CANCELLED MMMSC Suspending Operations

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KennB

I-95 Envoy
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Location
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The Maine Missile Math and Science Club is forced to suspend operation for the 2019 season. While the land owner of the sod farm we use for our launches loves us and has been very happy with our stewardship of the field for the better part of a decade we've been flying there, the new crop owner is expanding operations to seven days per week. We cannot safely launch with workers anywhere on the field so, as of now, we are cancelling all launches for the 2019 season.

Once the farm has been operating in this fashion for some time, we will explore the chance of having access at some point during the year. Three possibilities I can envision during the summer/fall time frames (prime sod seasons) are:
  • check if Saturday/Sunday operations are full days. If the crew knocks off at noon or so, we may be able to have afternoon launches into the evening.
  • see if there are any holidays the workers would have that would allow weekend usage.
  • see if the full week schedule is really working for the farm; they may revert to Sunday through Friday as has been the case in the past.
There are no guarantees any of these will come to pass. We may have a shot at flying late in the season after the harvesting is finished. Nothing like a brisk November day in Maine to sharpen your focus.

Scott has asked that nobody negatively vent their feelings online. We have a good relationship with both the land owner and the crop owner and we want to stay in those good graces to be able to get use of the farm if and when the situation allows. The crop owner is a business man and he's doing what he needs to to make a go of his company. We have been fortunate to have use of the field for all these years and have become somewhat spoiled. We will be looking for alternative sites in Southern Maine and New Hampshire. As things develop, we will keep you informed. If you know of a farm, sod farm, hay field or the like that may be worth exploring, let us know. It may not be as big or allow flights as high as Berwick but it may satisfy many of club's needs.
 
This is so depressing. That was the best launch site in New England. As you know, we are in the same boat down in Rhode Island.
 
Sorry to hear that Ken. We lost access to our primary flying field when a pair of nesting Bald Eagles moved within a mile of our launch site.
 
Sorry to hear that Ken. We lost access to our primary flying field when a pair of nesting Bald Eagles moved within a mile of our launch site.
Whoa, seriously? We have a bald eagle that lives on our launch site.

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I have a lot of great memories of the many launches I attended in Berwick. The field is only 68 miles from my house which made for a nice peaceful drive up route 95 and 16. No matter how this works out I consider myself fortunate to have been able to launch with the MMMSC and meet so many wonderful people. Thanks Scott for starting the club and to the people that assisted at the launches.
 
Ouch! I figured it would happen eventually, but I'm still sad to see the field go. I have lots of great memories of flying there, including my three cert flights. I hope we can find a field just as nice, or get this one back!
 
QUOTE="Bat-mite, post: 1872335, member: 15277"]Whoa, seriously? We have a bald eagle that lives on our launch site.

The Bald eagles are almost a nuisance there. They semi frequently drop 5+ pound fish in my parents neighborhood while flying over. Every now and again there will be a quite large dead carp in a neighbor’s yard or on the street a quarter mile or so from the upper bay.
 
Whoa, seriously? We have a bald eagle that lives on our launch site.
Yeah, its nest is in the trees east of the away cells. Flies over every once in awhile. That picture was taken at the Mercury Redstone record launch a year ago.
 
Certainly a sad day in the northeast! After taking a few years off I was planing on making a re-entry back into rockets. I suspect that I will make a re-entry but will likely keep it to LPR only for the year.

Hopefully things will work out in the end! It was a glorious place for a launch but I understand the needs of the business!

Maybe there will be a good site in NH to fly - I wonder how much hassle it was to launch at NHMS for the scout jamboree. Lots of space (although hard landing surfaces) but they tend to have events every weekend.
 
Maybe there will be a good site in NH to fly

Not for a while, but Lake Winnepisaukee should be an interesting option next winter. Tough to land in the trees when you're launching in the middle of a lake.

I am also bummed about the loss of the field. Living in southern Maine, this was a reasonable option that I could get to without getting up at the crack of dawn.
Looks like I'm either going to try Cherryfield's Tripoli club or head up to very very northern Vermont to fly with the Champlain folks. Silver lining - I have a fondness for sparkies, and as far as I know, either is fine with me using them. It really would be nice to fly at MMMSC again, and I hope that they can work something out with a holiday or post-harvest flight.
 
RIMRA, in Rhode Island, lost their site too

I'm working on finding something new for RIMRA, but it might take a while. Alternative #1 already failed. PM me if you have any suggestions.
 
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