Anyone not pass their Level 2 on first try?

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PayLoad

PayLoad

I don't do spirals
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Going for Level 2 Cert NAR.

I know rocketry, I'm just lousy at testing. Am I worrying over nothing?

LOC Vulcanite on a J425R already built, just need to paint.
 
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PayLoad said:
Going for Level 2 Cert NAR.

I know rocketry, I'm just lousy at testing. Am I worrying over nothing?

LOC Vulcanite on a J425R already built, just need to paint.
Click to expand...

I did the written test fine first time, but it took me 2 flights to get my L2.

On the first flight, my shear pins were apparently not sized correctly, so I got main at apogee, not drogue only. The rocket obviously drifted a lot more than was planned and it went to the trees, but amazingly found the only hole in them and ended up as a water landing in the creek. I recovered it and when the observers looked at it, it was absolutely able to be re-flown, except that it was wet and therefore the cardboard was not fitting ideally. The handful of people around started debating whether it was OK to cert or not, but I ended the conversation quickly saying that even though the flight was safe and the rocket could likely be flown again after letting it dry (i.e. no broken fillets etc.) I considered it a failure, as the flight profile was not the intended flight profile and in my opinion, that was a failed attempt.

To be honest, I haven't looked at the current NAR rules and never reviewed the TRA rules, so I don't know if that is a real rule or not, but for me, success meant a nominal flight that followed all the intended flight parameters (i.e. not pulling the main early) and recovered in the intended recovery area (i.e. not the creek at the edge of the property).

I did fly the rocket again at the next launch after CA-ing the swollen cardboard and sanding back to a good fit, up-sizing my shear pins and got my L2 at that launch, everything completely nominal. I *think* that was the last time I flew that particular rocket, but maybe I did one other flight. Way too long ago to remember specifically. . .

Sandy.
 
tim cubbedge said:
I’ve seen several people fail L2 test, both NAR and TRA.
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They're always seems to be people who failed to do any studying at all and show up take the test and expect that maybe they will pass it. When I was studying for the 3 ham radio tests there were 1500 plus questions in the pool. The Extra class test has 710 questions in the pool. I ended up taking the online practice test 135 times for it. I never studied like that while I was in school. 🤔
 
My 2 cents worth…If you don’t test well…and there are many folks that don’t regardless of preparation, just focus on taking the test and don’t prepare to fly that same time. A passed test is good for a year. That may take a bit of the pressure off the day and allow you the space to do well on the written test.
 
Tripoli. If you fail, you can take the other test immediately. If you fail that one too, you have to wait a month to try again with both tests.
 
20 years ago my 6 year old son wanted me to upgrade to L2. I told him he had to study the NAR questions with me. he said ok, so we worked together every evening for a couple weeks. When I explained to the L3CC, he said ok both of you take the test together. 100% score. I almost picked a wrong answer but my son caught it.

bottom line: if you are motivated, you'll do fine.
 
Passed the test - blew the flight. Prepped a different rocket (the same WM Jr that I got L1 on) and passed without issues an hour later.
 
The test was fairly straightforward for me, but I'm good at rote memorization. I failed the first flight (I think the JLCR jammed in the body tube due to poor packing on my part) but passed on the second.

Sandy H. said:
I considered it a failure, as the flight profile was not the intended flight profile and in my opinion, that was a failed attempt.

To be honest, I haven't looked at the current NAR rules and never reviewed the TRA rules, so I don't know if that is a real rule or not, but for me, success meant a nominal flight that followed all the intended flight parameters (i.e. not pulling the main early) and recovered in the intended recovery area (i.e. not the creek at the edge of the property).
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I'm pretty sure that both NAR and TRA allow for off-plan safe flights for L1 and L2, but both frown on off-plan flights for L3. IMO (and the this may will vary from person to person) the minimum criteria for a safe flight includes landing at a safe speed aka the main is deployed and at least mostly inflates. I would count an otherwise uneventful flight that landed in a creek as a safe flight if the main was out when it landed and it didn't pop a fin.

[edit] None of the foregoing means that you made the wrong decision in declaring your flight a failed flight.
 
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Took the test in spring and got 100%. Did the practice test once and found it was almost all stuff that I already knew from 8 years of doing LPR.

Blew my first flight attempt the following summer though. Harsh lesson in the importance of bonding surface preparation. Fixed the rocket and succeeded on my second attempt in fall.
 
Same pattern as most others, passed the test missing one question, but blew up on the pad when high winds set off my poorly configured altimeter (my fault!).

Flew again and passed later that spring.
 
boatgeek said:
/snip [edit] None of the foregoing means that you made the wrong decision in declaring your flight a failed flight.
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Understood and agree. I kind-of 'grade' myself when I fly, but just to help make myself better and not 'to get a trophy/get points/brag etc.' I think things like not flying the wind as well as I could have, burning an igniter or two before getting the motor to light or being a little early or late if using motor ejection are all nominal flights. I consider flights where parts fall off, the rocket flies poorly (major weathercock, fast spinning etc.), extremely early or late ejection or pulling the main at apogee if not intended as personal failures, even if the flight was 100% safe. I don't mind failing as long as I learn something and improve my chance to not have a similar issue in the future.

When there was a mild discussion going on about whether it was technically a good cert flight or not, it didn't bother me for a microsecond to say 'Nope, not what I wanted' and ended the debate immediately without people arguing about nuances or personal opinions of the situation. Not sure if you've noticed, but for some reason, rocket people seem to like to get into arguments at times. . . :)

Sandy.
 
Should be impressive, I did my level 2 with a heavy rocket on a J350. 1800' and didn't need dual deploy, pretty pale by comparison. Good Luck!
 
I had to re-cert for my L2 after letting my Tripoli membership lapse (before they changed this policy). On my L2 flight my scratch-built nosecone imploded at Mach 2.something (minimum diameter flight, large J) But it recovered o.k. otherwise and I was able to re-fly with a new nosecone that day.
 
One we try to do, is to have L2's take their written test at the end of the day. Ideally, at the restaurant / brewpub after the day's flying. this allows 2 things:
  1. The Main test-giver can concentrate on his day; isn't running around "watching" the testee. (He also does the main RSO / LCO duties!). Also, the restaurant is more comfortable, quiet, less distractions, etc.. and a beer is easily accessible to celebrate! (or drown the sorrows of.. :D )
  2. Forces the would-be L2 to slow down, and take the test then do his cert flight at the next launch. The launch happens after the test, so you kinda have to pass the test first.. We have all seen a few who think this is a bit of a race, and try to do their test & flight in one day, and also right after their L1 flight!

We do make the odd exception, like when someone has driven hours for it, (Students / student teams..) But again, it isn't someone who shows up & asks for the test. They do need to make arrangements to have the test available..
 
With Tripoli, you can ask for the questions to be given orally and you can respond orally, if that helps. I’ve known some pretty smart people that had problems taking written exams but who could easily pass an oral exam.
I would bet that the NAR allows something similar but I haven’t read that part of the test for a while.
 
Steve Shannon said:
With Tripoli, you can ask for the questions to be given orally and you can respond orally, if that helps. I’ve known some pretty smart people that had problems taking written exams but who could easily pass an oral exam.
I would bet that the NAR allows something similar but I haven’t read that part of the test for a while.
Click to expand...
Could that also, then, be the tester just reading aloud the questions to the testee? then recoding his / her answers?
 
Mine failed on a CTI J270 when the ejection charge didn’t go off and I doesn’t have a backup for the drogue. It whistled on its way down. When the main blew at 650ft, it broke the nylon shock cord clean in two. All pieces recovered with no further damage!
 

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