First HPR flight - checklist and last minute tips

Hi, flying for L1 cert on Sunday. I have everything prepped but as always there is normally something obvious one has forgotten to do.

List any blindingly obvious things that I should check beforehand?

FYI final checklist on PML Patriot is done. Need to make sure smooth movement of piston when I get to launch site.

Open Rocket telling me all good go with CTI 3g classic.

Make sure all your recovery harness linkages are secure (you did say "blindingly obvious").
Of course check your real world CG against the OR calculation.
Have a water bottle on hand in case you have a long walk for recovery
And my $0.02 - make sure conditions are good and everything feels right on the day/hour you fly. I often find myself getting very excited to fly, with my wife talking me down a bit with a reality check if it is too windy or something.

Good luck!

make sure that your recovery gear is connected properly. use a sim program to find the right delay time(zippers and certs don't get along).
mark the location of the cp on the rocket, the reload goes into the motor case and then the assembled motor goes into the rocket. if using electronics, they get armed before you install the igniter(while the rocket is in the launch position).
good luck
Rex

Ask someone else to take pictures of the flight so you can watch it.

kj

Be sure to bring the paperwork with you (I had to call my wife and have her drive it out), and have a spare ignitor with you if at all possible.

Have you flown the rocket in a MPR configuration for a test flight?


Best of luck!

kjohnson said:

Ask someone else to take pictures of the flight so you can watch it.

kj

Click to expand...

Ditto that. On my L1 cert flight, I was asked that question directly: "Do you want to take pictures, or watch your rocket?" I opted to watch my rocket. :wink:

Oh, also, if you can, have people on hand to help you recover (i.e., find it). If you can't recover, you don't pass. Good luck!

If you are using a reload ask someone to walk you through the assembly.

Make yourself a pre-flight checklist. At the top put a list of everything you need to bring with you to the pad (igniter, spare igniter, masking tape, screwdriver to arm electronics, etc). Have someone else check off the list as you go.

Definitely have someone else take pictures or video.

Make sure you have dog barf and/or chute protector in place

Some items I have seen that come to mind that I didn't see listed:
- make sure you put your CTI reload in a case. Seen it many times where someone just put there 38mm reload in the motor mount without first installing it in the case.
- personally I wouldn't Leave the chute all bundled up in rocket for a long period of time. I generally install my chutes at the field.
- make sure after you have the rocket fully prepped you check nose cone fit. ( not sure if your using shear pins or not). I've seen a lot of drag separations on Cert flights.
- make sure amount of BP for motor eject is correct ( assuming your using motor eject, )
- is rail buttons and or launch lugs on rocket ( seen this a few times as well).
- if your not using a tracker try to have more than 1 person if possible help establish the "line" to follow to recover rocket. Also consider that rocket may be further away that what your depth perception is telling you as you follow " line" out to rocket.
- not knowing where your launching at besides water, a cell phone, or long range Wilkie talkie are nice items to have.

Have some sort of your favorite "celebratory refreshment" on hand, so that you can toast your successful flight in style.

Good luck!
s6

All great advice! Thanks!

Attach your chute protector so that it just escapes to body tube of the rocket about 1 foot or less. I have seen people attach the chute protector too close to the parachute and it interferes with the parachute opening properly. If the rocket separates somewhere in the body of the rocket and not the nose cone, make sure the nose cone is firmly attached to the rocket so that it doesn't fall off. Don't rely on a friction fit. This applies if the rocket is single deploy and not dual deploy. If dual deploy, attach nose cone to rocket with Teflon shear pins or Teflon screws. In general, check everything over and make sure nothing is gonna fall off the rocket during flight or recovery.

That's my two cents,
David