Just remembered that 1 year ago today I started building my first kit after 30 years away from rocketry. It was a Estes Mini Mean Machine, which I never even flew - gave it away to the kiddies at one of my clubs launches. In my younger years the "biggest" rocket I flew was a Big Daddy on a D12-5. In October this year I got my L1. Never ever thought I'd be flying high power!
Me either! I'm 40, almost 41. Not that it matters but started at 7 at a local high school rocketry class they had on Saturdays. "Super Saturdays", it was such a cool program for high school seniors and the science teacher to educate us younger ones. I fell in love in 1990, also at the end of class the one senior had a brand new "Mean Machine". To a 7 year old at first launch holding the Estes Nova Payloader I built, I was able to see that too. Wow...
Fast forward to 2012, work injury. I buy lots of things to finally go high power, start some builds in "mid"/high to refresh my memory. After the surgery, that was it. I was done. Its sad, but things happened the way they did for a good reason. I've had 10 years of no rockets at all, then in May of this year I said "I'll just get an Alpha III at this new Hobby Lobby, and some A/B motors that's it". Fast forward about 2 weeks, I'm admitted to the hospital again(I've never been to a hospital for a rocket injury, never had one. In 33 years not one person was hurt or one piece of property has been damaged. It all goes back to the first thing we learned about in class, "Saftey". So I was ordering parts from James at RocketyWorks to scratch build an L1. It was severe nausea again, but got home after 5 days, and then the stuff arrived.
I made a post on here about my L1 certification rocket. Now mind you I hadn't, at all, looked or really didn't think about rocketry much at. Really none, I figured it's done I wasted money again. But I got some feedback about what to do. One was to fly with a club, re-think your L1 choice, and ask around by just watching at launch days. It was all good, I was kind of shot down thinking well it would have been a cool build.
It still sits here its going to be a Alpha III BT-80 upscale flyer on H motors. I used a 29mm Mercury Engineering Integrator I bought though for the L1 attempt, well 10 years its been in a box. But if your familiar, they are not the best kits Fins/MT/CR wise. Obviously the company is no longer around, which is sad but the parts are for a "Mid Power Rocket with High Power Thrills". What I saw was a $45 L1 kit in 2012, and with the help of James at RocketyWorks again(You will be missed man take care if you ever see this
). But he came thru, the summer cruised by with SPAAR then joined URRG was well after going September 10th just to watch and learn, and finally but first the NAR. I was able get the L1 attempt in 11/4/23 with some help from some cool guys named Larry, Teddy, and Dan. Thank you guys, it cost you nothing to be nice to me. I won't forget that.
But, I didn't think as well I'd ever get it, or earn it I should say I went to URRG in September to scout the field and see how they were flying. I said then, "its time". A few weeks later the parts showed up, about October 2nd. I put together a quick build schedule, thought I'll not paint it. I'm glad, the motor had a freak ejection 2 seconds after ignition. My heart sunk for a second when an L3 says "oh....we got separation". At first I didn't panic, I told myself anything could happen. But, it stayed together. Wasnt the L1 I was hoping for. I was kind of mad, like come on. Really?
But after listening to a few guys, I understood why they gave me the certification. It came back down, in one piece. With very minor damage, of you watch the video its not super crazy. But watching the fins lead the way while it went 180° in about half a second, was interesting to say the least. It was horrible enough I bit into something at midnight 11/3-11/4. I almost didn't drive up. I didn't sleep all night calling drs and the ER. It was bad, but I went. It was absolutely worth it.
Congratulations!
Ugh...
