Launch Report June 26-27, 2004

Saturday morning started out extremely wet. In fact, I left Chapel Hill in the rain and it rained essentially non-stop until about 2:30 Saturday afternoon. The cloud cover looked thin, however, and we were fortified with various weather reports that promised clearing skies, so we (some of us) hung around and amused ourselves with lunch and conversation until the rain stopped at about 2:30. By 3:30 the skies were clearing, big patches of blue were moving over us and we experienced some of the finest flying weather at Whitakers in a long time. The clouds disappeared completely, the air was crytal clear, the winds were calm, and the temperatures stayed in the low ‘80’s.

The Ray family was there in force, and their patience paid off with successful flights by Jeff, Rose, Brandon, and Matthew. Carsten Glans made a return trip to Whitakers for a few last I-motor flights before returning to Sweden.

The high point of the day was a successful Tripoli Level 3 certification flight by Chuck Neff. Chuck brought ALL of his family down from Staunton (or Waynesboro ?), Virginia to fly his Quintex, a 14 foot, 7 inch, 85 pound flat black rocket, on an Aerotech (or is it RCS?) M1939W. The flight was a complete success, coasting to about 5400 feet and deploying all the components right on time. This was the second L3 attempt for Chuck with the same rocket, so he was a little apprehensive before the flight. After the safe landing just beyond the south tree line, Chuck was walking on air! Congratulations!

I need to put the motor use summary in here somewhere. This seems like a good spot:

You can see the effect that the rain had on Saturday. This is usually the most heavily attended single day at Whitakers, and we only had 10 flights. Another data anomaly: Sunday was the first Sport launch day since I began recording launches at Whitakers at which I motor flights outnumbered C motor flights.

Sunday was a great day for rockets, interrupted only briefly after noon with a brief shower. The skies were cloudy all day, but they were so high that even J and K motor flights were clearly visible below the clouds.

Family launch activities dominated the flying on Sunday. Dominic, Alexander, and Dave Jensen all had fine flights, as did Jonathan and Stan Wilkins, and David and David Hash. Ken and Kent Parker also made a series of 5 radio-controlled glider flights with their Aerotech Phoenix and Multiplex Combat Jet 2, that were all virtuoso performances. The Parkers have found some F12T and G12T motors that are absolutely perfect for glider flights.

Late in the day, David Hash, Sr. and Stan Wilkins did battle with 2 of the most stubborn motors I have seen lately. David was trying to light up an F20 in his no. 2 Pencil and Stan was wrestling with an uncooperative Animal Motor Works “Green Gorilla” J motor with which he had hoped to fly his 4 inch Amraam. It was like watching a bunch of tired boxers give each other their best shots, fail, retire to their corners, and come back swinging. David Hash experienced every kind of ignitor/lead/relay box/unidentified gremlin problem that has ever plagued a rocket launch, but he never gave up, eventually flying the Pencil. Stan’s “Green Gorilla” motor kept lighting and blowing itself out. Green and red flame propellants are notoriously hard to light.

Dave Morey and David Hash, sr also made the final tune-up flights with their I-motor-powered bowling ball rockets for the upcoming contest at LDRS. Let’s all wish them luck.

Alan Whitmore

Prefect, Tripoli East NC