Memories of Monroe, WA launches

[ionosphere]

I used to regularly attend high power launches with the Boeing Employees Model Rocket Club in Monroe, Washington. I moved out of state, but now I'm back and will be living in Monroe! I understand those launches ended many years ago? Anyone know exactly where it was? I remember it was farmland owned by the Department of Corrections. What a shame it would now be so convenient for me to go if they still existed.

 

[burkefj]

I used to launch there too with Dave Davis, Bill Maness, Montey Bennett etc in the early 90's. I didn't think that was part of BEMRC, just run by Dave who was a boeing guy, but I might be wrong. That was my BAR time, everyone was great, had a lot of fun and good memories for me. If you like LP you can launch at the SIR track with BEMRC monthly launches, or the few launches they have at 60 acres park when soccer isn't happening, if you want HP, there are launches in Mansfield WA, and Tri Cities.

Frank

 

[rharshberger]

Contact Bernard Cawley aka on TRF as "BEC". He is a regular at the BEMRC launches iirc.

 

[krislhull]

I moved to the area about a year after the final Monroe launch, so I never knew exactly were they were held. I heard I missed some great events there.

 

[BEC]

I have only heard stories about the Monroe launches....mostly from Dave Davis. My understanding, coming into the little bit of BEMRC that was left about nine years ago, was that it was once quite a bit larger - and yes the Monroe launches were under its auspices.

Dave Davis is still a Boeing guy and still the GSE guru around these parts. We (BEMRC) still use a 10-channel LPR panel he built a long long time ago. I've also built a personal 3-channel panel using his basic circuit design that I use at smaller affairs....or alongside the 10 pads of the original setup when we have a big Scouts group or groups joining us as we did last month and will again in August.

I can ping Dave and see if he can tell me where the Monroe launches took place, I suppose.

As Frank (burkefj) noted, BEMRC flies once a month at Pacific Raceways. We use their big overflow parking lot which is square and approximately 1000 feet on a side. That's technically large enough to fly up to G but really, due to it being surrounded by tall trees on all four sides and pretty compelling reasons to stay within bounds (houses to the east, active drag strip and road race course to the south, go-kart track to the west) we basically control for maximum altitude for the winds of the day.

The WAC launches are in the winter at Sixty Acres - one each month January through April (though there are rumors there may be a November one this year).

For high power there's WAC at Mansfield a few times a year, TCR in the Tri-Cities roughly monthly, Blue Mountain Rocketeers in Dayton a few times a year (including a three-day affair this coming weekend....which is where you will likely find the aforementioned Mr. Davis doing a little flying and a little agitating).

 

[ionosphere]

Did the Monroe launches end, because they could no longer get permission to use the land? Such a shame, because I'm moving to Monroe next month. Haven't been involved in rockets in many years.

 

[SteveThatcher]

Did the Monroe launches end, because they could no longer get permission to use the land? Such a shame, because I'm moving to Monroe next month. Haven't been involved in rockets in many years.

Basically, yes. I seem to remember the the DOC had some changes take place and it was easier for them to say no to any further use. I am not sure what the condition of the land is now and who really controls it anymore. I haven't been out that way for a long time. Of note, it was Bill Maness and myself who found the place initially and got things started. A lot of great memories out there. I had to drop out a few years after we started. Fortunately Bill and Dave Davis were able to run it until DOC said they couldn't use the place anymore. I made it back out there just before it got shut down. It was a shame to lose a great place for rockets and sometime I actually miss the swamp...

here are the lat and long to the road next to the site-
47°48'26.7"N 121°59'58.9"W