EVENT AIRFest 29, Sept. 1-4, 2023

[rfjustin]

 

[OKTurbo]

Wow! Thanks for all the pictures!

 

[DAllen]

You know you’re a hard core rocketeer when Farrand gets photos of not one, but two of your rockets.

Awesome pics!!!!

 

[bad_idea]

You know you’re a hard core rocketeer when Farrand gets photos of not one, but two of your rockets.

Awesome pics!!!!

Indeed, amazing pics @rfjustin ! Many thanks.

Dave, I was standing next to you when General Grant launched but didn't know to put name/username to a face until I caught up on TRF photos today. Was nice to nearly meet you.

 

[tim cubbedge]

@rfjustin Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing!

 

[DAllen]

Can't say enough good things about these guys...

 

[StreuB1]

Dave @DAllen , you and I missed each other I think 3 times this weekend to meet up for those old motors.

I asked around where you were, then saw you up at the tent but were talking with someone so came back and you were gone. Then you were on the pad and then I found out you were by the LOC guys. I came back around on Sunday and apparently just missed you again. I was going to message you on Friday but alas, I lost my phone in the beans searching for my second recovery on Friday.

Unless you offloaded them to someone at Airfest, we try again at MWP?

I missed the basket flight as well on a rather stout motor. I was at the WM compound and all of a sudden we all hear something break loose (big sounding motor) and we all looked and the basket was just popping the chute. Looked awesome from what we saw, sounded EVEN better!!!

 

[Chad]

I ended up hurting my Achilles tendon somehow Saturday after only one flight which kept me up all night with a lot of pain. Made it to the field Sunday afternoon but only for an hour or two before calling it a trip. There’s no way I could walk out to pick up a rocket in the heat hobbling around like I was.

Talked to @Sooner Boomer about a design concept which was cool as well as the usual TX compound crew.

Already buying some ankle braces for next year haha

 

[troj]

In the spirit of always trying to learn...Here's a few things I learned and observed from Airfest 29:

- Kloudbusters Fire crew - not all hero's wear capes
- Kloudbusters is organized
- Kloudbusters shipping containers are AWESOME
- Bob B gives great advice
- Amy P gives great advice
- One Bad Hawk products are amazing.
- A lot of people REALLY like the Flying Basket of Death and Destruction
- After doing a shift as RSO, In my estimation about 75% of the fliers on the field use Eggtimer products
- Inverted Aerospace Labs are super nice people to hang out with and they make great products. I bought 2 camera shrouds from them.
- I hate soybeans
- Don't land on the other side of the ravine to the far SE of the pasture. That is NO FUN to cross in 100 degree heat
- Bob B really likes Sarah Janes salsa.
- Chris Rocket Supplies trailer is amazing. Really wish I took more time to visit the other vendors.
- If you hit the LOC/Precision van with a Kufu's Pyramid apparently you get rewarded with a kit.
- Railbuttons.com clear railbuttons are the best rail buttons on the market.

The time, dedication and commitment of the fire crew cannot be understated. It's also a fantastic example of just how organized the Kloudbusters are.

Waist high soybeans suck. There's no other way to describe it.

 

[aerostadt]

Those two Me 163 Komet rocket planes were fantastic !

 

[DAllen]

In the spirit of always trying to learn...Here's a few things I learned and observed from Airfest 29:

- Kloudbusters Fire crew - not all hero's wear capes
- Kloudbusters is organized
- Kloudbusters shipping containers are AWESOME
- Bob B gives great advice
- Amy P gives great advice
- One Bad Hawk products are amazing.
- A lot of people REALLY like the Flying Basket of Death and Destruction
- After doing a shift as RSO, In my estimation about 75% of the fliers on the field use Eggtimer products
- Inverted Aerospace Labs are super nice people to hang out with and they make great products. I bought 2 camera shrouds from them.
- I hate soybeans
- Don't land on the other side of the ravine to the far SE of the pasture. That is NO FUN to cross in 100 degree heat
- Bob B really likes Sarah Janes salsa.
- Chris Rocket Supplies trailer is amazing. Really wish I took more time to visit the other vendors.
- If you hit the LOC/Precision van with a Kufu's Pyramid apparently you get rewarded with a kit.
- Railbuttons.com clear railbuttons are the best rail buttons on the market.

I forgot one item...

- It takes a small village to uninstall a circus tent in 20mph+ winds

 

[bad_idea]

Those two Me Komet rocket planes were fantastic !

@AeroTech videoed the dual takeoff. One of the stills he showed some of us was Tripoli membership-card worthy.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I ended up hurting my Achilles tendon somehow Saturday after only one flight which kept me up all night with a lot of pain. Made it to the field Sunday afternoon but only for an hour or two before calling it a trip. There’s no way I could walk out to pick up a rocket in the heat hobbling around like I was.

Talked to @Sooner Boomer about a design concept which was cool as well as the usual TX compound crew.

Already buying some ankle braces for next year haha

I'd loan you my ortho boot, but after me wearing it in the heat, you probably wouldn't want it.

I'll get to work on the drawings.

 

[mikeyd]

Airfest Friday

 

[DAllen]

Dave @DAllen , you and I missed each other I think 3 times this weekend to meet up for those old motors.

I asked around where you were, then saw you up at the tent but were talking with someone so came back and you were gone. Then you were on the pad and then I found out you were by the LOC guys. I came back around on Sunday and apparently just missed you again. I was going to message you on Friday but alas, I lost my phone in the beans searching for my second recovery on Friday.

Unless you offloaded them to someone at Airfest, we try again at MWP?

I missed the basket flight as well on a rather stout motor. I was at the WM compound and all of a sudden we all hear something break loose (big sounding motor) and we all looked and the basket was just popping the chute. Looked awesome from what we saw, sounded EVEN better!!!

Ehhh I am not optimistic that I will make it to MWP. However, I will be at all Michiana Rocketry events and am planning on making it to at least one day of NSL East.

 

[mikeyd]

Airfest Saturday

 

[StreuB1]

Airfest

Picture 16 (ending in 644) is my Wildman Demon 150 on an M1419W. If you have any more of this that you didn't post, may I have them?

I took video of this flight on my cell phone but lost my phone in the beans that afternoon. On it were all the videos and pics I took on Friday. Your picture is the only one that I have seen of my rocket so, I thank you. It was a gorgeous flight and it broke my heart that I only have the video in my brain of its flight. Same with my 5" Super Jart on a K1800ST later that day, video is lost along with the phone. :-(

 

[mikeyd]

Picture 16 (ending in 644) is my Wildman Demon 150 on an M1419W. If you have any more of this that you didn't post, may I have them?

I took video of this flight on my cell phone but lost my phone in the beans that afternoon. On it were all the videos and pics I took on Friday. Your picture is the only one that I have seen of my rocket so, I thank you. It was a gorgeous flight and it broke my heart that I only have the video in my brain of its flight. Same with my 5" Super Jart on a K1800ST later that day, video is lost along with the phone. :-(

Sorry here is the only other one I have. I was in the "fire wagon" with an older SLR Olympus e500, so only had limited telescopic lenses, and only 8megapixel. Wish some had come out better, but Photography is not my profession.

 

[mikeyd]

Airfest Sunday
Sorry was busy on other duties, do did not get a lot

Airfest Friday

 

[mikeyd]

More on Sunday

 

[JEtgen]

Here's some photos from the prep and flight of our rocket "Shadow Technology"

First, at mission control, prepped and ready... Jenni for scale...

 

[JEtgen]

Loaded up on the pad, ready to rock...

 

[DocSeuss]

Wow! That seems like a way bigger crowd than when I last attended! I miss it. Must have been 20 or so years since I've been to Argonia. My parents found the rockets I used to fly back then and sent them my way. Hopefully my health will be good enough to make the trip next year.

 

[JEtgen]

Liftoff... taken from pad-cam

 

[JEtgen]

Liftoff as seen from Range control


And on it's way to 27,500 AGL

 

[StreuB1]

Sorry here is the only other one I have. I was in the "fire wagon" with an older SLR Olympus e500, so only had limited telescopic lenses, and only 8megapixel. Wish some had come out better, but Photography is not my profession.

This is LITERALLY perfect, Mike! The obligatory pad pic that everyone takes was lost as well so this honestly is perfect.

Thank you so much!!

 

[JEtgen]

Motor was 98mm 39 inches of Wayside White... Approx 12000 Nsec N3000

 

[StreuB1]

More on Sunday

You caught Dave Deavours @ChicagoDave L3 flight!

 

[JEtgen]

I have a fairly complete set of photos of that 2-stager that flew on Sunday late morning to above 40K, something like 50 frames of the complete burn of the booster and most of the sustainer burn as well. Probably too much to post here, but if the flyers want them, I am happy to give them. Here's the second frame after liftoff... This was with a 450mm lens from Range control...



and shortly after sustainer ignition

 

[bad_idea]

I was in the "fire wagon"

Thank you for your service! Of all the things that the rest of us admire about how Kloudbusters handle such a big launch, the fire wagon and crew are foremost, especially in these drought years for those of us in the Western half of the continent.