Launch rail

Hello. I am wondering why at the launching club they don’t bother with getting the launch rail vertically straight for the launches? Is it because the rockets tend to turn into which ever direction the wind is from? When I launch from my homemade pad, I always try to get the launch pad perfectly level/straight for a straighter flight but the clubs rails can sometimes be on a pretty good angle. Maybe it doesn’t actually matter that much on how straight the flight is?

Our club rails tend to be tilted away from the flight line, just as an extra safety precaution. They then get tilted left or right depending on wind direction. We never go through the time and trouble of getting 30 pads set up perfectly vertical.

Part of the skill of flying the field is setting the proper launcher angle. Depends a lot on wind. That's usually the reason. Look up the term 'weather cock'

They may also be pointing away from buildings and other things that are downrange just in case something goes wrong with the chute deployment. A few months ago a college team launched an L2 rocket and had no deployment. We still haven't found a trace of it. The guys that set up the pad had aimed it away from the farmer's house and other things we did not want to hit just in case there was a problem. They definitely made the right call on that one!

Just keep a bucket of 2x4 and 1x4 cutoffs at the pad banks. Great for keeping a tail off the deflector, as well as lifting a pad foot when needed.

Probably down to the wind. Where I launch, People can control the angle (provided it isnt unsafe) that they want to launch at, so angling a bit to counter weathercocking isnt unheard of