March 2025

The weather in March was typical of that in early Spring in Virginia, some sun, some wind (some times LOTS of wind), some very cool temperatures, and times when you were war in only short sleeves. Thankfully we were got both weekends of flying though Saturday the 22nd was cut short due to high winds. March saw lots some fantastic flights and as we like, flights that covered the entire spectrum of hobby rocketry. Lots of NASA SLI and ARC test flights, many Tripoli certification attempts, and some really cool action on the low-power racks. Full launch details and pictures below:

Saturday March 8th: 27 low and mid-power flights with 17 high power.

Sunday March 9th: 28 low and mid-power flights with 15 high power.

Saturday March 22nd: 19 low and mid-power flights with 7 high power (day cut short due to wind).

Sunday March 23rd: 55 low and mid-power flights with 37 high power.

A BEAUTIFUL scale Mercury Redstone flown on a CTI J530 IMAX. The recovery, controlled by MissileWorks altimeters was as perfect as the rocket!

A 4inch LOC Precision Goblin leaving the pad in a HURRY courtesy of an Aerotech J340 Metalstorm!
Test flight of a Battle of the Rockets “deployable payload” rocket on an Aerotech I280 DarkMatter.
Ignition of an Aerotech F motor powering an ARC practice flight.
A custom build called No Limits being powered by an EX K1500 using a propellant the flyer calls “White 357”
Up close with a North Coast Rocketry Laser Hawk being powered by an Aerotech F67.
The Finland Flyer leaving the rail powered by an EX I300 “Moonshine.”
Check out the Mach Diamonds from this 6grain 38mm EX J600 “Turbo” motor powering a WildMan Drago 4 named EX-1127!
An Aerotech G-Force taking to the sky under Aerotech G77 RedLine power.
UVA Rocketry came out to fly their IREC rocket “Saber 2.” The 98mm L2500 Super Thunder had no problem moving the 56-pound 6-inch diameter rocket off the pad with ease!
A beautiful, and MASSIVE, upscale of an Estes ‘Big Daddy’ lifting off on an Aerotech K1103X.
The Big Daddy under chute! No matter how many times you fly, there is nothing like the feeling when the main opens!
No Limits lifting off on an EX J600 Turbo for a great boost and successful recovery. Unfortunately, upon landing safely in the field the wind grabbed the main parachute and dragged the rocket for over 100 yards resulting is a fair amount of damage. Understand the flyer fixed all of this quickly as it was mostly cosmetic.
A LOC Precision Caliber ISP heading to the clear skies over BattlePark under the motivation of an EX I410.
A LOC Precision HyperLoc 1600 lifting off from the away cell on an Aerotech J540 RedLine for a perfect flight.
A 4″ MadCow Go Devil leaving the rail HARD powered by a 76mm K607.
The low-power range is typically quite busy. Here a very nice build takes off powered by an Estes C11.
A 38mm EX J600 providing the motivation needed to get Mach Shock to 2,500′. Recovery was perfect.

This one was very cool, a 12″ diameter stretched “Bullet Bobby” dubbed “Tuxedo Teddy” leaving the away cell on an Aerotech K535 White Lighting. Recovery was 100% successful!

Thomas Jefferson High School came out to test their NASA SLI rocket. The boost on an Aerotech J540 RedLine was perfect as was the recovery.

A WildMan Drago 4 dubbed EX-1127 lifting off on an EX J480. This 8grain 38mm motor used a modified red propellant to provide a beautiful burn to almost 3,000 feet. Recovery curtesy of Missile Works electronics and Top Flight parachutes.

Unfortunately things do not always go as planned. Rockets… This flyer had the aft end of a CTI J145 Skidmark fail just as his 4″ LOC Precision T-LOC left the rail resulting in the loss of his rocket and motor case.

Right up close and personal with an Estes Pro Series II Nike Smoke powered by an Aerotech G76 Mojave Green.
A 4″ Nike Smoke hauling off the pad courtesy of an Aerotech J270 White Lightning. This flight was 100% successful and earned the flyer a level 2 certification.
The OLVT Team from Virginia Tech came out with a VERY nice two stage rocket. The booster held an Aerotech K2050 with a J250 in the sustainer. Unfortunately, the sustainer failed to light, however, all of the electronics functioned as designed, and each piece landed safely in the field.
Some nice Mach Diamonds from this EX I210 that powered a LOC Precision Caliber ISP to 2,200′.
One of the most sentimental flights of the entire season, our past Prefect and long time member Jeff flew his PML Callisto on an H180. This was his last flight with the club, and also a flight that put him over 1,000,000 total feet flown in his rocketry career. More, this Callisto was the first rocket he flew with Tripoli Central VA when he began flying with us in 2003.