I Got Into My First BAR-Flight This Morning….

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milehigh

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After not having pressed a model rocket launch button in 33 years, I finally got it going this morning.

Official BAR now.

The model was the recently finished Estes Mini-Brute Hornet.

The model launched on, not one, but three perfect straight-up flights, all on 1/2A3-‘tooties’. I would have flown it a fourth time but one of the igni….’er… ‘starters’ was broken right out of the package, and I didn’t have any spares.

This was also a good test of my new home-built launch pad and controller. All worked flawlessly.

The launch site was pretty appropriate for the color scheme of the Hornet – Dove Valley Regional Park right across the street from the Denver Broncos HQ and training facility. Orange and Blue, Baby!

I chose to do the launching early in the morning ( 7:00-ish) because it is usually calm. At launch time, wind was non-existent. Temp around 65 degrees. I set the rod angle at near vertical, and the model flew straight up on all three flights. A streamer was used, so the bird landed within 50 feet of the pad on all flights.

A perfect start to my BAR career!


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I’m totally stoked!
 
Congratulations. The Hornet looks great and the raised launcher is a must for the "mature" rocketeer. :) Very nice looking launch site too.
 
This field is one of the most perfect for LPR flying that I have ever experienced. It's a large expanse of grass encompassing several soccer playing fields. I probably wouldn't want to go beyond a B engine on this field with smaller rockets, though. Anyway, this new foray into rocketry is going to be characterized by a lot of scale and exotic/futuristic models that I don't want to go crazy with using big engines and out-of-sight flights and long recovery treks. Definitely no duration and altitude record attempts here. Did enough of that back in the old days....

Yep, I'm glad I had an old camera tripod hanging around to convert into a launcher. Keeps me off my knees.

Cheers!
 
Damn my eyes! I thought this was going to be a thread about slugging it out in pub!
 
After not having pressed a model rocket launch button in 33 years, I finally got it going this morning.

Official BAR now.

The model was the recently finished Estes Mini-Brute Hornet.

The model launched on, not one, but three perfect straight-up flights, all on 1/2A3-‘tooties’. I would have flown it a fourth time but one of the igni….’er… ‘starters’ was broken right out of the package, and I didn’t have any spares.

This was also a good test of my new home-built launch pad and controller. All worked flawlessly.

The launch site was pretty appropriate for the color scheme of the Hornet – Dove Valley Regional Park right across the street from the Denver Broncos HQ and training facility. Orange and Blue, Baby!

I chose to do the launching early in the morning ( 7:00-ish) because it is usually calm. At launch time, wind was non-existent. Temp around 65 degrees. I set the rod angle at near vertical, and the model flew straight up on all three flights. A streamer was used, so the bird landed within 50 feet of the pad on all flights.

A perfect start to my BAR career!


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I’m totally stoked!

Great job. With all the fire bans around parks will be the only flying options around for awhile.
 
Absolutely...

I did a lot of homework before setting up my gear at Dove Valley just in case I get approached by any authorities....

1. I have the National Weather Service Fire Warning Zone website bookmarked on my phone, so that I can quickly call up Red Flag info in the Denver and Castle Rock areas. FYI - Denver proper is covered by zones 240 & 245.

2. A copy of the Arapahoe County Parks Rules and Regs. which makes no mention of model rocket prohibition.

Also have a letter from the Castle Rock Fire Marshall stating that rocketry is permitted in CR city limits as long as there are no red flags in effect.

3. A copy of the State of Colorado's fireworks laws, which explicitly excludes model rockets.

4. A copy of the FAA Airspace regulations allowing model rockets of a limited size and total impulse to be flown near airports. (Dove Valley is pretty close to Centennial Airport.)

5. And a copy of the current NAR/HIAA Safety Code.

I have a binder with all of these things that I carry as part of my range gear...just in case.
 
Absolutely...

I did a lot of homework before setting up my gear at Dove Valley just in case I get approached by any authorities....

1. I have the National Weather Service Fire Warning Zone website bookmarked on my phone, so that I can quickly call up Red Flag info in the Denver and Castle Rock areas. FYI - Denver proper is covered by zones 240 & 245.

2. A copy of the Arapahoe County Parks Rules and Regs. which makes no mention of model rocket prohibition.

Also have a letter from the Castle Rock Fire Marshall stating that rocketry is permitted in CR city limits as long as there are no red flags in effect.

3. A copy of the State of Colorado's fireworks laws, which explicitly excludes model rockets.

4. A copy of the FAA Airspace regulations allowing model rockets of a limited size and total impulse to be flown near airports. (Dove Valley is pretty close to Centennial Airport.)

5. And a copy of the current NAR/HIAA Safety Code.

I have a binder with all of these things that I carry as part of my range gear...just in case.

Very smart. I don't have the fire concerns where I live, but there's a lot of General and Commercial Aviation, and a lot of people very unfamiliar with hobby rocketry who might get their panties in a bunch. I think putting together a binder with all the relevant/pertinent information at hand is an extremely well thought out plan. Kudos!
 
I am just on the other side of the airport from you, watching the planes take off from my office window. Will see if I can get some old BARs in here town out to a park for some flying as all the local clubs are shut down. Low and slow LPR and MPR with old BARs, they will even go to a "BAR" or PUB afterwards for a refreshing ale if needed on a hot day. Think Space 1999 from the mid 70's and flying children's toys on black powder motors. The hard part is getting the old dudes off the couch and out to the park, the rocket flying part is easy.:)
 
Absolutely...

I did a lot of homework before setting up my gear at Dove Valley just in case I get approached by any authorities....

1. I have the National Weather Service Fire Warning Zone website bookmarked on my phone, so that I can quickly call up Red Flag info in the Denver and Castle Rock areas. FYI - Denver proper is covered by zones 240 & 245.

2. A copy of the Arapahoe County Parks Rules and Regs. which makes no mention of model rocket prohibition.

Also have a letter from the Castle Rock Fire Marshall stating that rocketry is permitted in CR city limits as long as there are no red flags in effect.

3. A copy of the State of Colorado's fireworks laws, which explicitly excludes model rockets.

4. A copy of the FAA Airspace regulations allowing model rockets of a limited size and total impulse to be flown near airports. (Dove Valley is pretty close to Centennial Airport.)

5. And a copy of the current NAR/HIAA Safety Code.

I have a binder with all of these things that I carry as part of my range gear...just in case.

They can still getcha for a busted taillight. :wink:

Very smart, and a good example to follow. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of park police are woefully ignorant of laws that affect rocketry, and would be thankful to have that provided.
 
...
Anyway, this new foray into rocketry is going to be characterized by a lot of scale and exotic/futuristic models that I don't want to go crazy with using big engines and out-of-sight flights and long recovery treks ...

Yeah, well, that all sounds good. Nobody here believes (or will hold you to) these declarations from new posters. Chances are better than even you'll be flying K motors within a year ! :)
 
I am just on the other side of the airport from you, watching the planes take off from my office window. Will see if I can get some old BARs in here town out to a park for some flying as all the local clubs are shut down. Low and slow LPR and MPR with old BARs, they will even go to a "BAR" or PUB afterwards for a refreshing ale if needed on a hot day. Think Space 1999 from the mid 70's and flying children's toys on black powder motors. The hard part is getting the old dudes off the couch and out to the park, the rocket flying part is easy.:)

You must work very near to where I do...I'm at EchoStar in the Inverness "Wilderness".
 
Congratulations! I'll be looking forward to your L1 cert flight video within a year.
 
You must work very near to where I do...I'm at EchoStar in the Inverness "Wilderness".

I am next door at Office Court on Inverness. Let's do lunch sometime. All the local top men from Tripoli and NAR have lunch on a regular monthly basis at Brother's BBQ on Arapahoe. You can eat some hot link while learning to how to build your own O motor.
 
I am next door at Office Court on Inverness. Let's do lunch sometime. All the local top men from Tripoli and NAR have lunch on a regular monthly basis at Brother's BBQ on Arapahoe. You can eat some hot link while learning to how to build your own O motor.

Sounds good to me. Let me know the next time y'all are meeting up! Look forward to meeting you.
 
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