Originally posted by Paulez2
I will be coming to New York and Florida at the beginning of May 2006.
Could anybody tell me of any good rocketry contacts or shops that stock MPR or HPR at the places I'm going to or if there are any any launches happening.
When I've been across to Florida from the UK, I normally try to catch a NEFAR launch at Bunnell - about an hour's drive north of Orlando (
https://www.nefar.net/). Very friendly folks in the club. New Horizons Hobbies attends their launches, Dennis is a good guy to deal with. Looks like his site may be down though (
www.newhorizonshobbies.com).
KSC is well worth a visit, and if you're there, take the Kennedy then & now tour, as it takes you round the historic pads at the Cape too, including the AirForce Space & Missile Museum - though you might want to check what's happening there before you go. I was last there in March 2005 and a lot of the exhibits were being taken from the AFSMM 'rocket garden' for refurbishing, some were rehomed with other museums, but the rest were apparently to be moved into the Mercury hangar for display.
The then & now tour also takes you out to pad 34, and round by the silos and launch ramps, as well as past the lighthouse. If you drive round past Port Canaveral, to the CCAFS gate there, you can see the Navajo exhibit just inside the base - whatever you do, don't just drive in, the guards are armed, and it's difficult enough getting on base when you're *meant* to be there and are escorted by USAF personnel!! On the central reservation of that road, leading into the the industrial area at CCAFS, there's another missile mounted as a disply, though for the life of me I can't recall what it is - might be a Matador.
Also, don't forget to visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame, which is on the NASA Causeway on the way to the KSC visitor centre - IIRC it's now included in the price of KSC admission.
HTH
G.
