Oberon
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2015
- Messages
- 343
- Reaction score
- 17
The only LDRS I've been to was last year's 35 at ROC, which to this n00b seemed to run pretty smoothly apart from the ubiquitous afternoon wind storms. But a couple thoughts:
1) As a newer flier participating but mostly spectating, the volume of large rocket launches really is the draw, so I'd really hate to see that go away.
2) I wouldn't want to limit fliers to X number of flights, but maybe you could give everyone a punch card and have a separate line for people who haven't flown yet that day? That way, everyone gets to launch at least once a day, but you can still fly all you want if there's pad space available.
3) One of the frustrating hold ups at busy launches is the guy who slips in on the last pad in a rack after everyone else is ready to go and then spends a ton of time setting, unsetting, checking, rechecking his complex 2-stager he's apparently never dry-fitted or check-listed. I get it's stressful out there, but have some courtesy and get your stuff together before you get to the pad, have your procedure down smooth.
Perhaps the LCOs could run a timer for the pad and encourage everyone to be done by time X - not to get in a rush, but if you can't get ready in the time allotted, no problem, leave it in a safe state on the pad, come back to the line, let the rest of the rack launch, and go finish setting up for the next cycle. You could even have a pre-announced "complex launch window" or a "complex launch rack" where double time is allotted per cycle for stuff you know is going to take a long time to set. That way the motor-eject-single-deploy-woosh-poppers can get their high volume in, instead of making everything operate at the pace of the slowest rockets.
4) I'd be totally cool with a "volunteer only" launch window at some point to let the hardworking folks who put the event together get a chance to fly.
1) As a newer flier participating but mostly spectating, the volume of large rocket launches really is the draw, so I'd really hate to see that go away.
2) I wouldn't want to limit fliers to X number of flights, but maybe you could give everyone a punch card and have a separate line for people who haven't flown yet that day? That way, everyone gets to launch at least once a day, but you can still fly all you want if there's pad space available.
3) One of the frustrating hold ups at busy launches is the guy who slips in on the last pad in a rack after everyone else is ready to go and then spends a ton of time setting, unsetting, checking, rechecking his complex 2-stager he's apparently never dry-fitted or check-listed. I get it's stressful out there, but have some courtesy and get your stuff together before you get to the pad, have your procedure down smooth.
Perhaps the LCOs could run a timer for the pad and encourage everyone to be done by time X - not to get in a rush, but if you can't get ready in the time allotted, no problem, leave it in a safe state on the pad, come back to the line, let the rest of the rack launch, and go finish setting up for the next cycle. You could even have a pre-announced "complex launch window" or a "complex launch rack" where double time is allotted per cycle for stuff you know is going to take a long time to set. That way the motor-eject-single-deploy-woosh-poppers can get their high volume in, instead of making everything operate at the pace of the slowest rockets.
4) I'd be totally cool with a "volunteer only" launch window at some point to let the hardworking folks who put the event together get a chance to fly.