ROC March 2000 Launch

Report by Jeffrey D. Gortatowsky

After eight or nine months without any significant rain, southern California was somewhat parched by the time the monthly Rocketry Organization of California (ROC) launch concluded in January of 2000. Leaving it to me, your intrepid reporter of record to fix that problem! I bought a telescope in the last week of January and that was the last day of decent weekend weather that was seen until March! Twice ROC members gathered in February. Once to watch a snow storm in the San Bernadino mountains from the vantage point of a very wind blown playa, and once in the warmth and comfort of BJ's Pizza in Brea CA. to talk rockets and drink an adult beverage or two.

That of course left everyone with the 'Yearn to Burn'. And so it seemed that, as ROC gathered on the playa of the Lucerne Dry Lake Bed on March 11th 2000, everyone in southern California who wanted to be at a launch was! And so a mini one day ROCstock was born. Or at least so it appeared! In reality only 190 motors were burned, but it sure seemed like the flightline was long! Obviously quite a few people were just happy to spend some time basking in the sun after the deluges on the coastal plains in February!

So let us recap some of the flights of the March 2000 ROC monthly launch. Andy Perez flew a K550 in a Rocket R&D SkyRaider using motor ejection and had a successful flight. Andy had certified Level 2 using a LOC Minni Magg and J275 earlier in the day! Nice job Andy! Gary Bitterman flew Jade (of course) with one of his new instant-on igniters on a K550. It was indeed gone the instant ROC President and at the time, LCO, Greg Lawson brushed the launch button with his finger. Gary used a BlackSky AltAcc to successfully recover the 10 pound 6 foot tall rocket.

Ron "Gonna Fly More" McGough, now Vice President of ROC, flew a neat flight with his EON using a HyperTek Hammerhead K240 and an Adept ALTS2-50k to handle the dual deployment chores. Steve and Robert Glass used a K185 in a Vaugh Brothers Javelin 4.0 for nice long burn flight, while Steve Todd went with the opposite K motor burn profile using a K1100 in his Rocketman Praying Mantis he named Tequila Sunrise. A MissleWorks RRC2 bought the rocket back alive with a main deployment at 800 feet. Mark Ferguson flew his Birthday Surprise, a LOC Syonic, on a J350 for successful flight. Brad Wolff flew a crowd pleaser when he used a J275 to toss his Cluster R Army Hawk he calls Urban Hawk into the air. A BlackSky AltAcc did the recovery duties.

Bill Huber brought out the Sandblaster, aptly named for the windy conditions that sometimes plague the playa, and flew a great flight on a J350. Bill used a ALTS25 for recording the altitude. Kurt Gugisberg threw his Public Enemy Bull Pup into the air on a J350 and brought it home using an Olsen M2 for recovery. Joe Huber used a J460-M with motor ejection for a awesome flight of his 5 pound LOC EZI-65. Joe also flew his scratch built Sandia Sandhawk on a J570. This 6.5 pound, 5 foot tall rocket flew beautifully and recovered under the watchful control of an Adept ALTS25. Chuck Platisa used another LOC kit, an I-ROC with a J350 for nice boost and a good motor actuated recover. Nathen Hayes used a J415 in his 6 pound PML Quantum Leap sustainer he calls This End Up. The rocket had a great flight and Nathan used a BlackSky AltAcc for dual mode deployment.

Greg Lyzenga flew a PML Eclipse named Valhalla on J275. A Transovle P5 altimeter bought the 8.2 pound rocket down gently after a 3400+ foot flight. Randy Phelps used the same motor as great for nice flight of his PML AMRAAM 4. Jeff Frank flew a way cool modified PML Tethys he called Sky Eye. This J350 powered rocket had a real-time 900mhz video link. Thank goodness the flight went well!

Mark Bablinski = successfully certified level 2 using a J350 to muscle a PML Endeavor into the air for a great certification flight. Also certifying level 2 on this wonderful March day was Bob Bodnar. Bob flew a great cert flight with a J800 powering his LOC Magnum and used an Adept altimeter for recovery. Nice going everyone!

But wait! There's more. Certifying level 1 in March was Bruce Hay who used a LOC V2 called Don't Touch Me There on an I154. Then there was Randy Phelps who used a PML AMRAAM 4 he named Millennium Project to certify with an I300 providing the thrust, were as Forrest Perry used a Public Enemy Patriot on an I195 for his successful level 1 flight. Lloyd Parker chose an I200 to power his scratch built AMRAAM but suffered a separation. Undaunted he returned with his scratch built One Way Charlie on a H180. That rocket found its one-way home and Lloyd was certified. Not to mimic Lloyd, but Jeff Cloutier also missed his first level 1 attempt when a H180 and his scratch built Six Pack were not able to agree on the deployment speed and stripped the chute. But he roared right back choosing another H180 to power his LOC EZ-I65 for a successful level 1 flight.

More Level one certifications were on tap as Dean Allen also chose the H180 as his motor of choice to kick his PML Phobos to a level 1 apogee. And just to make sure the H180 got its just due, Collin Rowe successfully certified level 1using a LOC HiTech H45 he named The One. Yes, you won't believe it, but another H180 powered Hot Lips, a LOC Vulcanite built and flown by Mary Lyzenga for her level one certification as well. Congratulations to everyone!

Hyam Sosnow flew a fantastic dual I132 cluster flight in his scratch built 238. These twin White Lightning single use motors made quite a display! Hyam used a BlackSky AltAcc for recovery and had the motors provide backup. Steve Todd and Kurt Gugisberg simultaneously launched PML Lunar Express Juniors with Kurt’s heading for the moon on an I284 and Todd's likewise on an I211. Using an I435 Jim and David Reese teamed up for a picture perfect flight of their LOC Expeditor. They had an AltS2 riding shotgun recording the altitude. Zac Frank watched his AMRAAM called Here It Goes leave the pad in a hurry on an I200 and brought the scale missile back to the playa using an RDAS altimeter. And like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Joel Simon brought back = White Heat Reborn on an I211 for a successful flight. Micheal McBride had a fine flight on a BlackSky Optimal 65 powered by an I200.

Rick Houpt brought out his ever popular and well-worn scratch built Pringles Express, a rocket made of Pringles potato chip cans. There were a few crushed chips as the Pringles Express made a nice flight on a butt kicking H180. Wedge Oldham took time out from his incredible Nike-Hercules project to fly a much smaller and easier LOC HiTech on a H73. Wedge used the flight to get familiar with the MissileWorks RRC2, which was collecting the apogee data for the flight. Tom Emerson brought out a LOC Norad he calls Polaris and flew it just fine on a H180. In case it is not obvious, the H180 was a popular motor this month. There was a strange occurrence however... ROC Tripoli Prefect Rick O'Neil defied all odds, overcoming enormous obstacles, and yes, was actually able to FLY a rocket at a ROC launch. If fact rumor has it he may have flown more than one! What is the world coming to? Apparently he flew a THOY Wasp on an H180! And used no electronics! The Board of Directors is looking into these allegations!

ROC's March launch was a huge success with new and old faces, new and old vendors, and a big showing by scout troop 505 with a ton of A impulse powered rockets! Greg Lawson and Joel Simon were on the LCO table all day, and a gentleman whose name I did not catch did the RSO duties all day long as well! Thank you! Of course Ron McGough and crew did their usual fantastic job setting up the range. And as usual thanks to Ken Finwall of California High Power Rocketry for keeping us supplied with motors! With all this and more it was truly a case of the month of March coming in like a Lion! Congratulations and thanks to all for a great launch! See you in April 2000!

Motor Usage for March 2000

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