My Fellow Rocketeers:
I am a native son of the great state of Illinois. I was born in1964 in Oak Park, raised in Woodridge since the age of four, and lived in Van Orin since 1998. Ive been married to my wonderful wife Jackie for 11 years, and we are blessed with three wonderful children between 15 and 21years of age.
My first introduction to rocketry came on a family visit to the Kennedy Space Center when I was 8 years old. Soon after that unforgettable trip, I was introduced to hobby rocketry when my brother received the Cox Saturn V starter set. it seemed absolutely huge to me .That rocket kit left an indelible impression on me, and I started flying model rockets when was ten years oldusing the same Cox Saturn V starter set. When I say the same set, I mean the same set: it was my brothers rocket. And then, like many of us, I flew uncountable numbers of Estes and Centuri rockets. I was forced to quit flying hobby rockets in 1982 for awhile when I graduated from high school and joined the Marines, and had to work with real rockets, helicopters and such.
After retiring from the Marines I returned to Illinois and started my own body shop. As fate would have it the body shop was short lived, and I went to work with my Dad in the local Midway Finer Foods family-owned store. A year later I became a mechanic and also took up a side job of throwing newspapers (the roots of my current delivery business). Upon returning home, and all throughout this time, I was flying low power rocketsunaware of the existence of larger hobby rockets. I discovered MPR and HPR in 1997, and similarly to many TRA members who had a temporary leave of absence from the hobbythis discovery profoundly changed my life. Exploring the brave new world of bigger and better rockets led me to a hobby shop in the Chicago suburbs, which was teeming with rocketry goodies that lifted the imagination and the spirit, and punished the wallet. One thing led to another, and in 1998, I took a job as the rocketdude at that hobby store.
As a benefit of my personal growth in rocketry (I completed my TRA L3 certification in 2001), and through incessant conversations with rocketeers at the store and at local launches at which I vended, it became abundantly clear to me that there were many ways in which I could contribute to the development and growth of the hobby. This realization has become the driving force in my life. I decided that I would have greatest flexibility in this regard if I were to strike out on my own, without competing demands of other store departments influencing my ambition to expand the options available to rocketeersincluding myself. So, I started my own rocketry business (Wildman Rocketry). This has had several important implications for my involvement in hobby rocketry. For example, rather than vending locally only, I now also vend from coast to coastand even in different countries (for example, the last LDRS launch in Canada). Thus I have ample opportunity to meet with TRA and NAR fliers around the country, and to hear the concerns of the membership at a national level, rather than singly the concerns of my local colleagues, or of a non-representative sample calling my store or ordering material over the internet. Thus, I am astutely aware of common concerns as well as local issues, across the board, across the land, and across the border.
With increasing frequency and snowballing success, Ive been making alliances with manufacturers to produce and distribute high-quality material (for example, all fiberglass rocket kits, reloadable motor systems, parachutes) that save rocketeers moneygetting them more bang for the buck. This increases the prowess, involvement and satisfaction of current fliers, brings new people into the hobby, and increases the sales and profitability of the manufacturers. I also am very active in promoting junior fliersoffering educational and club discounts, providing launch infrastructure for kids groups, supporting efforts such as the well-known Rockets for Schools program, and pro bono teaching and demonstration of rocketry in schools and community clubs.
I also decided that fliers (including me) needed more opportunities to fly. Accordingly, I became one of the founding members of Tripoli Quad Cities, abbreviated as TQC (https://tripoliquadcities39.com/page9.html), and am now the Prefect. Together we grew from a small club of less than a dozen members, to one of the most vibrant collections of rocketeers in the area. The TQC club now has over 50 members, our web page message board (https://p209.ezboard.com/btqc) has 149 members from as far away as New Zealand, and three current BOD members post on our boards. In October we annually sponsor the Midwest Power launch, which last year attracted 100 fliers from 8 states, in only the 3rd year for the event
Our launches are newsworthy, as evidenced by articles covering the events we sponsor, and projects we fly, that are published in rocketry periodicals such as Extreme Rocketry. TQC group and member projects also are newsworthy: members of TQC (including me) have appeared on the Discovery Show special on LDRS, have been featured in Extreme Rocketry LDRS DVDs, and the Master Blasters show.
Members of TQC are also regulars at multiple national and regional events, such as LDRS, AirFest, Southern Nationals, to name a few. It truly is a brotherhood of like-minded people.
Like any brothers, of course, the sailing is not always smooth. In an environment in which Estes rockets sit on the launch pad at the same time as do Q-powered giants, with an eclectic collection of NAR and TRA members, one might expect differences of opinions to emerge, especially among people with the strong will and self determination typical of those in our hobby. And, one would not be disappointedas differences of opinion do occur from time to time. This opportunity for clash of titans is exacerbated by the fact that our club has a multitude of research fliers, building rocket motors up to P impulse routinely as well as electronic devices, recovery systems, gigantic launch systems, radio-control devices for launch control, telemetry, recovery operations, tracking, and so forth. And yet, we always have managed to work out a solution through open communication: we debate, come to a resolution, and we are stronger friends and colleagues as a result. We pull together, and get things done. .
I truly love this hobby and the people who are involved in it. You wont find a better group of people anywhere. Thats why I have put so much time and effort into improving the lot of the fliers and the manufacturers, and why I am asking for your support in running for the office of BOD. Increasing involvement in rocketry is not a passing fad for me I am in frequent contact with many individuals in leadership roles in hobby rocketryincluding current officers in TRA and NAR, with commercial manufacturers and vendors in all domains of hobby material, with rocketry club presidents, insurance officers, FAA administrators, and local, regional, national and international regulatory agencies I believe that this gestalt provides me with a relatively unique capacity to understand the needs of the fliers, the organizers, the regulators, and the business infrastructure.
Why do I want to serve on the Tripoli Board?
I believe that if elected I can contribute to making Tripoli grow as a whole like I have done in the Quad Cities area. Specific issues that interest me include closing the rapidly increasing gulf separating commercial and EX fliersthat threatens to splinter our membership into opposing factions, as well increasing the maximum power allowed at premier launchescurrently set at levels far below that the FAA permits. I will strive to do everything in my power to ensure that TRA is run for the membership. Those who know me well also know that I will ask the tough questions, and that I will never be content to stop with the answer because thats the way it is.
Tripoli was formed by people that were not afraid to take it to the next level and I want to ensure it stays that way.
Our future as a community is ours to forge, together.
Thank you for your support,
Tim Lehr
I am a native son of the great state of Illinois. I was born in1964 in Oak Park, raised in Woodridge since the age of four, and lived in Van Orin since 1998. Ive been married to my wonderful wife Jackie for 11 years, and we are blessed with three wonderful children between 15 and 21years of age.
My first introduction to rocketry came on a family visit to the Kennedy Space Center when I was 8 years old. Soon after that unforgettable trip, I was introduced to hobby rocketry when my brother received the Cox Saturn V starter set. it seemed absolutely huge to me .That rocket kit left an indelible impression on me, and I started flying model rockets when was ten years oldusing the same Cox Saturn V starter set. When I say the same set, I mean the same set: it was my brothers rocket. And then, like many of us, I flew uncountable numbers of Estes and Centuri rockets. I was forced to quit flying hobby rockets in 1982 for awhile when I graduated from high school and joined the Marines, and had to work with real rockets, helicopters and such.
After retiring from the Marines I returned to Illinois and started my own body shop. As fate would have it the body shop was short lived, and I went to work with my Dad in the local Midway Finer Foods family-owned store. A year later I became a mechanic and also took up a side job of throwing newspapers (the roots of my current delivery business). Upon returning home, and all throughout this time, I was flying low power rocketsunaware of the existence of larger hobby rockets. I discovered MPR and HPR in 1997, and similarly to many TRA members who had a temporary leave of absence from the hobbythis discovery profoundly changed my life. Exploring the brave new world of bigger and better rockets led me to a hobby shop in the Chicago suburbs, which was teeming with rocketry goodies that lifted the imagination and the spirit, and punished the wallet. One thing led to another, and in 1998, I took a job as the rocketdude at that hobby store.
As a benefit of my personal growth in rocketry (I completed my TRA L3 certification in 2001), and through incessant conversations with rocketeers at the store and at local launches at which I vended, it became abundantly clear to me that there were many ways in which I could contribute to the development and growth of the hobby. This realization has become the driving force in my life. I decided that I would have greatest flexibility in this regard if I were to strike out on my own, without competing demands of other store departments influencing my ambition to expand the options available to rocketeersincluding myself. So, I started my own rocketry business (Wildman Rocketry). This has had several important implications for my involvement in hobby rocketry. For example, rather than vending locally only, I now also vend from coast to coastand even in different countries (for example, the last LDRS launch in Canada). Thus I have ample opportunity to meet with TRA and NAR fliers around the country, and to hear the concerns of the membership at a national level, rather than singly the concerns of my local colleagues, or of a non-representative sample calling my store or ordering material over the internet. Thus, I am astutely aware of common concerns as well as local issues, across the board, across the land, and across the border.
With increasing frequency and snowballing success, Ive been making alliances with manufacturers to produce and distribute high-quality material (for example, all fiberglass rocket kits, reloadable motor systems, parachutes) that save rocketeers moneygetting them more bang for the buck. This increases the prowess, involvement and satisfaction of current fliers, brings new people into the hobby, and increases the sales and profitability of the manufacturers. I also am very active in promoting junior fliersoffering educational and club discounts, providing launch infrastructure for kids groups, supporting efforts such as the well-known Rockets for Schools program, and pro bono teaching and demonstration of rocketry in schools and community clubs.
I also decided that fliers (including me) needed more opportunities to fly. Accordingly, I became one of the founding members of Tripoli Quad Cities, abbreviated as TQC (https://tripoliquadcities39.com/page9.html), and am now the Prefect. Together we grew from a small club of less than a dozen members, to one of the most vibrant collections of rocketeers in the area. The TQC club now has over 50 members, our web page message board (https://p209.ezboard.com/btqc) has 149 members from as far away as New Zealand, and three current BOD members post on our boards. In October we annually sponsor the Midwest Power launch, which last year attracted 100 fliers from 8 states, in only the 3rd year for the event
Our launches are newsworthy, as evidenced by articles covering the events we sponsor, and projects we fly, that are published in rocketry periodicals such as Extreme Rocketry. TQC group and member projects also are newsworthy: members of TQC (including me) have appeared on the Discovery Show special on LDRS, have been featured in Extreme Rocketry LDRS DVDs, and the Master Blasters show.
Members of TQC are also regulars at multiple national and regional events, such as LDRS, AirFest, Southern Nationals, to name a few. It truly is a brotherhood of like-minded people.
Like any brothers, of course, the sailing is not always smooth. In an environment in which Estes rockets sit on the launch pad at the same time as do Q-powered giants, with an eclectic collection of NAR and TRA members, one might expect differences of opinions to emerge, especially among people with the strong will and self determination typical of those in our hobby. And, one would not be disappointedas differences of opinion do occur from time to time. This opportunity for clash of titans is exacerbated by the fact that our club has a multitude of research fliers, building rocket motors up to P impulse routinely as well as electronic devices, recovery systems, gigantic launch systems, radio-control devices for launch control, telemetry, recovery operations, tracking, and so forth. And yet, we always have managed to work out a solution through open communication: we debate, come to a resolution, and we are stronger friends and colleagues as a result. We pull together, and get things done. .
I truly love this hobby and the people who are involved in it. You wont find a better group of people anywhere. Thats why I have put so much time and effort into improving the lot of the fliers and the manufacturers, and why I am asking for your support in running for the office of BOD. Increasing involvement in rocketry is not a passing fad for me I am in frequent contact with many individuals in leadership roles in hobby rocketryincluding current officers in TRA and NAR, with commercial manufacturers and vendors in all domains of hobby material, with rocketry club presidents, insurance officers, FAA administrators, and local, regional, national and international regulatory agencies I believe that this gestalt provides me with a relatively unique capacity to understand the needs of the fliers, the organizers, the regulators, and the business infrastructure.
Why do I want to serve on the Tripoli Board?
I believe that if elected I can contribute to making Tripoli grow as a whole like I have done in the Quad Cities area. Specific issues that interest me include closing the rapidly increasing gulf separating commercial and EX fliersthat threatens to splinter our membership into opposing factions, as well increasing the maximum power allowed at premier launchescurrently set at levels far below that the FAA permits. I will strive to do everything in my power to ensure that TRA is run for the membership. Those who know me well also know that I will ask the tough questions, and that I will never be content to stop with the answer because thats the way it is.
Tripoli was formed by people that were not afraid to take it to the next level and I want to ensure it stays that way.
Our future as a community is ours to forge, together.
Thank you for your support,
Tim Lehr
