Is Driving The Most Common Option For Attending Distant Events?

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MichiganJohn

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Apologies for what is probably a well-established question for veterans, but I'm assuming if you want to take a project to a distant event you need to drive there, correct - is that what most folks do? Are there any commercial flight restrictions that make it difficult to pack a rocket and gear as checked baggage (not including motors/igniters of course - and assuming the physical size can be broken-down into luggage) - and then buy motor/s on site? I'd love to get out West to fly at some point, but it's a long haul from Mich. Thanks in advance for info.
 
Dr David Reese used to carry on one or two rockets in a 6x6x48" box (I think maximum allowed) when he flew from California to MWP. I think he left empty motor cases in the mounts and no batteries on the AV bay sleds. He also has a 4" Dark Star Extreme permanently stashed at Wildman's... Check with the airlines. Things might have changed.
 
I flew to Atlanta a good while back on a business trip. Saw that there was a launch a short drive south on the weekend that I was staying over, so packed an HPR and a D powered model in a cardboard box reinforced by some scrap 1/8 ply door skin material. Packed the AT RMS case next to the rocket wrapped in bubble wrap. This worked out well as they wanted to look inside at baggage check. Once they saw that everything was empty, zero problems.

Pre-arranged with attending motor vendor to have what I needed reload-wise on site. Picked up a pack of D12-3 at Hobby Lobby on the way to the launch. Brought a very basic launch and tool kit packed in a small cardboard box in my suitcase.

Hard a great time at a great launch and met some great rocketeers. Flew my HPR once and my D powered Mig-21 BG three times. Was a very relaxed launch for me as I tend to bring too much to fly and rush all day.....:)

No luggage inspection on the way home.

I highly recommend doing this when the opportunity arises!
 
All of the above. I have friends who travel to Vegas for their big launches via air from St. Louis, and they ship a crate ahead of time so they don't have to make the drive. Now this may get tricky when you realize you have to ship the ground support equipment that the launch may not have (a la Balls).

I have always driven. I hate driving. Airfest is a stretch for me because I don't usually allocate an appropriate amount of time for travel - I'm always driving after a 10 hour work day, 8 hours to Airfest... Makes for a very long and dull trip. But this is one of those years that I have 5wks of vacation (still trying to figure out how I accrued so much), and we are going on a 10 day trip to Colorado just a few weeks before that so I don't think I'll make Airfest this year because I don't want to drive halfway back to Colorado! :(
 
Speaking of long drives, making the pilgrimage back to Argonia KS next week. 800 miles/12 hours for me, the main part that blows is killing nearly two full days just for the travel aspect, but its part of the journey. Positive mindset about the drive, no worries. :)

LOL, about right. What sucks for me is having limited tunes to listen to that I understand (I am deaf), so I have to decide if I want to risk checking out FB a time or two, or responding to texts to at least keep me alert and stimulated - can't listen to talk shows, be on the phone with other folks to stay alert, etc.. I only do it when I'm more or less on the open road solo, never in traffic. Otherwise it's just lane markings after lane markings after lane markings, and that just sucks.
 
LOL, about right. What sucks for me is having limited tunes to listen to that I understand (I am deaf), so I have to decide if I want to risk checking out FB a time or two, or responding to texts to at least keep me alert and stimulated - can't listen to talk shows, be on the phone with other folks to stay alert, etc.. I only do it when I'm more or less on the open road solo, never in traffic. Otherwise it's just lane markings after lane markings after lane markings, and that just sucks.
That would be hard. My trip to Argonia is about 1,000 miles, but I can listen to a book the whole way. 14 hours talking to myself would be pretty bad company.
 
I have been to Airfest/LDRS in Argonia many times, once even running a Ham Radio Event station [CQ CQ , Airfest 15 rocket launch event station] . It is a 15-16 hour drive from NwOhio. I would drive 10 hours to Columbia, MO. Spend the night get up early and arrive in Argonia about Noon.

FYI if you stay at the Fairfield Inn , Columbia; you can walk to the Hooters Bar and Grill behind it. I also remember that I saw the rocket to smash into the moon one morning at that Hotel and then our Gray Long Haired Science Guy said; "well that didn't work the way it was supposed to."
 
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I now have more time to drive to events, since I retired in Feburary. Looking forward to attending some bucket list events, both rocketry and RC airplanes, since I no longer have to be back at work on Monday morning.
 
I now have more time to drive to events, since I retired in Feburary. Looking forward to attending some bucket list events, both rocketry and RC airplanes, since I no longer have to be back at work on Monday morning.
I hope you’ll plan on joining us at LDRS this summer. The Bonneville Salt Flats are a surreal place to launch rockets. A huge recovery area. Zero chance of a rocket eating tree. Hotels with air conditioning, showers, and swimming pools 10 minutes away. Sure, it gets hot, but it’s not humid.
 
If you’re within driving distance and plan on bringing more than a small rocket or two driving is usually the least expensive way to attend, but as others have commented it requires time. I have flown to launches, borrowed tools, and bought and built rockets on-site. I have left built rockets with friends after launches. I have also hauled rockets and tools in my trailer for friends so they could fly there because they had less vacation time than me. Once you make some rocket friends your options increase.
 
Speaking of long drives, making the pilgrimage back to Argonia KS next week. 800 miles/12 hours for me, the main part that blows is killing nearly two full days just for the travel aspect, but its part of the journey. Positive mindset about the drive, no worries. :)
Doing the same, with a 28 ft trailer and 1000 miles of road each way. It is solid 17 hrs, and 200+ gallons of diesel.
 
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