Definitely an L1 inspiration!
Why Get HPR Certified?
- Thread starter jqavins
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
NateB
Well-Known Member
L1 didn't seem like a big step and opens up quite a bit more options in this hobby. I have been slowly working on an L2 project simply so I can fly small and medium sized sugar motors. Things may change, but I don't see myself flying $100+ motors very often.
I enjoy flying high power rockets. They give me more options for flights, such as heavier payloads, more sophisticated electronics, and higher altitudes.
Sometimes you just need to do something to scare the wife to know what you are capable of doing....
Capt. Eric
Well-Known Member
When I started down this road a few years ago, I didn't think I'd get any certifications. Then I started seeing all that the higher power offers and started thinking about it. What tipped the scales for me was becoming secretary of our local Club. I felt having at least a L1 lends me a little more credibility, though it is certainly not a requirement to volunteer. So I got my L1 this year at Red Glare. On our smaller field, I mainly fly lower power, smaller rockets, and enjoy that very much. HP is just another part of the hobby I enjoy, but less frequently. So I will be going for my L2 this coming spring. Mainly for the Challenge and to build a bigger project. I do not see myself doing L3. Gotta keep my hobby cheaper than a boat!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2019
- Messages
- 253
- Reaction score
- 375
I'm planning to do L1, but probably not L2 or L3. I'll be retiring in 2024 and the cost of the motors will be prohibitive.
I marked “other” as it was always something I wanted do as a kid growing up in the 90s. My kids saw rockets and wanted to fly some a few years ago… once I started back in, I remembered High Power and started looking into it. For me, it is just something I wanted to try. I had no intentions originally of going past L2 but somehow ended up flying several Ms a year here lately and traveling all over the place after going to my first Red Glare. Well… that escalated quickly!
Fishhead
Huge Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,023
- Reaction score
- 828
I don't have a driving desire to do it, but I have a couple of rockets that might be usable in the attempt. Back in the early 2000s it was something I told myself I should do, but that was when I was young and felt like walking long distances. Now I'm old and would like things to land close.
Because it's there.
Mainly this ^^
Someone brought a few HPR to a Cub Scout event my son and I attended. Even without seeing them fly I was instantly hooked. I ordered a LOC IV as soon as I got home, but didn't build it for a year or two. In the mean time we flew lots of LPR and some MPR. L2 followed shortly after. It would be fun to eventually get L3, but I'm in no rush.
Both my L1 and my L2 were driven by projects that I wanted to do that required bigger motors. In the case of my L2 it was a quest for 15,000’ as well as scratch built boosted dart. I have no projects in mind that require an L3 so for the time being I won’t be chasing that level of certification.
loopy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2009
- Messages
- 5,025
- Reaction score
- 488
Pretty much exactly this. Started with low power stuff in 4th grade back in the early 80s, and I love my low/mid power stuff. Sometimes you just want to do something different, and go bigger to push yourself. And I love the sound/look of the bigger motors.
Options.
Upon discovering HPR in my twenties, it was the awe and the challenge. After building one and making a couple of launches, it’s like @KenECoyote said, I wanted to do my part to add a little more fun to the launch.
Now, I'm likely to fly mostly MPR and L1 because of cost. L2 will be as much for research access as flying, and the bones for my L3 project from '99 are still in the shop. I'll likely build it as an L3 project, hope to make the cert flight and fly it low on K's or a very occasional L if I'm lucky.
bcook7135
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2022
- Messages
- 113
- Reaction score
- 78
I never intended to get my L1. I had began my rocketry interests in the late 60’s with an Estes Drifter. Launching on a B6-4 seemed like a moonshot to me. I continued adding more rockets. In high school I placed third in the State Science Fair with an Alpha. I later did launches for elementary schools…then, life changed and the rockets stayed on the back burner until our third child showed an interest. And, we got back into it in the 90’s. Then, our children all grew up… Now, in my 60’s, I decided to build one of my all-time faves that I least as a teenager - the Interceptor. My adult son went with me and the bug bit him as he watched me have so much fun with the Interceptor. And, he started buying and building bigger rockets. He got a 4” LOC Goblin which to me seemed gargantuan and we launched it. Oh my! Then, all of a sudden he presented me with a 4” Patriot and urged me to get L1 certified. I got my L1 in March. I will maybe pursue L2, but likely not L3. My son may shoot for L1-L3… He is building some big rockets… But, it was very satisfying to get my L1.
I flew LPR in the '70s and '80s, was a 4-H leader for rocketry, and enjoyed teaching others. I wish kids would slow down and have patience; those rocket builds were ROUGH!! I spent a lot of time working on several race cars, and after I sold my last one, I decided I'd see what hobbies I did as a kid progressed. I saw a Dude Perfect Video and knew I had to jump back in. I got my L1, but I wanted to send bigger rockets up, so I got my L2. I adore J and K motors, just the right amount of energy for me. I started doing team builds with other club members, which really kicked up the fun factor. I did a 2-week build challenge on an upscaled 4X Astron Sprint as it was one rocket as a kid that challenged me. How many hours did I spend trying to get that boattail to look smooth dragging it over the edge of the desk? This weekend, a project I have been working on for ten months will try to secure my L3 with a AMW 4" fiberglass Purple Parrot. My local motor dealer and Mentor for L3 is bringing me a 98MM for my Hawk so if (NO, WHEN!) he signs off on the L3, I will follow it up with a 70 lbs, 7.5"x12' glassed cardboard, beast!
Attachments
You only live once! N and M motors can be had pretty reasonably if you shop Black Friday sales and Prime Day sales that vendors do. AMW will have a great sale next week, as well as LOC, MadCow, Wildman, EggFinder, and Rocketman Chutes....
Like most here, I flew LPR when I was younger. One day 13 or so years ago, I asked bored 8yr old daughter if she wanted to build and fly a rocket. Off to Hobby Lobby we went. That got me back into the hobby, and that's when I found out that motors had gotten bigger than the "Mighty D". Scored a couple kits off eBay and here we are. L1 was kind of a given but did not intend to go for L2. Well it's required for some positions at my clubs, so I built the rocket about 3years ago, but have not been in a hurry to take the test and certify. Price increases have now really throttled my aspiration back. I only get to fly 2 or 3 times a year as it is, so I may sell my motor and be happy with L1.
Besides, I'm out of storage room for rockets.
Besides, I'm out of storage room for rockets.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 3,443
- Reaction score
- 1,322
Mine was a slow trip down the dark side...
Shortly after I became a BAR, I discovered ESTES was selling the NCR products with F type composite engines. It was WOW!
That is a BIG step up from when they introduced the Mighty D. From the F engines, and also due to the simplicity - just build a rocket and fly it - it was a short step over the line and down the path. I got my L1.
But L2, naw. Too expensive. Don't need it. Plus I had started getting tired of 3FNC rockets. I felt all the builds were basically the same, and most HPR are 3FNC. Then Rocketry Warehouse introduced,with a half off sale, their new X-Celerator. I liked the split fin configuration and finally decided to go for it. Studied for the test and got my L2, further progressing into the dark bowels of HPR.
L3 - NO WAY! Really too bloody expensive. I don't need to sell my soul and reach the final dark fiery pit! But during a weak moment, Satan's helper offered a special on a Darkstar Ultimate. Kit, Casing, Motor combined. All the stuff (HA) needed for the final step. I weakened....I paid..... And then paid more, since of course a lot more was required (more electronics, chutes, etc), but I had already took the plunge. That final step. L3. Down with the others burningmoney propellant . I justified it to myself as a "Bucket List" item......
Although I will say I still prefer building and flying Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Odd-Rock LPR
Shortly after I became a BAR, I discovered ESTES was selling the NCR products with F type composite engines. It was WOW!
That is a BIG step up from when they introduced the Mighty D. From the F engines, and also due to the simplicity - just build a rocket and fly it - it was a short step over the line and down the path. I got my L1.
But L2, naw. Too expensive. Don't need it. Plus I had started getting tired of 3FNC rockets. I felt all the builds were basically the same, and most HPR are 3FNC. Then Rocketry Warehouse introduced,with a half off sale, their new X-Celerator. I liked the split fin configuration and finally decided to go for it. Studied for the test and got my L2, further progressing into the dark bowels of HPR.
L3 - NO WAY! Really too bloody expensive. I don't need to sell my soul and reach the final dark fiery pit! But during a weak moment, Satan's helper offered a special on a Darkstar Ultimate. Kit, Casing, Motor combined. All the stuff (HA) needed for the final step. I weakened....I paid..... And then paid more, since of course a lot more was required (more electronics, chutes, etc), but I had already took the plunge. That final step. L3. Down with the others burning
Although I will say I still prefer building and flying Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Odd-Rock LPR
NTP2
Well-Known Member
One word: Venue.
I fly at 4, sometimes 5, low power venues throughout the year. One is big enough for G flights. But then I was talked into going to Brothers, OR. It has such a huge recovery area, it seemed like a waste to spend 5 hours driving, plus a hotel room and meals just to pop something up to only 1000ft or so. Yes, I have a couple of birds that'll do over 2000ft on a G64, but why not send them up higher if the room is available? So I loaded up the rocket you can see in my avatar with an H128 and got my L1. It, and 4 others have gone up with basically all the 29mm "H" motors, one has seen the baby "I" - the I200.
More ambitions? No. I'm currently firmly rooted in motor eject, and I think going bigger/higher than I currently do requires electronic ejection for consistently successful flights. Just don't want to fuss with it, as I am still mostly a LPR flyer. And if the Brothers site didn't exist, I would have never bothered with L1.
One thing I quickly learned at Brothers, though, is that higher altitude really needs a tracker. Nobody - including the LCO - saw my last few flights there. Good thing I keep a Marco Polo in the payload bay. Searching for a rocket in the sagebrush that could be just about anywhere in a 3/4 mile radius is not my style.
Flying season in Eastern Oregon is over until spring. So I'm back to work building and maintaining the LPR and MPR fleet, all of which will see use over the next few months. And since most of my bigger rockets do OK on a "G" or a big "F", they won't get dusty either.
Hans.
I fly at 4, sometimes 5, low power venues throughout the year. One is big enough for G flights. But then I was talked into going to Brothers, OR. It has such a huge recovery area, it seemed like a waste to spend 5 hours driving, plus a hotel room and meals just to pop something up to only 1000ft or so. Yes, I have a couple of birds that'll do over 2000ft on a G64, but why not send them up higher if the room is available? So I loaded up the rocket you can see in my avatar with an H128 and got my L1. It, and 4 others have gone up with basically all the 29mm "H" motors, one has seen the baby "I" - the I200.
More ambitions? No. I'm currently firmly rooted in motor eject, and I think going bigger/higher than I currently do requires electronic ejection for consistently successful flights. Just don't want to fuss with it, as I am still mostly a LPR flyer. And if the Brothers site didn't exist, I would have never bothered with L1.
One thing I quickly learned at Brothers, though, is that higher altitude really needs a tracker. Nobody - including the LCO - saw my last few flights there. Good thing I keep a Marco Polo in the payload bay. Searching for a rocket in the sagebrush that could be just about anywhere in a 3/4 mile radius is not my style.
Flying season in Eastern Oregon is over until spring. So I'm back to work building and maintaining the LPR and MPR fleet, all of which will see use over the next few months. And since most of my bigger rockets do OK on a "G" or a big "F", they won't get dusty either.
Hans.
n3tjm
Papa Elf
It's all about the RRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!
dr wogz
Fly caster
Join CAR, and get your L4!! (Seriously.. the metric L3..)
https://www.canadianrocketry.org/en/certifications
https://www.canadianrocketry.org/en/certifications
Tom Flint
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2021
- Messages
- 103
- Reaction score
- 104
I fly mostly C through F rockets, but sometimes I just like the noise and fire of a bigger rocket. Also I like seeing large round parachutes deploy and slowly bring a big rocket back down, and the small parachutes for model sized rockets don't really have the same look.
Every time a HPR cert is earned, an angel gets their wings.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2020
- Messages
- 175
- Reaction score
- 274
Mike T, did I read your entry correctly? Did you actually say that your kids don't want your money?
Waiter, I'll have what he's having.
Waiter, I'll have what he's having.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2020
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 65
Id like to share a "little"(I've been on the phone typing this for 35 mins..lol) bit of my story or thoughts...
I got back into this in May, after 10 years of not doing this at all. I didn't really in the end quit by choice back in 2013/14, it was just lack of information that I could get even back in 2012 and 2013 for clubs and flying. Even on here, I went back and looked at my posts asking different members. Sending PMs to ask information, calling, emailing... I found one club close to me that's ironically in the same town as I'm in now...
Let's fast forward to May of this year. I needed a hobby or something to do with my daily life while on and fighting of for permanent disability. So I'm not sure where or how I saw something maybe on Facebook about rockets. Or ran into a YouTube video, is wasnt me looking for this hobby again. But I ran into whatever, then ended up hitting Hobby Lobby for the first time ever to pick up an Alpha III launch kit and a few motors. A and B, with supplies, etc..
Well I brought that home and built it, and during this whole time told myself I wasn't going to buy anything more or anything that takes a while to build I just want to have fun. Well I got that done around May 23rd or something, the neighbor and I went over the local High School. I put the Alpha III up a few times, even caught it once coming down, he has it on video you'd think I woke the dead from his response, lol.. He's never seen anything like these forna long time and was having fun going with me.. But unfortunately I think on the 5th or 6th flight it landed on the Milton High School roof. About a week after that I was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days with bad virus so I took a break during that. Now going back to when I built and bought a huge collection after getting injured at UPS on 2012, the thoughts of buying another Alpha III were already in my head to buy just that. Because I knew I had quite a bit of stuff at my house in Bloomsburg which is about 30 mins from where I'm temporarily at now. The family owned house I was in when I left town in 2020(that I've lived in since 2001) was given to other relatives to stay there shortly while I was out of town, and they were getting there house fixed they inherited.
Long story short on that of you've seen my posts earlier this year was I was using my mother for communication as the family(My Younger Sister) in the house and I had some bad blood. So, it turned into the point of me posting on Facebook to ask advice as to how to get my collection back. As every time I tried to go get it I was told no, and understand that all my furniture, too big of a TV, tools, extra clothes, etc...Is all still at that house I didn't tka all that with me I didn't have the room. I was told they wouldn't use the downstairs as its a fully finished basement/apartment I lived it. It has access to the outside, etc. Yeah the entire house now is full of boxes and tall thier crap too.. But in the end it was miscommunication to me getting my things mostly from my mother to them, I got both of then on the line finally after I posted asking legal advice. They sent a date which was like 4 or 5 days after this phone call. But that day came, I borrowed a moving van and went to get it all. Wow, it was opening a time capsule to my builds from 2012. Some where half done, some where not even started, a few had been flown but had damage, others jusy needed repairs, etc...
So this was about the end of June or so I got that bigger collection back. In the mean Time the end of May until then, I spent about 1500 bux buying all kinds of Estes rockets and scratch parts from Rocketryworks. Even picked up man chute release and had a L1 rocket I planned to use. But after posting here and taking advice, I held up and joined one club. SPAAR here in Pennsylvania, flew with them a few times as well still locally at the Milton High School. Out if about 100 flights this year from about 20 different rockets I've lost two, that first Alpha being one.
Now my goal I said to myself back in May of this year it that I wanted to have an L1 certification attempt in within a year. And the goal was ultimately to have a L1 certification by next summer then that was it. I decided I need to go further than just low/mid power(Up to G80). I wanted that accomplishment of having built and earned a high power certification with a rocket that was special to me. Well after learning and finding OpenRocket then doing sims, realized that my L1 flight with the rocket I scratch built from Rocketryworks was going to go pretty high. High enough that it would require the use of a chute release, DD, or really big launch area.
Now that reason leads back to why I gave up and stopped in 2013. I realized I would be building these rockets and I wouldn't have anywhere close to launch them, and really had no luck with any clubs. That club I mentioned thats in the town I'm in, well they don't do anything. I've emailed the club President going to back to 2012 about flying and where they go. I never heard back from him until this year, when be said be was busy and on a road trip for the summer, but would get back to me when he returns to talk about a club. I haven't heard anything back, again. Apparently it's a NAR club but they don't fly. I don't even think they have a website. And it's funny because over the years I've often thought of going to his house and talking to him in person, I knew or know where its at. Its in the same town about 10 mins away. Either way I found out they don't fly and apparently haven't. So that was one thing that led me to stop years back.
But I ended up getting that collection back and fixing them for 20 hours a day to fly them with SPAAR in July. I bough a table, canopy, huge range box, etc. Flew with SPAAR then a few times then went September 10th to URRG in NY, just to watch I was burnt out at this point mentally and physically. But had a great time and got to talk to a few people, Larry the club President and Teddy from OneBadHawk.com about getting my L1. The following weekend went back to fly then at a SPAAR meet. Took a bunch if rockets with me, I think I got in 18 flights that day, 9/16/23 @ Halifax, PA.
But after going to URRG September 10th, and watching Jr members get certs. I told myself ots time. I started this hobby back in 1990 at 7 years old. I want that accomplishment or respect that I feel when someone says they are an L1, L2, or L3. Not so much to brag, but it says I can build and launch a high power rocket.
All my skills, knowledge, field testing and fails are all going to be put to the test for an L1 certification. Now after leaving URRG 9/10 my plan was to look at what future lances they had yet, and when they were. Well they were supposed to fly at the beginning of October, but I thought that would be too soon to build it as it was just about 3 weeks away I think I saw they had a November date too for the 4th and 5th. But I thought for a while after the trip on the 10th then never started building my L1 until Nov 4th. As the launch days were all canceled due to poor weather, even Sunday the 11th of September was scrubbed. So at the end the bonus launch they planned too for October 21st and 22nd, something like that was also scrubbed for weather. So they added the date new date of 11/3 to the 11/4 and 11/5 launch date. To nake it a threw date event. So I decided then October 4th or 5th to start it now and make the L1 attempt either Saturday or Sunday as they added Friday later. I did that over the next few weeks and made the L1 attempt 11/4 and got the certification. Had a horrible tooth infection in still dealing with but they pulled 3 out, lol.
But after getting some bad Information or just false and me not looking into it. Though dual deployment was a L2 requirement, but its not. I was told by that same person who was correct that its an L3 requirement. So, that info came just not long ago, about 2 weeks for thinking DD was an L3 requirement. And since September that I was told by a random person that L2 requires DD. I know it wasn't anyone I talked with 11/4 but some random person at URRG September 9th. No disrespect to them I have no clue who it was or why I thought that.
But that info changing or me learning the L2 and L3 rules I knew them for sure. I wasnt paying attention to L2 and L3 stuff at first as I had no plans to go past L1 really. But after finding out the rules, have decided to go for my L2 next spring. I want to do it for me, nobody else. Its not a mid life crisis or I need to feel significant or noticed its just always been my passion. And going for my L2 attempt right away, if its successful will give me a wide range of motors for DD. And then after I achieve the L2 certification, stay there for a few years to have fun. I may not have a successful first L2 cert flight but found a spot that they fly well.
Part 2 below.
I got back into this in May, after 10 years of not doing this at all. I didn't really in the end quit by choice back in 2013/14, it was just lack of information that I could get even back in 2012 and 2013 for clubs and flying. Even on here, I went back and looked at my posts asking different members. Sending PMs to ask information, calling, emailing... I found one club close to me that's ironically in the same town as I'm in now...
Let's fast forward to May of this year. I needed a hobby or something to do with my daily life while on and fighting of for permanent disability. So I'm not sure where or how I saw something maybe on Facebook about rockets. Or ran into a YouTube video, is wasnt me looking for this hobby again. But I ran into whatever, then ended up hitting Hobby Lobby for the first time ever to pick up an Alpha III launch kit and a few motors. A and B, with supplies, etc..
Well I brought that home and built it, and during this whole time told myself I wasn't going to buy anything more or anything that takes a while to build I just want to have fun. Well I got that done around May 23rd or something, the neighbor and I went over the local High School. I put the Alpha III up a few times, even caught it once coming down, he has it on video you'd think I woke the dead from his response, lol.. He's never seen anything like these forna long time and was having fun going with me.. But unfortunately I think on the 5th or 6th flight it landed on the Milton High School roof. About a week after that I was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days with bad virus so I took a break during that. Now going back to when I built and bought a huge collection after getting injured at UPS on 2012, the thoughts of buying another Alpha III were already in my head to buy just that. Because I knew I had quite a bit of stuff at my house in Bloomsburg which is about 30 mins from where I'm temporarily at now. The family owned house I was in when I left town in 2020(that I've lived in since 2001) was given to other relatives to stay there shortly while I was out of town, and they were getting there house fixed they inherited.
Long story short on that of you've seen my posts earlier this year was I was using my mother for communication as the family(My Younger Sister) in the house and I had some bad blood. So, it turned into the point of me posting on Facebook to ask advice as to how to get my collection back. As every time I tried to go get it I was told no, and understand that all my furniture, too big of a TV, tools, extra clothes, etc...Is all still at that house I didn't tka all that with me I didn't have the room. I was told they wouldn't use the downstairs as its a fully finished basement/apartment I lived it. It has access to the outside, etc. Yeah the entire house now is full of boxes and tall thier crap too.. But in the end it was miscommunication to me getting my things mostly from my mother to them, I got both of then on the line finally after I posted asking legal advice. They sent a date which was like 4 or 5 days after this phone call. But that day came, I borrowed a moving van and went to get it all. Wow, it was opening a time capsule to my builds from 2012. Some where half done, some where not even started, a few had been flown but had damage, others jusy needed repairs, etc...
So this was about the end of June or so I got that bigger collection back. In the mean Time the end of May until then, I spent about 1500 bux buying all kinds of Estes rockets and scratch parts from Rocketryworks. Even picked up man chute release and had a L1 rocket I planned to use. But after posting here and taking advice, I held up and joined one club. SPAAR here in Pennsylvania, flew with them a few times as well still locally at the Milton High School. Out if about 100 flights this year from about 20 different rockets I've lost two, that first Alpha being one.
Now my goal I said to myself back in May of this year it that I wanted to have an L1 certification attempt in within a year. And the goal was ultimately to have a L1 certification by next summer then that was it. I decided I need to go further than just low/mid power(Up to G80). I wanted that accomplishment of having built and earned a high power certification with a rocket that was special to me. Well after learning and finding OpenRocket then doing sims, realized that my L1 flight with the rocket I scratch built from Rocketryworks was going to go pretty high. High enough that it would require the use of a chute release, DD, or really big launch area.
Now that reason leads back to why I gave up and stopped in 2013. I realized I would be building these rockets and I wouldn't have anywhere close to launch them, and really had no luck with any clubs. That club I mentioned thats in the town I'm in, well they don't do anything. I've emailed the club President going to back to 2012 about flying and where they go. I never heard back from him until this year, when be said be was busy and on a road trip for the summer, but would get back to me when he returns to talk about a club. I haven't heard anything back, again. Apparently it's a NAR club but they don't fly. I don't even think they have a website. And it's funny because over the years I've often thought of going to his house and talking to him in person, I knew or know where its at. Its in the same town about 10 mins away. Either way I found out they don't fly and apparently haven't. So that was one thing that led me to stop years back.
But I ended up getting that collection back and fixing them for 20 hours a day to fly them with SPAAR in July. I bough a table, canopy, huge range box, etc. Flew with SPAAR then a few times then went September 10th to URRG in NY, just to watch I was burnt out at this point mentally and physically. But had a great time and got to talk to a few people, Larry the club President and Teddy from OneBadHawk.com about getting my L1. The following weekend went back to fly then at a SPAAR meet. Took a bunch if rockets with me, I think I got in 18 flights that day, 9/16/23 @ Halifax, PA.
But after going to URRG September 10th, and watching Jr members get certs. I told myself ots time. I started this hobby back in 1990 at 7 years old. I want that accomplishment or respect that I feel when someone says they are an L1, L2, or L3. Not so much to brag, but it says I can build and launch a high power rocket.
All my skills, knowledge, field testing and fails are all going to be put to the test for an L1 certification. Now after leaving URRG 9/10 my plan was to look at what future lances they had yet, and when they were. Well they were supposed to fly at the beginning of October, but I thought that would be too soon to build it as it was just about 3 weeks away I think I saw they had a November date too for the 4th and 5th. But I thought for a while after the trip on the 10th then never started building my L1 until Nov 4th. As the launch days were all canceled due to poor weather, even Sunday the 11th of September was scrubbed. So at the end the bonus launch they planned too for October 21st and 22nd, something like that was also scrubbed for weather. So they added the date new date of 11/3 to the 11/4 and 11/5 launch date. To nake it a threw date event. So I decided then October 4th or 5th to start it now and make the L1 attempt either Saturday or Sunday as they added Friday later. I did that over the next few weeks and made the L1 attempt 11/4 and got the certification. Had a horrible tooth infection in still dealing with but they pulled 3 out, lol.
But after getting some bad Information or just false and me not looking into it. Though dual deployment was a L2 requirement, but its not. I was told by that same person who was correct that its an L3 requirement. So, that info came just not long ago, about 2 weeks for thinking DD was an L3 requirement. And since September that I was told by a random person that L2 requires DD. I know it wasn't anyone I talked with 11/4 but some random person at URRG September 9th. No disrespect to them I have no clue who it was or why I thought that.
But that info changing or me learning the L2 and L3 rules I knew them for sure. I wasnt paying attention to L2 and L3 stuff at first as I had no plans to go past L1 really. But after finding out the rules, have decided to go for my L2 next spring. I want to do it for me, nobody else. Its not a mid life crisis or I need to feel significant or noticed its just always been my passion. And going for my L2 attempt right away, if its successful will give me a wide range of motors for DD. And then after I achieve the L2 certification, stay there for a few years to have fun. I may not have a successful first L2 cert flight but found a spot that they fly well.
Part 2 below.
Last edited:
Part 2: was limited in text...lol...
A few others things stopped me years ago, but all in all it was no place to fly. I'm definitely not taking a break or stopping this, I also plan to keep flying low and mid power just as much. I like doing those builds with mid and high power techniques. I'd say a normal summer going forward will be pretty much like this year. Me doing low and mid power by myself to test them or just have fun. Then going to fly low power with SPAAR. And then also hit URRG once a month to fly a few L1 motors, then eventually maybe one L2 motor a launch day. If I make it to L3 motors, that will probably be a once a twice a year launch. I like the idea of one main L3 rocket you can keep flying over and over rather than one you always need to build new because the last one broke. So that will keep my budget in check. But I'm single with no kids and no debt. I can definitely make that affordable as many will say L3 is too expensive. It is if your constantly building and launching only that. But the builds much more complex and time consuming, but thats fun to me.
Another reason too this thi was to get the L1 certification was that a few rockets I bought back in 2012 need those motors to really fly successfully. Everything I wanted to happen or panned for back in 2012, is happening now. I love it and like said above have no plans to stop again completely. And the technology advancements 2013 to now, amazing...
I'll fix or edit this later I apologize for many mistakes...
A few others things stopped me years ago, but all in all it was no place to fly. I'm definitely not taking a break or stopping this, I also plan to keep flying low and mid power just as much. I like doing those builds with mid and high power techniques. I'd say a normal summer going forward will be pretty much like this year. Me doing low and mid power by myself to test them or just have fun. Then going to fly low power with SPAAR. And then also hit URRG once a month to fly a few L1 motors, then eventually maybe one L2 motor a launch day. If I make it to L3 motors, that will probably be a once a twice a year launch. I like the idea of one main L3 rocket you can keep flying over and over rather than one you always need to build new because the last one broke. So that will keep my budget in check. But I'm single with no kids and no debt. I can definitely make that affordable as many will say L3 is too expensive. It is if your constantly building and launching only that. But the builds much more complex and time consuming, but thats fun to me.
Another reason too this thi was to get the L1 certification was that a few rockets I bought back in 2012 need those motors to really fly successfully. Everything I wanted to happen or panned for back in 2012, is happening now. I love it and like said above have no plans to stop again completely. And the technology advancements 2013 to now, amazing...
I'll fix or edit this later I apologize for many mistakes...
Last edited:
I got my L1 partly because it seemed to be straightforward enough to do with the then just-introduced Estes PSII builders' kits. I wanted to show that one didn't have to build what appeared to me to be flying furniture — the HPR stuff I'd seen was mostly stuff that was overbuilt with thick plywood parts, huge metal hardware and then needing an I motor to get to 1000 feet because of all that mass. An Alpha can get to 1000 feet on a C....and a model not much bigger can get to over 5000 feet on an E6....
Anyway, I built a Leviathan that was almost entirely stock and flew it on a baby H CTI three-grain 29mm motor for my L1. The only epoxy in that rocket is that used to attach the motor retainer, and it's been fine.
I've only flown a few Hs since and no Is (yet). But I do like some of the more-than-80N-average-thrust Gs, so that's where I most often put my L1 to use. And this is only at flying sites that are several hours away. Locally, it's all LPR and some MPR for me, and there are many challenges there yet to be mastered.
Anyway, I built a Leviathan that was almost entirely stock and flew it on a baby H CTI three-grain 29mm motor for my L1. The only epoxy in that rocket is that used to attach the motor retainer, and it's been fine.
I've only flown a few Hs since and no Is (yet). But I do like some of the more-than-80N-average-thrust Gs, so that's where I most often put my L1 to use. And this is only at flying sites that are several hours away. Locally, it's all LPR and some MPR for me, and there are many challenges there yet to be mastered.
Last edited:
rcktnut
Well-Known Member
When this: https://www.rockets4schools.org/ started back in 1996 I had no idea that they made any motors that big, F impulse and up. I instantly became a BAR, and definitely had to launch me some of those bigger motors. A couple Super Lokis were launched, as well as special projects (up to N powered flights) by Tripoli Wisc.
A picture of an N powered take off featured on the cover of High Power Rocketry.
A picture of an N powered take off featured on the cover of High Power Rocketry.
Similar threads
