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Jeff Halstead
November 26, 2006
My first rockets in elementary school were made of matchstick heads and aluminum foil flown off our lawn furniture. From there, I graduated to my own zinc-sulphur mixture, only to fill the basement time and again with smoke as I tested the propellant. While I enjoyed flying Estes rockets, as a kid I'd build my own motors. One successful flight flew over a tall pine tree and crashed into the neighbor's roof. I was lucky to leave my youth with both hands intact. I returned to rocketry as an adult, flying again with my two boys. Over the last few years, I have graduated to high-powered rocketry. Today, I enjoy building scratch-built rockets that fly on Aerotech propellant, deploy parachutes with electronics, and are tracked down with transceivers. My childhood fascination with rockets remains as strong as ever.Posted by terry at 02:05 AM | Comments (0)
End of season meeting report
November 13, 2006
The call for interest in local launches next year was well received with 13 of the 27 paid members for this year in attendance. In case anyone is counting, the next new paid member will be #69. Ray immediately stepped down as president and requested takers. Not sure how long I waited but I raised my hand and was attacked like a wounded critter. Response sounded unanimous so ... Here Goes: No VP No Secretary No Treasurer No scheduled launches for next year. Just a president and the required NAR Advisor (Marty Weiser). Thankfully folks didn't walk out, and after a spirited discussion the following emerged. The #1 position required for a launch is that of Launch Director (LD). We got 4 volunteers to serve as LD for 5 launches in 2007. The goal will be the second weekend of the month (April-June and Sept/Oct). LD will determine whether Saturday, Sunday, or both. If the first of the month is a Sat/Sun the LD has discretion as to what counts as the second weekend. While the LD can theoretically take on all required duties, he can also do nothing other than ensure required duties have been addressed. At a minimum, the LD shall cancel the launch if 100% of the required duties cannot be committed to by T-2 days to launch. Over the next few weeks I'll meet with the Team of LD's (TOLD) to establish an exhaustive checklist of actions required to conduct a launch. Paid members will receive regular updates on club activities via email. Non-paid members are encouraged to check the club web site for updates. Annual membership is $20. Spectators are free to attend and low power fliers may participate for free. Non-member high power fliers will be charged $5/event. No more pre-scheduled club meetings. If a consensus shows interest, future meetings will be scheduled. As a launch approaches, the web site will become active as soon as the LD checklist is complete, @ T-2 days and holding, to call in the waiver. Once the waiver is called in, the web site will provide regular updates with scheduled posts at T-24 hrs, T-12 hrs, and T-2 hrs. The primary concern during this time will be weather and field conditions. Liability waivers and Flight cards will be available for download off the web site. Pre registering is preferred. Second choice is showing up with a pre-filled out liability waiver form. Third choice is everything else. Blanks will be available at the site for those that need them. It is the goal to maintain a signed liability waiver for each person on site. All existing liability waivers will be purged. No launches over 7,000' AGL without LD approval. Highly recommended you contact the LD prior to the launch date for these flights. 2007 SPARC Launch Directors April = Lou Bragg May = Mark Howe June =Lou Bragg Sept = Jeff Halstead Oct = Terry Moore Read For pick-up launches, any paid member can assume LD duties at any time. Our launch site is freely donated by a local landowner as his community service. Fortunately his grandson is a cub scout with rocket interest so you can count on a pick-up launch around his scout troops needs. Colville has an impressive set of TARC teams. We will be making every attempt to assist them. Anyone who fails as LD must grovel and beg before being put to a club vote and allowed to try again. Current 2007 paid membership is at 7. Bob YanecekPosted by launchdirector at 08:21 AM | Comments (0)
November '06 launch cancelled
November 10, 2006
Due to weather concerns the launch scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled.
A VERY IMPORTANT meeting will be held at HobbyTown at 10:30 tomorrow (11/11/06) to elect new officers of the club and to plan for next year. If you want your voice to be heard, you need to be at this meeting. Currently, nobody has stepped forward to volunteer for any of the club officer positions. If you have the ambition and would like to continue to hold regularly scheduled launches at SPARC next year, step up and volunteer for a position.
Posted by ray at 07:27 AM | Comments (0)
Trailer Maintenance Party
November 03, 2006
The Spokane Area Rocket Club will be holding an equipment maintenance party on Sunday Nov. 5 and currently plans to hold our last launch of the year along with a club meeting on Sat. Nov. 11, 2006.
Our launch equipment and trailer desperately need some maintenance. The model pads were not very reliable in October so we need to clean up the electrical contacts and make sure they work well. The trailer needs a coat of paint before the winter. We will be meeting at Bob's on Sunday Nov. 5 starting at 9 am and should be done by early afternoon - bring something for the grill if you would like to have lunch. If you would like to attend and do not have the directions to Bob's please contact Bob at 276-8193, Marty at 928-6314, or Ray at 928-7507. We will probably put a few models in the air if the weather permits.
We plan to hold our last launch of the year on Sat. Nov. 11 with set up starting at 9 am if the weather permits. At noon we will put launch activities on hold to have short club meeting to elect new officers for 2007 and solicit other volunteers to help run the launches. If the ground is wet and unfrozen or it is raining we will not hold the launch, but instead hold a club meeting at HobbyTown at noon. Frozen ground and/or a couple of inches of snow will not prevent the launch. Please monitor the listservers or this website next week for details on the launch.
Finally, several of the officers and others who have run the launches over the past couple of years now have other commitments and cannot continue in those roles next year. As a result we need some new people to step forward and run the club, particularly if SPARC is to hold scheduled launches in 2007. The current core group is committed to keeping the club alive and assisting anyone who steps forward, but cannot commit to running scheduled launches. If enough volunteers do not step forward the current core group will maintain the NAR section, obtain an FAA waiver, and plan to hold two or three launches next year that will be announced via the listservers and website up to a week in advance.
Posted by ray at 05:55 AM | Comments (0)