April 2023

What a fantastic end to the flying season. We saw 250 flights from 1/2A to M power over the three days with fantastic flying conditions available each day. We also had 7 successful L2 certifications, 2 successful L1s, and even an L3, congratulations! Yes, we had a few drizzles here and there Saturday afternoon, but we were never out of action for very long.

Flight breakdown is as follows:

Friday 4/14: 75 flights (39 low/mid power and 36 high-power)

Saturday 4/15: 87 flights (61 low/mid power and 26 high-power)

Sunday 4/16: 56 flights (29 low/mid power and 27 high-power)

The weekend also saw 32 mid and high-power Battle of the Rockets qualification flights.

The “away cell” was busy all weekend with many large projects reaching for the skies!

There were countless memorable flights, captured a few below:

Aerotech HV Arcas with a nice slow liftoff on an Aerotech H97.

The 75 pound Cowabunga Mammoth lifting off on a CTI M1770 SKID! This was one you could feel!!!!

A Wild Man Rocketry Journey 75 taking to the sky on an Aerotech H100.
An Estes D-Region Tomahawk lifting off from the low/mid power pads on an Aerotech F24.
The “Blue Baboon” taking to the skies on the thrust of an Aerotech J415.
A 5.5″ SBR Diablo powered by a CTI K360.
“El Juan Dos” leaping off the pad on an Aerotech I180 as the skies cleared Saturday afternoon.

A beautiful LOC Precision Bruiser EXP lifting off from the away cell on an Aerotech M1350 on its way to a successful L3 Cert!

Team “Bumper WAC” was out flying a scale model of the famous test vehicle flown at White Sands in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This model lifted off from the away cell on K power then staged to an E in the “WAC.” While staging was unsuccessful on the first attempt due to issues with the electronics, the team nailed it the second time around.

Liftoff on an Aerotech K805G
The Predator tearing off the pad on a Loki Research J820. This one was moving!!!!
LOC Precision Caliber ISP on an EX I470.

A beautiful 6″ fiberglass rocket dubbed ‘Marine 150’ flying on an Aerotech M1297. Flight was 100% successful.

A custom 4″ rocket leaving the away cell with authority powered by an Aerotech K1800.
LOC Precision Laser Loc 313 powered by an Aerotech J420.
A Performance Hobbies Performer 150 taking to the skies on a Loki Research L850 ‘cocktail.’
Beautiful lift off of a SBR Thor on the venerable Aerotech K550.

Perfect lift off of a Performance Hobbies Performer 150 on an Aerotech M1500 Mojave Green.

Up close and personal…
A MadCow Rocketry DX3 XL lifting off from the back row on a CTI K500R.

The Battle of the Rockets event saw many contest flights. Some were target altitude flights on F motors from the low power rack and others flew complex hopping rovers from the away cell. Was great to see all of the different designs and methods used to achieve the desired results.

This little guy was quick!

Absolutely beautiful competition rocket flying a rover off the away cell. The team flew this one twice over the three-day event, both times on CTI K711 motors with fantastic results.