Newbie Southampton.

Hi,

I've only just got into rockets but registered on here 7 years ago lol I am looking for a club near Southampton, Hampshire area. I looked on the UKRA but l couldnt find any. Is there any around? would love to get my level 1 cert done. If not I might try and start a club in the South. Would anyone like to help? Thanks.

Hi
There's a non-UKRA group called SERFS (Southern England Rocket Fliers) who launch at various sites throughout the summer. I know they've launched in the Southampton area, and I occasionally launch with them from sites in Wiltshire. They don't have a web presence and tend to operate word of mouth. Apart from them, there's nothing south of the M4.

My own club is in South Wales, just over the Severn Bridge. Its about a couple of hours from Southampton (A34/M4). We don't do UKRA certification bu do have a village pub at the edge of the range!

The nearest club that does UKRA certification is probably EARS near Cambridge.

Phil

discoferret said:

Hi,

I've only just got into rockets but registered on here 7 years ago lol I am looking for a club near Southampton, Hampshire area. I looked on the UKRA but l couldnt find any. Is there any around? would love to get my level 1 cert done. If not I might try and start a club in the South. Would anyone like to help? Thanks.

Click to expand...

UKRA are committed to helping people start clubs. If you have a possible launch site in mind they can help, so you could write and ask.

Hello Phil

I assume that your club is FOG ?

I'd love to be put in touch with other rocketry minded bods in the south west (particularly Wiltshire)as there appears to be a dearth of like minded individuals around these parts.

I'm not a newcomer to model building as I've been bashing the balsa since childhood and remain a confirmed 'sport' modeller although as a confirmed NON LUDDITE, any launch/take off/hull wetting that ends in success is good enough for me

PhilC said:

Hi
There's a non-UKRA group called SERFS (Southern England Rocket Fliers) who launch at various sites throughout the summer. I know they've launched in the Southampton area, and I occasionally launch with them from sites in Wiltshire. They don't have a web presence and tend to operate word of mouth. Apart from them, there's nothing south of the M4.

My own club is in South Wales, just over the Severn Bridge. Its about a couple of hours from Southampton (A34/M4). We don't do UKRA certification bu do have a village pub at the edge of the range!

The nearest club that does UKRA certification is probably EARS near Cambridge.

Phil

Click to expand...

Yes, I fly with FOG. Some of our members come from the English side of the Bridge (N Wilts, Avon, Gloucestershire etc). There's some traffic between SERFS and FOG with a few being members of both.

The clubs in Devon and Kent disappeared a several years ago, so now everything focuses on half a dozen clubs. The UKRA clubs for high power are across the midlands (Cambridge, Leicestershire, Warwickshire). South of the M4 is mainly low & medium power rocketry (SERFS and FOG). The sixth club is in SW Scotland.

If there's enough interest in your area you could consider starting a club. I started FOG 14 years ago with just two members, and we're now a stable nucleus of about 6 with a floating membership of about ten. Visitors from schools, universities, scouts, air cadets etc help to boost footfall and club funds. It's a lot of work starting and building a club, but very satisfying.

"It's a lot of work starting and building a club, but very satisfying"

+1
Very satisfying!

JJSR said:

"It's a lot of work starting and building a club, but very satisfying"

+1
Very satisfying!

Click to expand...

Yes. It can be a thankless job. You, at times, must drive on despite complaints and lack of assistance from members.

Then you have those great days when you're out in the sunshine with your mates and a box full of motors, there's no wind so the rockets are landing close to the pad, and everyone's rockets go home in one piece. It makes it all worthwhile.