When I got into model rocketry in 1967, just after our family moved to Grand Rapids, MI, nobody else around there was flying them, or have even ever heard of them. I got into the hobby, and then I got a friend of mine from school into it, too. Until 2006, his rockets and mine were the only ones that I ever saw be launched. He lost interest after a couple of years, but I didn't. I remained an avid model rocketeer until 1971, and then I put it away for awhile because I needed to attend to other things (like graduating from high school and starting college), with the intention of resuming again after a couple of years (which turned into 33 years). But during that early period, I used to read about model rocket clubs in the Model Rocket News from Estes Industries, and I often wondered what it would be like to be a member of a club and attend group launches, competitions, etc.
When I finally resumed building and flying rockets 2004, my first priority was to try to catch up on what I had missed. Among other things, I joined the oldrockets Yahoo! group, and began posting there on a regular basis. In some of them, I mentioned where I lived and that I was looking for other adult rocketeers to fly with. Fred Talasco (yes, that Phred) saw those posts and contacted me to tell me about his club, ASTRE, which was based in the Capital District of NY, about 150 miles to the south of me. I joined in late 2005 and attended my first club launch in the spring of 2006. Due to the distance, it has been a bit difficult for me to be as active in the club as I would like to be. (No one else in ASTRE lives within even 100 miles of me.) Last year's spike in gas prices put a real crimp on my ability to attend launches, meetings and build sessions, and difficulties in finding steady employment (after 25 years of working for the state of New York) led to some curtailing of my club participation earlier this year. I did go on a day-long group trip with the club to NARCON, though, which was an absolute delight. Just being able to discuss model rocketry with some other people, and not have them squirm and quickly change the subject, alone is worth the 6 hour drive time to get to and from club events, but of course, there is so much more to it than that.
MarkII