A Message From Thrustline Aerospace

[Thrustline]

Hello All! It's been awhile since my last post and for that I do apologize. Yvette is doing fine and is back to work full time. It was a scary couple of years and though I'm sure we'll both be a little guarded until we hit the five year mark, the worst is behind her.
AKPilot was nice enough to track me down with a phone call and let me know some of the changes and happenings here on the forum and asked whether or not Thrustline will ever re-open. Boy O' Boy do things change over a few years! But I'm sure glad the forum is going stronger than ever!
Will I re-open? I really don't know. I must say when I look back at the final days, there was a lot of work and a lot more overhead than I had ever dreamed of having when I first started. But one design leads to another and more people want clone kits and the next thing you know, you're working like the devil trying to figure out how to manage it all. But I do miss the people that made it what it was.
My instinct tells me that if I do re-open it will be on a much smaller scale. Perhaps a kit offering or two per month rotating every month or so. Also, the parachute shop will probably remain closed so I may have to try and finagle some chutes from one of the other retailers (Semroc maybe?).
In the mean time, if anyone needs replacement parts for Thrustline kits, just email me and I'll try and help you out. [email protected] is the e-mail that I will check on a regular basis. The website, at least for now is gone and all old e-mail addresses are obsolete, I still have a paypal account so transactions can either be done that way, or the old snail mail route. SO if you have question, request or just want to say “hey!” drop me an e-mail.
Thanks again to all of you forum members for your support in the last two years. Sometimes I think you should change the name from Rocketry Forum to Rocketry Forum Family!

Cheers,
John Rowan-Stern

 

[Rocketcrab]

John,

Great to hear from you! Sincerely overjoyed that your wife is doing well. I hope life is returning to "normal"!

If you do decide to jump back into the madness that is the business end of this hobby someday, that would be great. If not, it's all good as they say, and enjoy life!

 

[kelltym88]

Glad to hear from you and glad to hear of the good news. While my wife does not have cancer, she had major foot surgery back in December and cannot put any pressure on her foot and is pretty much confined to the house. So I have to pick up where she left off in cooking, cleaning, shopping. You were one person I thought of. I certainly know how you feel. Again, wonderful news.

 

[JRThro]

Hello All! It's been awhile since my last post and for that I do apologize. Yvette is doing fine and is back to work full time. It was a scary couple of years and though I'm sure we'll both be a little guarded until we hit the five year mark, the worst is behind her.

John, no apologies are needed; you had major real life issues that were far, far more important than model rocketry.

It's good to hear from you, and that's *great* news about your wife!

If you do decide to get back into the rocket business, you could probably just leave out the parachutes entirely and maybe just recommend a size for each kit, since we all have so many other sources for them. Personally, I've pretty much entirely switched over to nylon chutes because they're so much more durable than plastic or mylar, and the thin-mil nylon chutes fit reasonably well into even smaller (say BT-50 or so) body tubes.

Again, it's good to hear from you and I'm glad things are going well.

Keep in touch via the forums (TRF and YORF) if and when you have the time and inclination. Personally, I haven't built or flown anything in months, but I still like to hang around here and read and talk about model rockets.

 

[sandman]

Welcome back, John.

So glad to hear about Yvette.

 

[rokitflite]

I think I speak for almost everyone here John when I say its good to have one of our favorite "family" members back! I'll be pulling for the 5, 10, 20 AND 40 year mark for you and your wife!

 

[JAL3]

Your website had closed down when I found it and I learned of your plight and that of your wife through places like TRF. I also heard nothing but good things about you. I am so happy to hear that things are on the mend and I wish you both a LOT of quality time in the future, unimpeded by doctors and such.

Blessings be upon you both.

 

[sandman]

I vote for the re-release of the Arapahoe E.

That was my favorite.

 

[Stymye]

John ,great to hear from you !
( I also vote for the Arapahoe E's return)

 

[CharlaineC]

I am glade your wife is doing well. Having a loved one deeply ill is a said and frightning time. Glade the light has shone on ou and we will pray that things well keep getting better.

 

[powderburner]

John,

It is definitely great to hear from you, but it's even better to hear your wife is doing well! I am so glad that things have turned out this way for both of you (hey, maybe that prayer stuff DOES work after all?)

Don't worry about this TRF bunch, they will wait patiently for the return of Thrustline, whether they want to or not (um, that was a joke). Let us know if there is something we can do to help, and take gooood care of that special spouse.

 

[CAS2047]

John I'm so happy that your wife is doing well. Your entire family has been through a lot these last couple of years, and some peace and quite is probably just the thing to allow you to decompress.

However if you ever decide to ramp up Thrustline again (in whatever form makes sense for you and your family) there's a lot of folks out here ready to do some shopping.

Thanks for sharing the wonderful news!

 

[chanstevens]

I vote for the re-release of the Arapahoe E.

That was my favorite.

Starship Electra! My beta is showing some signs of wear, and I never did get a chance to buy one of the regular kits .

 

[MysticalRockets]

John,

Glad to hear Yvette is doing good. Having been through this with my wife for the past 18 years, I know how very difficult of a time this can be. Trying to run a business with something like this over your head is a disaster. I had my own business back when Mary went down, and I had to close it and go back to a regular job myself.

She comes first, John. She's the one who chose to spend her life with you, so nothing else matters. Not the business, not TRF, not the hobby, nothing. We'll be here whenever you need us to be.

When she hits the 5 year mark, take her out and celebrate. Lavishly. Take a weekend and just disappear. Just the two of you. Don't tell anyone where you're going, because its just the two of you that should care.

Bob

 

[Gus]

John,

Wonderful news to hear that you and your wife are well!

 

[KHamel]

Great news John, we are all very happy to hear things are going well.

 

[RevKeith]

Great news John!

My favorite Thrustline kit is the Mighty Mick. I also built a clone kit of the Goblin and Nike X. All but the MM is in flying condition.

 

[BobCox]

Welcome back, John. Glad to hear the good news about Yvette.

I'll add one more vote for the Arapahoe E.

 

[Tau Zero]

She comes first, John. She's the one who chose to spend her life with you, so nothing else matters. Not the business, not TRF, not the hobby, nothing. We'll be here whenever you need us to be.

Agreed! Plenty of us "rocket folks" have been concerned about you and praying for "all y'all." Just keep hangin' in there!


Cheers,

 

[Gus]

Put me on the list for a couple Arapahoe Es.

That was a truly elegant looking rocket.

 

[dpower]

Welcome back John, glad things are going well. I get great comments on the Arapahoe-E everytime I launch it, and hope you decide to make a run of those at some point.

 

[Thrustline]

Welcome back John, glad things are going well. I get great comments on the Arapahoe-E everytime I launch it, and hope you decide to make a run of those at some point.

I know they say about being away from something and taking it up again is just like riding a bicycle...but if you've ever seen me on a bike, you'd know that law probably doesn't apply to me

I imagine that the Arapahoe will come sooner rather than later as a re-release. The kit business is like a long freight train. Takes a while to get her to stop, and a while to get her up to speed.

 

[DaveCombs]

Welcome back, John! Glad to hear Yvette is doing well also.

Gonna have to make some room on my build pile now...

 

[Fred22]

Sorry it took a while John but I am terribly glad to hear things are going well for you. Your starship electra was my favourite
Cheers
fred

 

[dpower]

I just noticed your Avatar John. It looks awfully familiar ... and I like it.

 

[Thrustline]

I just noticed your Avatar John. It looks awfully familiar ... and I like it.

I like the business end of yours....wait...did I just say that?

 

[foose4string]

+1 on bringing back the Arapahoe

 

[sandman]

+1 on bringing back the Arapahoe

Well that should be a given!

Look at his Avatar!

Unless John is just being a big tease!

John, you wouldn't do that would you?

 

[Thrustline]

Well that should be a given!

Look at his Avatar!

Unless John is just being a big tease!

John, you wouldn't do that would you?

Hmm....yes I would.....nut not in this particular case. I'm thinking possibly late spring.

 

[MysticalRockets]

I got mine yesterday!!! #106.

Build yesterday, primed last night, will be painted today (Ok, I airbrush using water soluble paints, so I don't have to worry about aerosols.) And will fly on Saturday.