Future LDRS Locations?

H_Rocket said:

The one thing you need to have, above all else, to host LDRS is a thick skin. You will have no end to the people who will complain about some detail that annoys them. These people will expect a professionally run event - they paid and "deserve" it. It does not matter to them that it is being done part time by a bunch of folks with day jobs.

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I think it was one of the URRF's, but a guy was literally losing his **** on Bill because he closed the range on Sunday. Never mind the lightning striking all around us, the storm blowing in hard, and the low nasty black clouds.... this guy had driven from far away and spent a ton of money and time on his rocket and he should be able to launch it!

But sometimes it can go the other way.

At BALLS this year we had decent weather Sunday and all the rockets were launched but one. We held the TFR open for over an hour (make the airliners fly around us) so a guy from Egypt (no kidding) could do his L3 cert flight. A happy customer.
For some reason there are no launches near his home.

M

MClark said:

But sometimes it can go the other way.

At BALLS this year we had decent weather Sunday and all the rockets were launched but one. We held the TFR open for over an hour (make the airliners fly around us) so a guy from Egypt (no kidding) could do his L3 cert flight. A happy customer.
For some reason there are no launches near his home.

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That's pretty awesome. I've gotta say, the tower was pretty sweet to LDRS34 and kept us open until 9pm friday knowing the next three days would be wash outs. I LOVE flying at 8pm. Great light for photos, and calm calm air. If I had my choice, we'd launch from 2pm to 9 every launch.

I heard waivers are easy to get a little NE of where he's from....

DizWolf said:

That's pretty awesome. I've gotta say, the tower was pretty sweet to LDRS34 and kept us open until 9pm friday knowing the next three days would be wash outs. I LOVE flying at 8pm. Great light for photos, and calm calm air. If I had my choice, we'd launch from 2pm to 9 every launch.

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I agree, that was so great. In the middle of summer with the long days in the north it seems 5-7pm is a sweet time for flying. Wind is down, hot sun is down, awesome. We should do this more often.

We are well into April, anyone heard of a proposal for 2017?

Mark

MClark said:

We are well into April, anyone heard of a proposal for 2017?

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One of the quirks is that proposals are sealed and not announced. Unsuccessful proposals are never unsealed.

We will all find out at the Tripoli Banquet on Saturday, June 11.

We didn't get confirmation early last year--we had folks at the banquet texting those of us who couldn't attend...

Dave Smith
NAR 78668, Tripoli 15803
ROC Board Member

I have never understood the logic of a prefecture (or group of prefectures) not saying they are planning to put in to do LDRS. We told everyone when Tripoli Gerlach put in a few years ago. I have thought put in a proposal and get members to lobby the BoD for it to be selected.
Most years there is only one proposal so not "unsealing " proposals not picked is not an issue.

M

I share the original poster's enthusiasm of hosting an LDRS in Boise. (Who wouldn't want to have an LDRS within an hour drive of home?)
However the reality of our Tripoli Idaho club's low membership numbers and lack of a clear future of club leadership puts the LDRS idea back on the shelf.

I've also heard the idea floated of having Oregon Rocketry host LDRS in Brothers, Oregon. OROC certainly has the club membership, but last I heard, there's not enough resources close enough to Brothers to support the masses. If there's really a huge interest in a LDRS in the Pacific NorthWest, perhaps the regional clubs can pitch together and brainstorm a plan.

Another point of contention in the Midwest where a private landowner is involved, is perhaps they (or the neighbors) will tolerate a few people launching from their land but the logistics are simply not there to host a large event. The group I belonged to
sponsored an area launch 10 years ago with a NAR group and the neighbors griped to the landowner about the large number of people so we decided not to do it anymore. That was done for the sake of saving the venue for club use.

That sounds selfish but what can ya do? Kurt

KBlack said:

I share the original poster's enthusiasm of hosting an LDRS in Boise. (Who wouldn't want to have an LDRS within an hour drive of home?)
However the reality of our Tripoli Idaho club's low membership numbers and lack of a clear future of club leadership puts the LDRS idea back on the shelf.

I've also heard the idea floated of having Oregon Rocketry host LDRS in Brothers, Oregon. OROC certainly has the club membership, but last I heard, there's not enough resources close enough to Brothers to support the masses. If there's really a huge interest in a LDRS in the Pacific NorthWest, perhaps the regional clubs can pitch together and brainstorm a plan.

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If Tripoli Idaho wants to have an LDRS, I believe some of us from Tripoli Montana might be able to help.



[emoji1010] Steve Shannon [emoji1010]

KBlack said:

I share the original poster's enthusiasm of hosting an LDRS in Boise. (Who wouldn't want to have an LDRS within an hour drive of home?)
However the reality of our Tripoli Idaho club's low membership numbers and lack of a clear future of club leadership puts the LDRS idea back on the shelf.

I've also heard the idea floated of having Oregon Rocketry host LDRS in Brothers, Oregon. OROC certainly has the club membership, but last I heard, there's not enough resources close enough to Brothers to support the masses. If there's really a huge interest in a LDRS in the Pacific NorthWest, perhaps the regional clubs can pitch together and brainstorm a plan.

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Well, as Jim Cornwell said to me years ago at the First Las Vegas Turkey Shoot, "Well, at least I'd have a reason to go to Idaho..." I've thought on it for years and the Orchard Range site would be a good place. Getting approval from the BLM would most likely be the biggest stumbling block but even that can be overcome...with money. The idea of a collaborative launch with other North West clubs would be about the only way to pull it off.

I'm renewing my TRA membership this year. This *might* be a thing we can talk about for 2018. I'd be into not flying at all to help out and being retired I got nothing better to do

ksaves2 said:

Another point of contention in the Midwest where a private landowner is involved, is perhaps they (or the neighbors) will tolerate a few people launching from their land but the logistics are simply not there to host a large event. The group I belonged to
sponsored an area launch 10 years ago with a NAR group and the neighbors griped to the landowner about the large number of people so we decided not to do it anymore. That was done for the sake of saving the venue for club use.

That sounds selfish but what can ya do? Kurt

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I can tell you, this is a very real concern. Having 20-30 people slips under the radar. Having 300+ fliers plus spectators and putting 600-800 flights a day in the air.... It tends to not go unnoticed.

DizWolf said:

I can tell you, this is a very real concern. Having 20-30 people slips under the radar. Having 300+ fliers plus spectators and putting 600-800 flights a day in the air.... It tends to not go unnoticed.

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Yeah, that's not a problem here in the West Our Idaho launch is 20 miles from the nearest civilization if you don't count Swan Falls Dam. And only about 2 miles of half decent dirt "road". I think the site is about 2-3 miles from the rim of the Snake River canyon. You can drive down a paved road to the dam and actually cross through the dam on foot to get to the other side for fishing and I believe camping in the canyon is allowed. On a map the site is on the South West corner of the Orchard Military Training Range. The road is Swan Falls Road. There's a name on the dirt road but it escapes me right now No rockets as far as I know have dropped over the rim of the canyon, prevailing winds run generally parallel to the canyon.

It's so far away from people is how we get the 44K feet ceilings. It's far off normal flight paths but it is near the training range and the occasional jet fighter might zoom past

MClark said:

I have never understood the logic of a prefecture (or group of prefectures) not saying they are planning to put in to do LDRS. We told everyone when Tripoli Gerlach put in a few years ago. I have thought put in a proposal and get members to lobby the BoD for it to be selected.
Most years there is only one proposal so not "unsealing " proposals not picked is not an issue.

M

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Has there ever been a year when no club submitted a proposal, and a club was asked to host?

CoyoteNumber2 said:

Has there ever been a year when no club submitted a proposal, and a club was asked to host?

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Yes.