I flew small rockets with my dad years ago, nothing bigger then a C..
8 some years ago I picked up a Comanche 3 built and painted as a child dream but did not attempt to fly it for over a year. First flight staged properly but weather cocked never to be seen by me again.
Almost 6 years ago I truly became a BAR.
Picked up a box of rocket goodies at a garage sale, started designing and building low and mid power rockets.
10-27-2017 L1: Estes Argent. Wood glue, rocket poxy and CA. Aerotech H115 DM, motor eject and JLCR. Test flight on a Estes G40-7w at a park on my way up to the high power launch for the L1 attempt, complete success and achieved my L1.
8-11-2018 L2: Madcow super Dx3 4" with 38mm mmt. Full redundant dual deploy with motor backup. Test flight on a Loki H160 blue the morning of my L2 attempt. Then I passed the L2 test. I prepped the rocket again and attempted my L2 flight on a Loki J320 red motor. After a few initiators the rocket flew to a apogee of 4,000 feet and recovered for a successful L2.
After my L2 I have been growing, learning, building, failure and success. I would not change how I got to where I am today. The upper end of the L2 motor lineup is a lot different then the smaller Loki J320R motor I flew. I have sense built a 4" Madcow Frenzy Xl with a 54mm mmt and tailcone retainer. This has taken the place of my L2 rocket that is moth balled. I have flown this on a Aerotech J415w. I have a Aerotech K185 loaded for the next flight and a Aerotech K550w in the box.
I also designed and built a 1/4 scale Viking 7 sounding rocket named "Minion". It is 144" tall, 8" diameter, 98mm mmt, weighed 64lbs on the launch pad. It has successfully flown on 3 L motors upping in impulse each flight. Aerotech L1000w, Aerotech L1256WS-p, Aerotech L1365M.
The L1365M is a beast, 30 times larger then the H115dm I used for my L1 flight. I was reviewing my ARTS2 flight data and the motor thrust curve, I noticed a spike 1/2 second into the burn. The altimetered reported gforce going from 5g to almost 12g for a fracrion of a second. I reviewed the flight video and noticed a shockwave leave the rocket bounce off the ground and zip up in a big bubble/dome out of sight. I have a Aerotech L1500 blue thunder motor for its next flight (full L motor).
Model rockets and the certification process is a journey, each will find their path.