RTF Fun (or how to spice up a family reunion)

[Gus]

I don't usually fly RTFs (except for my Snitch) but I recently went to a yearly family reunion and during some unplanned time, took some of the kids and adults out to launch a couple of RTFs I bought for the occasion at WalMart (Patriot and Snapshot).

Launched from a postage stamp sized school playground in 5 - 10 mph winds out over some nearly ripe soybean fields. Crudely tore vent holes in the chutes with my fingers to decrease the hang time.

12 launches (on A's, B's, and C's) and all but 2 landed "in bounds".

The 2 that missed were no problem as I had 6 boys in the 8-14 age range who were more than willing to kill a few beans to retrieve the rockets.

My joy in rocketry usually comes from seeing how well what I built will fly. But this reminded me of how much fun it is to introduce rockets to people who have never seen them.

The adults were way more impressed than the kids were, since most of them had never seen model rockets before. Way fun!

Only pic is from my mom (I launched rockets with my mom and dad ) which is about 2 seconds after my niece pressed the button to launch her first rocket.

Pics from the Snapshot will have to wait as I left the rockets, launchers, and extra motors with my cousins so they can launch them with their kids (Yay, more rocketeers).

I highly recommend launching model rockets at your next family reunion!

 

[eugenefl]

Last December, while on vacation in Hawaii, I had the honors of conducting the Tour de Deuce launch. Being that I am from Florida, and having no reasonable expectations of traveling with model rocket supplies because of security, I had to purchase a starter set at a local hobby shop. Over here in Florida I am used to $16.99 - $19.99 WalMart starter sets. I guess WalMart doesn't sell many rockets in Hawaii, so I had no choice but to buy at the hobby shop. For the lovely price of *only* $41.99, I had myself a Tidal Wave RTF set. Oh, I had to buy 2 packs of C6-5s too - for $8.99 each!!! Anyways, at the end of my day and having overpayed for my starter supplies, I was relieved to have secured gear for the Deuces launch.

The day of the launch was a special thing. There were many locals that had never seen a model rocket launch before. More importantly, there were a few kids out there that were too thrilled when they found out the Tour de Deuce was a nationwide event. Shortly after the launches when it was time to pack up, it was a real pleasure to donate the leftover supplies and Tidal Wave rocket to the the family with the kids. Long after I had gotten home the last thing on my mind was the cost of the experience.

Although it wasn't my family that united to fly rockets, the experience of introducing rocketry to another family was certainly memorable.

 

[rocketdad0934]

at a family gathering in maine I disposed of a Quark and a upscale Quark to the delight of all. about two weeks later I get a call from my fifteen year old brother in law from walmart "what rocket should I buy they have............ so he got the patriot and then over the phone we got it put together and then he had to see it fly so off we went. it waas a lot of fun to start a new rocketteer he now haas three rockets and wants to know when we can go again?