rharshberger
Well-Known Member
The event will be a NAR/TRA event starting the Friday of Labor Day Weekend and going to about Noon on Labor Day. We will be hosting the event at our Pasco, WA field, OROC will be working with us as co-hosts.More info to follow once we have the official statement ready (should be within a week). We will have an away cell so our max impulse will be increased above L, however we are limited to 9300' AGL by our waiver and no higher windows are available.
And Now for your reading Pleasure!
Sod Blaster 2018
Sod Blaster will be here before you know it! This will be our first Labor Day launch and is being hosted by both the Tri-Cities Rocketeers and the Oregon Rocketry Club. It will be held at the Heinen Sod farm approximately 10 miles north of Pasco, WA. Please see our web page (www.tricitiesrocketeers.org) for launch site directions. This site provides the safest place to fly in the Northwest during what is usually a time of high fire danger. We offer dry camping on-site and have many lodging and restaurant locations within a 20 minute drive from the site.
What: At this time, commercial motors only. We are not impulse limited, only altitude limited. We are trying to get our Tripoli Prefecture certification and if we get it in time, we will conduct Friday as a Tripoli research launch.
When: We will be flying from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Monday, with our standard waiver of 9300’ AGL. After 6:00 pm, we will fly under FAR-101 rules. Night launches are weather dependent each night and are FAR-101 only.
Fees: Tri-Cities Rocketeers members fly for free (you are always welcome to join). Non-members cost is $20 for the weekend.
Liability Waiver: All fliers and spectators must have a signed waiver on file with us. If you haven’t flown with us before, you can download the form from our website or fill out a waiver at the launch.
Volunteering: We need your help to run this launch. We will keep a signup board at the LCO table and some slots will be open each day that are not covered. We run 1 hour shifts for LCO duty, and if no one signs up for the open slots, we don’t launch for that hour. Makes it really simple.
Raffle: Again for September we will be having a raffle. We have rocket kits and many other really nice prizes donated by vendors from all over the country. The raffle will be held Saturday after the BBQ and you must be present to win. If you have goods you would like to donate, by all means please do so. Every dollar goes towards upgrading our GSE and improving your flying experience.
Apparel: Official Sod Blaster 2018 apparel should be available for pre-order – please stay posted for more details. These are sure to be hot items so don’t miss out! Bonnie Rosco is in the process of setting up a flier so that you can pre-order and arrange for payment. You can pick up your order at the launch, and we will have a limited number of extra T-shirts for sale too.
BBQ: Like last year, we will be hosting a most excellent barbeque Saturday at 6:30 pm. This year we will be serving pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, and baked beans. If you want, please bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share.
Vendors:
Bob Grossfeld of Sun River Nature Center is planning on attending Friday and Saturday for all of your rocketry needs.
Scott Binder of https://www.fusionrocket.biz/ will be on site both as a flyer and a vendor so come get a new Thor, ArrowX, Honest John or Fusion!
We will update this section as we receive more information about additional vendors planning to attend.
Contests:
Egg Lofting Duration Contest (Saturday):
Single grade AA large egg (you supply, we’ll also bring some), must not be taped or glued in place. Any rocket, any motor, closest to 120 seconds total flight duration wins. You get a single point for every second of flight up to 120 seconds. Every second past 120 seconds gets deducted from 120 for your score. You must sign up ahead of time and have the contest coordinator initial your egg. You must bring the undamaged egg back to the contest coordinator after the flight. Maximum of 2 attempts. Attempts may not be in conjunction with the Fastest Safe Egg Descent event.
D Motor Egg Lofting Fastest Safe Decent Contest (Saturday): aka the "Egg Drop"
Single grade AA large egg (you supply, we’ll also bring some), must not be taped or glued in place. Any rocket, “D” impulse motor minimum, must use a form of recovery (parachute, streamer, tumble). Shortest flight duration wins. You must sign up ahead of time and have the contest coordinator initial your egg. You must bring the undamaged egg back to the contest coordinator after the flight. Rocket must fly and land safely to qualify. Maximum of 2 attempts. Attempts may not be in conjunction with duration event.
Sparky Challenges (Friday – Sunday):
Yes we can do that ! The designated sparky launch area will be surrounded by at least 100’ of green sod (or dirt depending on the farms cutting schedule, and they have been cutting on the circle we use the most). Prize #1 for the most sparky propellant flown, based on total impulse per flier. Prize #2 for the most impressive sparky flight, as judged by our board of directors. Need not be present to win, but prize must be picked up at one of our launches.
If you plan on attending please visit our TCR Forum page and vote to let us get some sort of head count @ https://tricitiesrocketeers.freeforums.net/thread/400/sod-blaster-2018
And Now for your reading Pleasure!
Sod Blaster 2018
Sod Blaster will be here before you know it! This will be our first Labor Day launch and is being hosted by both the Tri-Cities Rocketeers and the Oregon Rocketry Club. It will be held at the Heinen Sod farm approximately 10 miles north of Pasco, WA. Please see our web page (www.tricitiesrocketeers.org) for launch site directions. This site provides the safest place to fly in the Northwest during what is usually a time of high fire danger. We offer dry camping on-site and have many lodging and restaurant locations within a 20 minute drive from the site.
What: At this time, commercial motors only. We are not impulse limited, only altitude limited. We are trying to get our Tripoli Prefecture certification and if we get it in time, we will conduct Friday as a Tripoli research launch.
When: We will be flying from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Monday, with our standard waiver of 9300’ AGL. After 6:00 pm, we will fly under FAR-101 rules. Night launches are weather dependent each night and are FAR-101 only.
Fees: Tri-Cities Rocketeers members fly for free (you are always welcome to join). Non-members cost is $20 for the weekend.
Liability Waiver: All fliers and spectators must have a signed waiver on file with us. If you haven’t flown with us before, you can download the form from our website or fill out a waiver at the launch.
Volunteering: We need your help to run this launch. We will keep a signup board at the LCO table and some slots will be open each day that are not covered. We run 1 hour shifts for LCO duty, and if no one signs up for the open slots, we don’t launch for that hour. Makes it really simple.
Raffle: Again for September we will be having a raffle. We have rocket kits and many other really nice prizes donated by vendors from all over the country. The raffle will be held Saturday after the BBQ and you must be present to win. If you have goods you would like to donate, by all means please do so. Every dollar goes towards upgrading our GSE and improving your flying experience.
Apparel: Official Sod Blaster 2018 apparel should be available for pre-order – please stay posted for more details. These are sure to be hot items so don’t miss out! Bonnie Rosco is in the process of setting up a flier so that you can pre-order and arrange for payment. You can pick up your order at the launch, and we will have a limited number of extra T-shirts for sale too.
BBQ: Like last year, we will be hosting a most excellent barbeque Saturday at 6:30 pm. This year we will be serving pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, and baked beans. If you want, please bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share.
Vendors:
Bob Grossfeld of Sun River Nature Center is planning on attending Friday and Saturday for all of your rocketry needs.
Scott Binder of https://www.fusionrocket.biz/ will be on site both as a flyer and a vendor so come get a new Thor, ArrowX, Honest John or Fusion!
We will update this section as we receive more information about additional vendors planning to attend.
Contests:
Egg Lofting Duration Contest (Saturday):
Single grade AA large egg (you supply, we’ll also bring some), must not be taped or glued in place. Any rocket, any motor, closest to 120 seconds total flight duration wins. You get a single point for every second of flight up to 120 seconds. Every second past 120 seconds gets deducted from 120 for your score. You must sign up ahead of time and have the contest coordinator initial your egg. You must bring the undamaged egg back to the contest coordinator after the flight. Maximum of 2 attempts. Attempts may not be in conjunction with the Fastest Safe Egg Descent event.
D Motor Egg Lofting Fastest Safe Decent Contest (Saturday): aka the "Egg Drop"
Single grade AA large egg (you supply, we’ll also bring some), must not be taped or glued in place. Any rocket, “D” impulse motor minimum, must use a form of recovery (parachute, streamer, tumble). Shortest flight duration wins. You must sign up ahead of time and have the contest coordinator initial your egg. You must bring the undamaged egg back to the contest coordinator after the flight. Rocket must fly and land safely to qualify. Maximum of 2 attempts. Attempts may not be in conjunction with duration event.
Sparky Challenges (Friday – Sunday):
Yes we can do that ! The designated sparky launch area will be surrounded by at least 100’ of green sod (or dirt depending on the farms cutting schedule, and they have been cutting on the circle we use the most). Prize #1 for the most sparky propellant flown, based on total impulse per flier. Prize #2 for the most impressive sparky flight, as judged by our board of directors. Need not be present to win, but prize must be picked up at one of our launches.
If you plan on attending please visit our TCR Forum page and vote to let us get some sort of head count @ https://tricitiesrocketeers.freeforums.net/thread/400/sod-blaster-2018
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