The day ended with a great flight put in by The Flying Nuggets team with their “Happy Accident” getting recovered with egg intact after a straight-up flight on a F15-6.

Some pictures from the event [here]

Motor Ignition Counts:
A – 4
B – 13
C – 36
D – 16
E – 11
F – 11
G – 2

The wind was fierce and unrelenting; but nonetheless, there were thirty-three participants who arrived at the February 24^th launch event at Dawsonville ready for the challenge.  By the end of the event there were sixty-two launches accomplished.  Although many chose streamer recovery (wisely), there were still some very long recovery walks.

Some of the highlights included James Richter’s Apogee Astrobee D (“Gone with the Wind #2”) flight on a G77-7R with dual parachute recovery.

A group of students came with Apogee Aspire rockets which were flown on E24-7C and F67-9W motors.  These flights cut through the wind at high speed and reached remarkable altitudes for mid-powered models.  Recoveries were by streamers, but still challenging to chase down.

Josh and Hope Finn had their sons flying qualifying flights of their J&H Aerospace Fliplocks.  These flights were powered by A3-2Ts for boost then transforming into gliders that stayed aloft for incredible flight times – and again challenging to chase down due to the strong persistent winds.

Steven B came out for the first time with his Aerotech Initiator and accomplished two successful flights on E20-4 motors.  Jonathon Hill flew his New Century Rocketry Whirlwind on a B6-0 which recovers in two parts by Maple seed helicopter action.  Jonathon also had a successful flight of his Quest Quad Runner that is powered by a cluster of four C6-5s.

That all this activity was done on a very challenging day was quite remarkable.  The wind took its toll on SoAR field equipment as speakers were blown over damaging audio cable connectors and one strong gust of wind blew the control box table over damaging an antenna.  Even launch pads were toppled bending launch rods.

If you haven’t renewed your membership (or joined) for 2024, now would be a good time to support the club. Join/Renew your membership [here].

A few event photos [here].

Motor ignition counts:
A – 16
B – 11
C – 16
D – 4
E – 14
F – 2
G – 2

For a day that initially looked questionable due to a rainy weather forecast a few days out, the launch event at Mill Springs Academy on February 10^th turned out to be excellent.  There were twenty-one participants launching sixty-seven rockets into an overcast sky.  Winds were minimal at the start, built up some mid-event and then moderated again during the final hour.

Standouts included a launch of a visually incredible creation of Kevin Scholberg that left the launch pad pouring out multi-colored crepe paper streamers to about 100 feet altitude, then arching over and creating a rainbow of streamers while landing gently nearby.  Kevin drag raced four air screws that was also thrilling sight.  While conditions were calm, Terry Bliss had some amazing flights of boost gliders with his Edmond Aerospace Deltie and Holverson Designs Silver Hawk. Some other great flights were accomplished by David Cain with his Estes Interceptor and Semroc Cherokee-D.

Event pictures [here]

Motor ignition counts:
A – 20
B – 20
C – 17
D – 5
E – 2
F – 5
G – 1

The special SoAR “replacement” launch on February 3^rd at Dawsonville had twenty-seven participants launch a total of ninety rockets under sunny skies.  Wind gusts were a bit of an aggravation but coming from the east provided adequate recovery chances for those reaching the highest altitudes (albeit some long recovery walks).

There were many outstanding and unusual launches including Davud’s Dynasoar R/C Aurora Clipper boost glider climbing to excellent altitude on an E-6 motor then gliding for over a minute circling the field and finally coming in for a soft landing very close to where he was standing.  Joshua and Hope Finn and family flew their J&H Aerospace Fliplock lite boost gliders on A3 motors for FAI Team qualifications along with their scratch-built Finn Astronaut on 1/2A3.  Jorge launched his two-stage Apogee TTV that was shown at the January Rocket Talk meeting.  The Timer Test Vehicle (TTV) uses a timer to ignite the second stage.  This appeared to have worked as designed (see below action photographs by Kevin Boyd) but the initial stage looked like a CATO caused some damage to the body tube (hopefully repairable).

For some mid-power excitement there were some excellent flights by Allen Isdell with his LOC 4” AMRAAM powered by a G67 and his PML Carbon Monster thundering up on a G61.  Ray Lecture launched his signature scratch-built 3” Goblin on a G77, Bob Taylor put a G80 in his scratch-built Magic for a dramatic flight and Glenn Harper sent up his Estes “Naked” Leviathan on an E30.

Check out the action captured by Kevin Boyd [here].  Some additional event photos [here]

Motor Ignition Count:
A – 35
B – 18
C – 14
D – 9
E – 8
F – 3
G – 4

SoAR’s first launch event of the year was held at Mill Springs Academy on January 13^th.  What began as a cold blustery morning turned out to be quite a good day of rocketry (if dressed appropriately – and most were).  For this launch event there were twenty-two participants launching fifty-seven rockets into a sunny blue sky with brisk winds at the surface and at altitude.  Launch angles were key for successful recovery, but a somewhat favorable wind direction helped keep most rockets recoverable down field and out of trouble (but always a few unfortunate exceptions)

With participation peaking just after noon, there was a need to add an additional set of launch pads to accommodate enthusiastic rocketeers.  Some of the highlights included unique designs by Kevin Scholberg like the scratch-built Captain America Shield that was powered by a cluster of three D11-Ps.  Fulton Science Academy launched their scratch-built Metro Boomin on a F15-4 which almost made it back to the field but ultimately required Jorge’s recovery expertise to unsnag from a tree limb.  For testing in preparation for American Rocketry Challenge Davud and Austin launched a scratch-built In Thrust we Trust with a D12-3 to gain some design experience.

By 2:00 participation had waned considerably and the event wrapped-up a bit early.  Some pictures [here].

Motor ignition count:
A – 21
B – 18
C – 12
D – 5
E – 2
F – 1