Tripoli South Florida

I received a report from NEFAR saying that they will be postponing the 2 day launch. They MAY be having the normal launch provided the drought index does not top out at the threshold but it looks a little too iffy for a 4-5 hour drive to me.
The 2 day is postponed until next month, December. Unfortunately I already have plans for that weekend and will not be able to go. 8^(

The TSF launch is still on for the 21st!

I emailed to the NEFAR club and got back a reply about the upcoming launch. Seems that they aren’t getting the rain we are and might scrub if the drought index is too high. More news after Nov 8.  Reprint of the email below.

JS

Hi John,
Correct! We usually have a special rate for the rocket club and guest at the Super 8 motel which is at the junction of US1 and I95 in Flagler County.  They do offer free coffee, rolls and cereal in the morning and there are several other places to eat in the immediate area.

However after saying all this the launch is in “limbo” because the drought index is a little above 600 for Flagler county. Naturally we’re hoping (and praying) for rain and there is a chance later this week.  The club is going to wait until Sunday the 8th to make the final decision.

If it’s a ”GO” then the hotel announcement will be sent out. If not we may postpone until December or have a club vote to move to an alternate weekend again if Mother Nature allows.

That’s all I can tell you right now.

Steve Ghioto
NEFAR secretary

The October launch was really pleasant. The day was really nice and the field was wide open as long as we we on the west side of the slough. The tractorsaurus machines were roaming the eastern half and they didn’t look like they’d stop for anything.

A new face showed up, someone I hadn’t seen before but he had tripoli paperwork that identified him as someone interested in rockets. He wanted to do a level one cert flight. He brought his airframe, about a ounce an a half of estes cardboard and balsa. He brought his motor, an unbelievable warp 9 – H999 in an aerotech 38/360 case.  Now, I’m the kind of guy who likes to see propellant burn, and I’m the kind of guy who believes that some people have to make mistakes before they’re willing to learn anything. That said, this flyer seemed to be the kind who wasn’t interested in advice much so when that motor hit it made a pop! and immediately shredded.

It was a failure – a DQ for a cert flight but I think everyone liked watching the launch and it was safe enough. But now I’m having second thoughts (not really) that I should have stopped that nonsense and made him comeback to fly a rocket that could handle an H motor. I don’t think that junk would have survived an F motor; just the casing weight would have broken a fin at touchdown. We didn’t get a chance to talk much afterward but he said he’d come back to try again. I hope he learned something. Me, I saw a kid who wasted a $40.00 motor to the delight of the rest of us. But is that what it is supposed to be?  I guess we, that is me, should say no that isn’t how you do it, that’s how you fail. But then we all have to test out theories as citizen scientists and “you picks your pony and you takes your ride” as some blog poster once wrote.    I don’t know where he came from or if he’ll be back. I hope he comes back, I was supposed to fill out a form detailing the failure.

I’m still looking at going up to NEFAR launch and having a 3rd Sunday launch back here. Nefar has a 2000′ waiver i have no idea how they stay in that box.  At any rate, there are a lot of hotel/motels on the beach but I haven’t any idea if there is a closer lodging. I’m sending emails to the contacts on the NEFAR site to see if there an “official crash pad”If someone knows about the site or a place to stay, please share it with the rest of us.

Rey took and posted pictures of the October launch so check them out