National Museum of the US Air Force Mass Build and Fly 7 October, 2023

[Zeus-cat]

The Wright Stuff Rocketeers (NAR section 703) will be at the US Air Force Museum on Saturday 7 October to help build and launch up to 750 model rockets. The Air Force Museum Foundation buys the rockets and motors and gives them away so that people can build and launch a rocket.

The rockets are built in the museum with help from volunteers and then brought out to the front lawn of the museum where the Wright Stuff Rocketeers launch them.

Here is the Facebook post by the museum:

 

[Zeus-cat]

Preliminary launch numbers showed more than 660 launches by museum visitors. I am still waiting on the number of rockets built.

It was a maximum effort by our club members as it was our highest number of launches at this annual event. I'll get a better count on the number of people involved, but I estimate at least 15 people for prep and launch area. I never went inside so I don't know how many people assisted the visitors with the build.

We had fantastic support from the museum. Not only did they purchase the rockets and motors, but they also set up a really big tent for us out on the lawn that provided shelter for the eight prep stations we had. They also brought out a portable propane heater (like the tall ones used at restaurants) and a generator for the Keurig machine (we drank a lot of coffee, hot chocolate and apple cider). And they catered lunch for us.

I'll follow up in a few days with more info and some photos.

 

[cls]

wow! that's quite a production! worthwhile for all the smiles I'm sure. hopefully more than a few folks caught the rocketry bug and will be back soon.

 

[Gus]

Absolutely fantastic! Over 600 launches is just amazing. Wonderful job guys!

Steve

 

[BEC]

I agree with Steve and @cls — outstanding!!

At our tiny club launch today we had one new 4-year-old rocketeer as well as a handful of us grey-haired kids but we had fun flying off of vintage launchers flying classic designs (mostly). And nearly 80 degrees with no real wind in October....near Seattle?? Wow.

 

[Rob Campbell]

I wish this event existed when I was stationed at Wright-Patt

 

[Zeus-cat]

I have some more info. Randy from eRockets assisted with the build portion of the event and has reported that 780 rockets were built on Saturday. The museum had 750 Astra 3 rockets available for the event. And they pulled some Quest Seekers out of storage for kids who had previously built the Astra 3.

The total number of rockets launched was 665. The number of first-time flyers was 580.

 

[NTP2]

My club (NRVR) had a similar launch at a pumpkin festival last Saturday, a bunch of kids came, I flew a rocket with a E12 in high winds to impress them and lost it over the mountains. I guess that’s what I get for trying to one up a 3 year old

 

[Zeus-cat]

My club received an official letter from the National Museum of the US Air Force thanking us for our assistance at their event.