billdz
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- Feb 10, 2017
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On Saturday at the Tampa Tripoli launch, I successfully flew my Painkiller Max on an AT M1350 to obtain my L3. However, what should have been a happy day turned frustrating when I attempted to retrieve the rocket, which landed in a swamp.
It was a beautiful, near windless day at the launch site, which is on a working cattle ranch. After making the 4-hour drive from my home in south Florida, I was nervous but confident, because I had prepared carefully and the rocket had previously landed less than 100 yards from the pad on its test flight with a K motor, on a day that was much breezier. The flight was perfect, with the 2' drogue deploying right at the 9018' apogee and the 8' main opening majestically at 800'. Unfortunately, even with just the little drogue open on the big rocket (30.5 lbs. at liftoff), something pushed the rocket quite far from the pad. Some said it must be "upper air wind," but other large rockets launched that day did not drift nearly so far away.
The rocket landed in a heavily wooded cyprus swamp about 1500 yards from the pad. For tracking, the rocket had both a Telemetrum and a cellular GPS tracker, and both showed me the exact location of the rocket on my phone. The club offered me a pair of waders, something I had never seen before, basically rubber overalls that go from the feet to the armpit. They warned me to be careful and to watch out for snakes and gators. I was advised to take someone with me but everyone was busy with their own rockets.
In the swamp wearing the waders, at first it seemed it would be a fun, quick adventure. The water was only about knee deep, the weather was cool, and I soon got to about 100 yards from the landing point. Then the phone GPS stopped following my position properly, still do not know why that happened. After quite some time, I realized it would be impossible to find the rocket without accurate GPS, and I gave up.
The launch ended at 5pm and I got into the car for the long ride home. As I was heading out, a guy on a UTV drove by. I asked him if the UTV is able to travel in the swamp and, if so, would he go get my rocket for a cash reward.
On Monday, he advised he had my rocket, completely undamaged. He found it in a tree in the swamp. He sent me the attached photo. He said it took him 7 hours and he had to kill 6 water moccasins. He told me he had given up and was leaving the swamp when he saw the rocket by accident, 600 yards away from the reported GPS position. But he must be mistaken or perhaps exaggerating, as both the Telemetrum and the cellular GPS tracker reported a nearly identical position. Even 600 feet seems like way too much.
Anyhow, all's well that ends well, this was a happy ending with important lessons learned. Thanks to my TAPs and the Tampa crew for making it possible. Video at:
[video=youtube;-Lo5zOaCgHo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lo5zOaCgHo[/video]
It was a beautiful, near windless day at the launch site, which is on a working cattle ranch. After making the 4-hour drive from my home in south Florida, I was nervous but confident, because I had prepared carefully and the rocket had previously landed less than 100 yards from the pad on its test flight with a K motor, on a day that was much breezier. The flight was perfect, with the 2' drogue deploying right at the 9018' apogee and the 8' main opening majestically at 800'. Unfortunately, even with just the little drogue open on the big rocket (30.5 lbs. at liftoff), something pushed the rocket quite far from the pad. Some said it must be "upper air wind," but other large rockets launched that day did not drift nearly so far away.
The rocket landed in a heavily wooded cyprus swamp about 1500 yards from the pad. For tracking, the rocket had both a Telemetrum and a cellular GPS tracker, and both showed me the exact location of the rocket on my phone. The club offered me a pair of waders, something I had never seen before, basically rubber overalls that go from the feet to the armpit. They warned me to be careful and to watch out for snakes and gators. I was advised to take someone with me but everyone was busy with their own rockets.
In the swamp wearing the waders, at first it seemed it would be a fun, quick adventure. The water was only about knee deep, the weather was cool, and I soon got to about 100 yards from the landing point. Then the phone GPS stopped following my position properly, still do not know why that happened. After quite some time, I realized it would be impossible to find the rocket without accurate GPS, and I gave up.
The launch ended at 5pm and I got into the car for the long ride home. As I was heading out, a guy on a UTV drove by. I asked him if the UTV is able to travel in the swamp and, if so, would he go get my rocket for a cash reward.
On Monday, he advised he had my rocket, completely undamaged. He found it in a tree in the swamp. He sent me the attached photo. He said it took him 7 hours and he had to kill 6 water moccasins. He told me he had given up and was leaving the swamp when he saw the rocket by accident, 600 yards away from the reported GPS position. But he must be mistaken or perhaps exaggerating, as both the Telemetrum and the cellular GPS tracker reported a nearly identical position. Even 600 feet seems like way too much.
Anyhow, all's well that ends well, this was a happy ending with important lessons learned. Thanks to my TAPs and the Tampa crew for making it possible. Video at:
[video=youtube;-Lo5zOaCgHo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lo5zOaCgHo[/video]
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