launch day pacing

Obviously it is easier and faster to fly black powder motors in small rockets than preparing big dual deployment birds.

What is a normal number of flights in the big L1 through baby L3 range? Everything I fly these days is in that range, and I have only been getting one or two in per day.

Well, If I was flying only L1 flights, I could do I think 3 maybe 4 in a day.

Anything that requires dual deployment is pretty much limited to a maximum of 2.

When we flew OCF, I was able to do another L2 flight that day. The only reason I was able to though, was because Connor did a lot of the prep for OCF and I had my mentor Jim assembling my motor. Even then we ran pretty long.

I think it depends on how much prep work you do before you get to the launch. If you fly SU, DMS or CTI motors there's a lot less work and stress getting your motors prepped too. In general electronics slow you down. I try to build all of my motors and ejection charges the night before a launch. I can usually manage 1-2 L2 launches and 2-3 MPR launches with my kids in a day. One launch last year we flew 6 LPR, 3 MPR and 1 HPR in a day. I think we got 10 total, but I felt rushed all day and was wiped out the next day.

When I was single I flew 4-5 H-I motors per launch, then I flew 2 I-J, then I graduated to 1 L.

I've found that get more satisfaction if I get one really cool flight in than if I get 4-5 smaller flights, but everyone has different goals.

Sounds about right. I'll get two to three up during a day - a mix of level 1 and level 2, but I like to watch as much as I fly. If I weren't watching so much I could probably get another two up.

I can usually get 2-3 G through K up in a day. But when I fly a M motor that's a 1 a day thing!

At our launches, getting on to a pad can be a bigger delay for the BP motors than the APCP motors. I'm mostly flying F-H motors, mostly CTI or single-use/DMS Aerotech. I can usually get 2-3 flights in a day, although I spend a fair amount of time helping the kids prep and/or searching for rockets. I also tend to get up early and have a motor or three completely prepped and at least one rocket completely ready to fly before the range opens for the day. Overall, I'm more limited by motor budget for the launch than by time.

If I get down to it and I'm by my self with no distractions I can fly 3 dd and two motor eject. Flying I through K of course.

I have done two HPR with dual deploy in a day, or one HPR and a fair amount of LPR and MPR.

usually 3-5 launches per. I only fly each rocket one time per outing. I have messed up the parachute packing in the field, so i do it at home very slowly with no distractions. and also get as much prep done before hand as possible.

I have been to a couple of launches where people keep milling around the pads playing with their rockets and they will not clear out. Meanwhile mine has been sitting out there ready to go for 45 minutes. and the line gets huge at the inspection table. so the number of launches goes down.

If it's just LP, I can get 12-15 launches in. MP 5-6 with reload hardware.

If you do your prep work at home, you can fly a bunch of rockets. Here is a thread I did earlier this year, flying at a TRA/PHX Eagle eye launch.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?125940-Two-days-12-Rockets

It helps if you work as a team, Sharon and I do that with our bigger rockets. We also went to Hellfire, where you can fly almost anything without losing it. We took a bunch of LPR rockets for the first day, then upped our game Saturday and Sunday. Here's a blog I posted about that trip:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?127792-Reflections-on-Hellfire-XX

High Power:

I used to fly 4-5 a day. Coming to launch with them prepped then prepping others at Hotel for next day.
It was fly...go get it. Fly another, go get it. Etc.Etc Never had much time to enjoy others flights.

Now if i get 1 a day I'm happy....more time to visit with friends.

Sometimes I'll bring some mid power motor eject stuff & fly 2 of those, then a DD high power.

Besides flying, these days I seem to spend more time helping other fliers with questions etc.

3-4 per launches/day.

I come to launch with ebays and motors ready. Requires multiple cases, altimeters, trackers, chutes.

At launch I just assembly and go.

Biggest variable is recovery time and time to wait for a pad... longer walk/drive or big line for pad less flights.

robbdm said:

3

Biggest variable is recovery time and time to wait for a pad... longer walk/drive or big line for pad less flights.

Click to expand...

Thisoint:

I remember waiting 45 minutes with my L-2 on the pad at RocStock while banks upon innumerable banks of 18 low power rockets were launched at a time. Generally the larger the event, the less I can get launched. One remarkable exception was Hellfire this year where I ran out of steam before I ran out of rockets.....

I fly mostly dual deploy to cut down on recovery time (which doesn't always work out that way :grinand prep my rockets beforehand to maximize launch day opportunities. Which does require a certain investment in altimeters, parachutes and Egg-Finders. For example, for Airfest Wayne and I are bringing 15 rockets between the two of us with a combined total of 27 altimeters :shock:

One thing I do is to prepare more rockets than I think I will fly. I don't have to fly them all, there is always another launch coming up (well, at least out here in the Southwest where we live).

Another variable is the social aspect. As others have indicated in this thread, taking time to talk to friends or help others is part of the whole launch experience and although it is tempting to really focus on "launch production" you can really lose out connecting with some truly interesting people doing amazing things.

At the end of the launch, am I happy and content with my day? Then I've launched enough rockets.

I used to be like CJ and probably quite a few others here. When I first started out I would fly 4-5 H-I motors per launch. Now I shoot one, maybe two and I socialize the rest of the day. I have a much less stressful time and I get to visit see a lot of others fly too.

"Launch Day Pacing"....I thought you were talking about the labor room-like pacing when you're expecting a child...I did a lot of pacing before my third level flight... and it was like waiting for a baby to be delivered...

Hardline has a valuable insight. With all the hardware and electronics, it's easy to get wrapped up in launch fever and forget the 'fun factor' that we all supposedly signed up for. I've had several launches where I did not feel I had the data supporting a good flight profile and beat myself up until I realized I could really learn more from those great people around me than I could from another 'test' flight. After I got over the 'go fever' I started to make a lot of new friends on the range I never would have had time to if I stuck my head down for my supposed 'schedule' of flights. It's amazing how many folks from here you meet on the range if you just take it down a notch. I get just as much a kick out of helping a kid fly his first rocket as I do helping prep an L3 bird. I will always maintain rocketeers are the greatest bunch of people you will ever get together in one place. My next scheduled (meaning I really planned for it) is OctoberFest in Vegas and they are among the best crews you could ever hope to fly with. Yes, it's all about rockets, no matter what size, but like Sharon says, you can connect with amazing people doing some amazing things and if I can get one child excited about rockets, it's worth the gas, time, frustration and build hours to relive that moment in MY life. Straight smoke and good chutes to you all out there and stop by and say Hi!

At my last club launch, the short grass was waist high, so I really ended up flying one rocket -- my Madcow Arcas -- eight times on 7 different G motors and one H. Well, then I flew my LOC Aurora on a J250 to finish the day 😀

Mike

I've flown a full prep-at-the-field dd rocket twice in one day (short recovery - maybe 500' even though 10K plus) but it would be a stretch to pull off three flights on one rocket. I would echo others that prepping as much ahead of time and socializing is a great way to make your day more enjoyable.

Doug