Hello from Maine

[AcadiaRockets]

My name is Mike. I am getting back into rockets after a 35 year break. I recently turned 50 and having gone through all my teen stuff in storage came across my old rocket things. Long story short in less than 2 months I have 10 rocket kits on the wall, in the middle of 4 builds and acquiring parts for two custom builds. I have an eight year old who I am doing this with. I am pursuing my own tangents with big hobby rockets like a highly modded Mean Machine and scratch building a Mega Der Red Max. The eight year old is putting together smaller rockets with me. I gutted and rebuilt my Bigfoot launcher with more robust parts. I am pretty handy and have a well appointed shop and have been enjoying applying my adult skills and shop resources to rockets now. I bought many of the custom Estes rocket tools as I have never regretted buying a tool and now have the resources to do bigger rockets right.
We are in rural Maine making it a challenge to find good launch sites but have a nearby 600x600ft field that works (for now). The only club in Maine I can see is in southern Maine four hours away and does not appear to be active anymore. I look forward to learning new things on the forum.
I wanted to reach out and introduce myself. Thanks for listening.

 

[H_Rocket]

Look into Tripoli Cherryfield. I don't think they have a website, however they do have a FaceBook page.

 

[neil_w]

Welcome!

 

[KennB]

Welcome back, Mike. It's always good to have the incentive of a child's interest to spur you along.

The Maine Missile Math & Science Club has lost use of the field we used for years in Berwick but may be able to get back on to it in December after the sod season has shutdown. As Al mentions, there is a Tripoli Prefecture that flies in Cherryfield that may be worth checking out depending on which direction your four hours are away from Berwick.

As you say, at least for now, you have someplace to fly the smaller stuff. You can still have some fun.

 

[AcadiaRockets]

Look into Tripoli Cherryfield. I don't think they have a website, however they do have a FaceBook page.

Found them! Great! they are only an hour away AND launching this weekend. Unfortunately we are up to camp this weekend. But a least I know I could meet in person some adults doing rockets someday.

 

[tsmith1315]

I love to hear the stories of returning to the hobby folks remember from childhood. It's great that so much of the old stuff is still here in one form or another.

@AcadiaRockets - Mike, if you have 10 rockets on the wall and are building 4 now, we expect many more pictures to be posted soon!

 

[AcadiaRockets]

I love to hear the stories of returning to the hobby folks remember from childhood. It's great that so much of the old stuff is still here in one form or another.

@AcadiaRockets - Mike, if you have 10 rockets on the wall and are building 4 now, we expect many more pictures to be posted soon!

 

[teepot]

Welcome to the Forum. Spent a summer up in Maine /New Brunswick when I was 16. Canoed the St Johns river from Fort Kent to Edmonton. The thickest fog in the day time I have seen except for England.

 

[DigBaddy]

Welcome! I've got the BT/NC for a Mega Der on the way too. Good call!

That Mini Mean Machine you've got there, just friction fit 18mm motors. Don't build it with the 13mm mount. Trust me on that.

 

[Cape Byron]

Beware, @AcadiaRockets . Children are the gateway drug to a father's rocket addiction. #askhowiknow

 

[Paradox_2112]

Welcome to the forum Mike. Fellow Mainer here in Raymond. I flew in Berwick and fly in Cherryfield. Hope to see you there.
Keith

 

[AcadiaRockets]

Welcome! I've got the BT/NC for a Mega Der on the way too. Good call!

That Mini Mean Machine you've got there, just friction fit 18mm motors. Don't build it with the 13mm mount. Trust me on that.

My new MO is only 18mm on up. So far my builds are more focused on 29mm (with some 24mm adapters) Even the little Comet chaser and Astrocam builds, I am plumbing out motor hooks for screw on 18mm retainers. Thanks for the advice keep it coming.

 

[AcadiaRockets]

Welcome to the forum Mike. Fellow Mainer here in Raymond. I flew in Berwick and fly in Cherryfield. Hope to see you there.
Keith

Thanks for the invite. Hope to see you soon. And if anyone wants to fly on a 600x600 field on beautiful Mount Desert Island, hit me up.

 

[pathtouch]

Howdy folks. Another Mainer here in Scarborough. Currently L1 certified but just got back into the hobby after a 10-year break. Building the L2 rocket shortly.

@AcadiaRockets , which part of the state are you in? Are you near Mount Desert Island?

@Paradox_2112 , we have a camp on Raymond Pond and plan on launching there when it freezes over. You’d be welcome to join.
Also, I am expecting paperwork for an FAA waiver at Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake for this winter. Hoping for 10,000 feet like MMMSC had. Launched with them twice way back when.

I do a lot of lpr with my son too! He’s much younger

 

[AcadiaRockets]

Howdy folks. Another Mainer here in Scarborough. Currently L1 certified but just got back into the hobby after a 10-year break. Building the L2 rocket shortly.

@AcadiaRockets , which part of the state are you in? Are you near Mount Desert Island?

@Paradox_2112 , we have a camp on Raymond Pond and plan on launching there when it freezes over. You’d be welcome to join.
Also, I am expecting paperwork for an FAA waiver at Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake for this winter. Hoping for 10,000 feet like MMMSC had. Launched with them twice way back when.

I do a lot of lpr with my son too! He’s much younger

Welcome! I am indeed on MDI - In Bar Harbor actually. I would love to launch on the ice - that would be a blast! I would like to talk more about your certification journey.

 

[pathtouch]

You’d be more than welcome to join us down south for a launch if you don’t mind the drive this winter.

The Google earth desktop app has been great for finding low power launch sites. Maybe you can find something local to you that way too. It has a measure tool that’s great for quickly checking open area dimensions.

We love your neck of the woods by the way! We’ve been up to MDI probably 4 or 5 times in the past two years. Wonderfully rewarding hikes we can do with the kiddo.

 

[AcadiaRockets]

You’d be more than welcome to join us down south for a launch if you don’t mind the drive this winter.

The Google earth desktop app has been great for finding low power launch sites. Maybe you can find something local to you that way too. It has a measure tool that’s great for quickly checking open area dimensions.

We love your neck of the woods by the way! We’ve been up to MDI probably 4 or 5 times in the past two years. Wonderfully rewarding hikes we can do with the kiddo.

Thats exactly how I id'd my local spots that were the largest. I google earthed my house and started working backward with the ruler tool. Let me know when you launch in your area. I launch at the "Stone Barn" off the Crooked rd. Its a Maine coast heritage site and 2 minutes from my house.

 

[Paradox_2112]

@Paradox_2112 , we have a camp on Raymond Pond and plan on launching there when it freezes over. You’d be welcome to join.
Also, I am expecting paperwork for an FAA waiver at Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake for this winter. Hoping for 10,000 feet like MMMSC had. Launched with them twice way back when.

@pathtouch I am a 5 min walk from Cresant lake on 85. I would be thrilled to launch from Sebago as well.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Welcome back into Model Rocketry!
I looked on Google Earth to find your location and to view the surrounding areas.
Like you, I have never had a club within reasonable distance.
But I've had a life long friend with a farm that let me fly my whole life. (Over 50 years)
There seams to be some farm land somewhat close to you.
Perhaps you can friend a farm owner and they would let you fly a couple times a month.
You can offer to let them partake in the fun, such as "Push the Button".
If safety is the owners main concern, you can join NAR which will give you 1 Million in insurance.
You never know where that kind of move may lead.
It may end up with the creation of a local club if there is enough people interested in your area.
The best thing to do is start talking to everyone you meet about flying rockets.
Someone may offer you a field just to watch something they have never seen before.
Good Luck, and nurture your young lad along and encourage harder builds as he gets older.

 

[K'Tesh]

Welcome!!! I saw several nice old kits in your photos there... Please keep doing that!!!

Pointy Side Up!!!

 

[manixFan]

Thanks for the invite. Hope to see you soon. And if anyone wants to fly on a 600x600 field on beautiful Mount Desert Island, hit me up.

I’m vacationing there next June with my wife and a couple of my sisters. I think if I bought rockets to fly I’d be banished from future trips. My wife already complains about all the rocket trips I take, and squeezing one into a vacation would not go over too well.

However, I may hit you up for some local sightseeing advice (via a PM) - we’ll be there for 4 days and are having a hard time narrowing down the list of stuff to do.

And as an aside, my son got me back into rockets when he was a Cub Scout and now he works for SpaceX - so you never know where a hobby can lead!


Tony

PS: great photo of your son - he’s clearly got the bug.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Welcome. This is exactly why it’s important to introduce the children so they can grow up and spend their discretionary income on big rockets. I started out with the Estes ads in the back of Boys Life.

 

[AcadiaRockets]

I’m vacationing there next June with my wife and a couple of my sisters. I think if I bought rockets to fly I’d be banished from future trips. My wife already complains about all the rocket trips I take, and squeezing one into a vacation would not go over too well.

However, I may hit you up for some local sightseeing advice (via a PM) - we’ll be there for 4 days and are having a hard time narrowing down the list of stuff to do.

And as an aside, my son got me back into rockets when he was a Cub Scout and now he works for SpaceX - so you never know where a hobby can lead!


Tony

PS: great photo of your son - he’s clearly got the bug.

Absolutely look me up when you are in town.

 

[prfesser]

Welcome back, Mike! My two cents: if there is a (big) club launch within five or six hours, preferably with a couple of vendors, go! Bring kids (and wife if she's so inclined), get a hotel and make a weekend of it. Be careful not to max out more than one credit card at the vendors.

You'll be amazed at how much there is to learn...and almost every rocketnut you talk to will be willing and eager to share their knowledge.

Best -- Terry

 

[samb]

Welcome back to the party Acadia. All I can say is we got a bunch a damn enablers here. Great shots of little guy and workbench.
Having your own 600x600 patch nearby sounds like a little piece of heaven to me.

 

[ZEDL1]

Great to have you back home to our hobby/obsession BAR Mike and Son.
Our Forum has so many great people who want to help us learn, and we very much enjoying what we've learned over the years with each other. You will enjoy.
Jim

 

[NAR29996]

I miss Maine

 

[AcadiaRockets]

Update: We met with the Tripoli Cherryfield folks today and hung out with some awesome folks. The rabbit hole just got VERY deep!