What an incredible three-day event to end the 2025 – 2026 flying season. Tripoli Central Virginia hosted Battle of the Rockets, a rocket focused STEM contest open to schools across the US that featured categories such as target altitude, deployable payload, and Mars rover. Conditions over the weekend were clear with moderate but manageable wind that changed direction from day to day. Conditions early Friday and Sunday were the best for those who wanted to fly high. Burnt Ends BBQ was onsite on Saturday with some great food and Performance Hobbies was also in attendance all three days ensuring that flyers had all the gear they needed. Over the three days 280 flights too to the skies from tiny micro-max motors to Ms. two stage flights to large clusters, ground shaking sparkies to impressive homemade EX -motors, there was something for everyone. Flight counts and pictures are below. HUGE thank you to Matt for the pictures, outstanding job!
Friday April 10th: low-power and mid-power, 31 high-power, 43
Saturday April 11th: low-power and mid-power, 53 high-power, 23
Sunday April 12th: low-power and mid-power, 39 high-power, 46
Also had a combined 45 Battle of the Rockets flights from F to K power.
Had a fantastic crowd all weekend. Thank you to all who came out! There were some decent lines at the RSO table from time to time but nothing crazy. Our RSO team did a great job all weekend to keep things safe and moving efficiently. The “Radioactive Thor” tearing off the pad on an Aerotech J1299 Warp 9. Had a 45:1 thrust to weight ration and cleared 5,000 feet!This one was very special. The rocket “A series of tubes” took to the skies over BattlePark on a Gorilla Motorworks K980. Those who know, know, the old sparkies hit different!The third row of pads was busy over the three day event. The first flight from this rack was No Limits which reached almost 6,000′ on a 54mm EX L1450. Up close with a MAC Performance Rayzor on a Aerotech I180 White Lightning. A WildMan Rocketry Demon 5 lifting off on a 75mm Aerotech K780 Redline. A beautiful 4″ Thor MOVING OUT on an Aerotech K695 Redline.A full rack of Tripoli Level 1 cert attempts!A Battle of the Rockets “rover” rocket lifting off on an Aerotech I245 Mojave Green. This would deploy a rover that would return under its own parachute that would then be required to execute a series of tasks in a designated area. An L1 certification rocket “recovery shake down test” leaving the rail here on an Aerotech H123.
Virginia Tech was out with several Tripoli L1 certification attempts, these were flown on CTI H125 and CTI H143 motors.
Out on the third row, HyperLoc’s Revenge lifts off on a 54mm EX L1100 motor. The INTIMIDATOR lifting off from the second row powered by an Aerotech J420. You can see one of the larger Battle of the Rockets entries being prepared out on the third row. BEAUTIFUL lift off of a very large Battle of the Rockets entry, this one powered by a CTI K1200 White Thunder.
A Loc Precision Big Nuke dubbed “Marvin the Martin” hammered by an Aerotech K1800 Super Thunder!
Unfortunately, this one did not go as planned. Upon ignition the Contrail K321 let go completely destroying the rocket. A very nice and original PML Maranda lifting off on a soon to be VERY rare Areotech I195 Black Jack. A fan favorite at BattlePark, the huge Alpha III lifts off powered by an Aerotech L1150 Redline. Recovery was as perfect as the ride up. Ignition of a MASSIVE Contrail K888 in a LOC Precision HyperLoc 1600. This one was something to behold!An Aerotech H115 Dark Matter getting this one off the rail in spectacular fashion.HyperLoc’s revenge came back for a second flight on Friday, this time on an EX L1400 Blue.The Flying Pumpkin on an Aerotech I600 Redline. Love the ‘flame to rocket’ ratio.
This one always impresses, the LOC Precision 7.5″ Goblin. This one flew on an Aerotech J415 White Lightning and two air-started Estes E16s.
UVA out flying SABER III on an Aerotech L2500 Super Thunder. Flight was 100% successful!A VERY nice Super DX3 on Aerotech White Lightning power from a J270.The US Naval Academy was out with their project flying on an Aerotech L1390 Mojave Green. Some action on the low power rack courtesy of an Estes V2 powered by a D12.The MACH SHOCK on a 38mm EX J500. This combination flew several times over the weekend with fantastic results.The largest flight of the weekend, the Scarlet Speedster from GW University tipped the scales at almost 70 pounds. She flew on a 98mm M2435 to over 6,000′. No Limits came back on Saturday to fly on an aggressive EX K1040 using a new blue propellant. This flight was perfect with a great recovery from 3,601 feet. A BEAUTIFUL Performance Hobbies Performer 150 lifting off on Aerotech Blue Thunder Power from a 75mm L1520.The G-3 with a LOUD liftoff courtesy of a CTI I223 Skidmark. This 1/2 scale Astrobee-D had a fantastic flight on a 6 grain 38mm EXJ355 ‘white.’Out to the third row for another flight from George Washington University. This was the Capstone team testing altitude limiting air brakes. The ride up was on an EX M1655.A large IREC test flight leaving the launch tower on the third row of pads on a large green flame provided by an Aerotech L2200 Mojave Green. An old school LOC Precision Viper IV leaving a 1/4″ launch rod powered by 4 Estes D12s. Yup, all 4 lit right on time.A very cool drop staged Estes Big Bertha on the low power rack. This one turned in a successful flight.A very, VERY clean Nike Smoke on mach diamond studded Aerotech Redline power.One of two 6″ O class motors tested on Sunday, both were successful. This one was from Duke, the other from Johns Hopkins University. This WildMan Drago 4 was HAULIN thanks to a 54mm Aerotech J1799 Warp 9!!!!A BEAUTIFUL Scale Terrier / Improved Orion lifting off on a Aerotech F67 White Lightning. The very unique New Clear Missile lifting off on an Aerotech J250 White Lightning. This flight was 100% successful and earned the flyer a Tripoli L2 cert. Well done! Need to look close or you might miss it, the 1/8″ rod on pad #4 is ready to guide a Micro Maxx powered rocket to nearly 100 feet. Had 4 of these lill’ guys fly on Sunday.A 7.5″ LOC Precision T-LOC under full White Lightning Power coming from the 18″ long 38mm Aerotech J570. An Estes Pro Series II DER Red Max done in ‘Purple Max’ trim taking to the skies over Battlepark on an Aerotech G74.A 4″ LOC Precision “C’est” Goblin taking off on the power of an Aerotech H100 White Lightning.
The 2025-2026 season has come to an end. See you in the Fall!
