Pennsylvania Meets?

[CrazyModelGuy]

I live outside of Scranton, PA and most of the places I used to launch from are now warehouses or private property. Other than me heading into New York State. Are there any meets in PA that I might be able to attend this summer. I am just getting back into the hobby after being away for about 15 years. So im starting small with Estes kits and want to eventually get into possibly a loc precision kit by the end of the summer.

 

[n3tjm]

Look up Spaar.org. Depending on what you fly and how far you are willing to go, they are closest club to Scranton that I know of and they have several flying locations in PA. The closest SPAAR launch sight to me is the one in Halifax which is about under hour drive for me. Where I am, I usually just fly rockets at the school I work at, which is near Mifflinburg. Maybe if you really itching to fly, you can come on over and fly some stuff with me

 

[CrazyModelGuy]

And from what I can tell youre also a ham like me. K3ROB here. as I said im getting back into rockets and its been years. I started 2 easy kits and am currently building a Hi Flier and EPIC 2 2 stage rocket. Im always down to launch some rockets. Im sure yours are far better than mine. LOL

 

[n3tjm]

Yep, I been a HAM since 94, and been in rocketry longer than that

 

[tjkopena]

Just noticed this thread.

Another option is PARA, the Philadelphia Area Rocketry Association (NAR #520). Despite the name, it meets a good bit north of the city in Ottsville, PA. Looks to be about an hour closer to Scranton than at least some of the SPAAR sites (I haven't checked all of them).

I've only been going since February myself, but it's been a consistent crew of a dozen+ regulars and then a handful of less-regulars and maybe another handful of visitors, scouts, etc.. The atmosphere is casual, with a broad mix of models and people. Lots of Es and Fs but also micro-rockets and oddities and everything in-between. I believe up to G-80 is permitted. The regular attendees range from young kids to seniors.

Meets are the first weekend of each month. Historically they were mid-day on Sundays but recently the club has been experimenting with Saturday afternoons to see if that's a better time slot.

All the details as well as contacts for the club leadership are on the website.

 

[jnmiller]

SPAAR has much better fields than PARA.

 

[n3tjm]

If you are not to far from Penns Creek, PA (Hour from Harrisburg and State College), we could fly rockets at the school I work at .

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Howzabout us folks from beyond the mountains, or even in the mountains? I'm near Pittsburgh; I know of Pittsburgh Space Command, they have a waiver and field near Grove City; and SHARC (South Hills Area Rocketry Club) flies down near 84, PA, I think at Trax Farms. But SW PA in particular is bad for hills and trees in great abundance. I just fly at a local school when I can (800' longest clear dimension), but am working to identify other possibilities.

Just figured from the thread title we could widen the scope a bit!

 

[dratliff]

The Tripoli Pittsburgh Prefecture (Prefecture #1) flies at a field about an hour south of Pittsburgh. We have a 14,000 foot waiver, although our recovery area is not the greatest. Hills, trees and tall weeds, as mentioned above. I generally try to stay under about 4k, and mostly fly dual deploy. We have had a handful of M motor launches though, and we routinely fly up to K motors.

We have a great group of members with all levels of experience, and a large contingent of college students that various club members are mentoring. Anybody is welcome to come fly with us! Check out our website: tripolipgh.org. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

 

[UncleJoe]

Joe D here, nice to see Tripoli Pittsburgh active. Been doing outlaw flights it the rc airplane fields. I'm courteous if anyone has tried taking to the owner of the land we held the Z lunches in the 80s. Plenty of room and time since we last hit a golf course. Still amazing a science club we launched rockets became so big. Oh hi Glen how are you doing?

 

[Blast it Tom!]

@dratliff Thanks! I checked it out, and yeah, it's a bit of a haul for me (as is PSC's site near Grove City). Ah, the Western PA hills and trees...! I used Google Earth and measured about half a mile clear NW-SE, and that "T" shape gives you almost that much on the more or less W-E direction. I can see why you tend to stay at 400' max... But it's certainly more than I have at the ball fields! You guys do joint launches with PSC as I see - I've been looking at, but haven't had time to contact the owner of a field with at least 3,000 ft clear one direction, considerably more N-S, near just south of Quicksilver Golf course (just north of Midway). It'd be about "MIdway" between the two sites!!! It's registered as a private airfield, so proximity to the Pittsburgh Airport could be a problem with anything over 5000' - Many a time I've flown the approach east along Rt. 22, turning over Heidleberg and coming back to land on 28L. (I'm not a pilot, I just enjoy the approaches to Pittsburgh.)

I don't have any NAR or Tripoli memberships yet; I'm an L-zero BAR flying mostly woosh-pop-drop black powder and Q-Jet D's (18mm). Trying to find a place I can easily take the family, and especially the grandkids, on short notice on a calm evening, But if I could help secure additional field options, I'd be willing to take out memberships when I get retired here in a couple of months - good for insurance purposed, too! And I'm pretty good at making presentations - perhaps I could help persuade landowners...

@UncleJoe, which site are you referring to? Have you checked it out lately?

 

[UncleJoe]

The Z launches were held a few miles passed the strawberry golf course in zeli.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

The Z launches were held a few miles passed the strawberry golf course in zeli.

Dang, that'd be a lot closer. And yes, I'd like to go higher power some day, more weight, more complication, cameras, GPS, telemetry, dual deploy, stuff like that... but for now, baby steps... & have fun with the grandkids.

But gee, as I think about it - the kids will all go to a school in Beaver Falls, and I was thinking about doing demonstrations, maybe even teach a science segment at appropriate age levels... Zelie would be quite handy for a field trip. All thes plans are still quiet nebulous...

 

[Precision3D]

I'm moving close to middletown PA for a new job at Pratt and Whitney and am definitely looking for a place to launch rockets . I'll probably go to SPAAR. I think I'm going to do my Level 2 at freedom launch in SC before I leave NC but I'm unsure yet.
I can't wait to meet you PA people !

 

[n3tjm]

Middletown is very close to where SPAAR flies. I like flying at the Halifax location. Also, I an about an hour north of you so maybe we could fly at the school I work at if you in the mood to shoot off some rockets at an unofficial launch . I have been thinking about starting my own rocket club if there is enough area in the central PA area.