SodBlaster VI

[rharshberger]

SodBlaster VI is under way. Many thanks to our landowner and our sponsors!

 

[rharshberger]

Ready for tomorrows (Saturday) flight.

 

[Chris in Idaho]

09:00 if you are asking about the range opening

Is that when the safety meeting starts?

 

[rharshberger]

Is that when the safety meeting starts?

Usually 08:45am for the fliers brief.

 

[rharshberger]

SodBlaster VI day 2, beautiful morning and of course the Pfister Aviation airshow!

 

[rharshberger]

SodBlaster VI day 2 is almost complete! We have the raffle and contest awards ceremony this evening. Here is this years group photo! Many thanks to our volunteers and especially the vendors and sponsors who make these type events possible!

 

[ljwilley]

The reason I said I will not be there is because I would be in Montana and coming back on the last day. Turns out my trip back to Oregon today took me right through tri cities, so I stopped by the launch and watched a few for an hour or so. Looked like everyone was having fun, and there was a considerably larger number of cars than last year!

 

[rharshberger]

The reason I said I will not be there is because I would be in Montana and coming back on the last day. Turns out my trip back to Oregon today took me right through tri cities, so I stopped by the launch and watched a few for an hour or so. Looked like everyone was having fun, and there was a considerably larger number of cars than last year!

More attendees, and more "quality" flights not necessarily more flights. We had some great projects and it would be cool to see more next year projects, both team and personal.

 

[rharshberger]

SodBlaster Day 4 is in the books and another SodBlaster is over awaiting next year! The day dawned with some vicious winds destroying a canopy or three. Some flying did happen as the winds would drop to 5mph for 20 minutes or so then kick back up again to well over 20mph gusts. The 6am-ish wind storm is what knocked the banner down.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

I cannot say enough, good things about Sodblaster, the Tri-Cities, Rocketeers, and all the volunteers who make this happen. Thank you for making this a special weekend for us out of towners.

 

[tcpjunkie]

My First Event, First Launch, First Cert. All due to the kindness and hard work of the Tri-Cities Rocketeers and volunteers.

Thank you very much

 

[RokitFlyr]

Sodblaster VI was once again a fantastic event. Beautiful clear skys and light wind the first 3 days. Monday morning, not so much. My personal experience was as far as flying, not so much. Still, a great time.

 

[boatgeek]

I cannot say enough, good things about Sodblaster, the Tri-Cities, Rocketeers, and all the volunteers who make this happen. Thank you for making this a special weekend for us out of towners.

Hear, hear! I so appreciate TCR's organization, flexibility, and support for all of us flyers! Many thanks to Rich, Dave, Tamara, and the rest of the crew. Special props to the LCO who called flights in the style of a wrestling announcer.

[edit] In case this wasn't clear, I really appreciated the maybe-James-Moorshire's LCO style, and so did the folks new to rocketry back in our camp. He was a lot of fun to listen to. [/edit]

 

[DirkTheDaring]

Hear, hear! I so appreciate TCR's organization, flexibility, and support for all of us flyers! Many thanks to Rich, Dave, Tamara, and the rest of the crew. Special props to the LCO who called flights in the style of a wrestling announcer.

That announcer is prolly our own (Seattle) James Moorshire. It’s his calling.

 

[rharshberger]

Hear, hear! I so appreciate TCR's organization, flexibility, and support for all of us flyers! Many thanks to Rich, Dave, Tamara, and the rest of the crew. Special props to the LCO who called flights in the style of a wrestling announcer.

[edit] In case this wasn't clear, I really appreciated the maybe-James-Moorshire's LCO style, and so did the folks new to rocketry back in our camp. He was a lot of fun to listen to. [/edit]

That was indeed James Moorshire!

FYI Eric I think we found the 29mm case and parts of your sustainer.

 

[Flyfalcons]

Sodblaster VI was fantastic! Three days of light winds and dark blue skies, plus one morning we needn't mention. Tri-Cities Rocketeers did their usual amazing job of running the best rocket event in the Pacific Northwest! Many thanks to Dave, Rich, William, Tammara, and everyone else who helped RSO, LCO, assign pads, witness certs, and put on the best best dessert and raffle social anywhere. Of course, the raffle would be nothing without our generous sponsors and individual donors. Thanks so much!

Anyway, I'm usually running around with my video camera and never get enough still photos, but here are a few I took, as well as one that a friend took of my Black Brant in flight. See everyone next time!

 

[boatgeek]

Just some rockets hanging out...

 

[rharshberger]

Couple of select pictures (the only ones I currently have) of the Nuclear Sledgehammers flight on Saturday. These were taken by a friends drone, the last picture is about 15 seconds before landing....30' up in the top of a birch tree....how many trees do you see in the pictures...yep I treed probably the only rocket the entire launch.

 

[rharshberger]

From Dave King TCR President and Prefect:

Another really great Sod Blaster event is in the books. We had 142 flights on Friday, 212 flights on Saturday, 214 flights on Sunday, and 38 flights on Monday for a total of 606 flights. We had a total of around 230 attendees for the weekend and although the parking lot was full, we were able to make room for everyone. Our new Wilson F/X away cell pad worked flawlessly and we had a much needed second away cell pad for a number of large projects that were flown this launch.

Once again the launch was very busy: we many EX high power flights on Friday and Sunday that were all successful, an entertaining WAC project complex motor flight, a very well attended raffle after the cookie and ice cream social, a silent auction, predicted altitude contests, and night flights. Thanks to the tireless help of our club members who stepped up to do registration, range setup, LCO duty, RSO duty, and teardown, the whole launch went very smoothly once again. You guys and gals are the best!

Predicted altitude contest winners:
- Contest 1: 500’ to 1999’, Bernard Cawley, $20 gift certificate.
- Contest 2: 2000’ to 3999’, Larry Kennedy, $30 gift certificate.
- Contest 3: 4000’ to 5999’, Dave King, $40 gift certificate.
- Contest 4: 6000’ to 7999’, Dave Gustafson, $50 gift certificate.

We had very generous sponsors again this year with well over $1000 of really great raffle prizes – many thanks to Additive Aerospace, Aerospace Specialty Products, Boyce Aerospace Hobbies, Discount Rocketry, Eggtimer Rocketry, Flis Kits Model Rockets, Front Range Rocket Recovery, Inverted Pursuits Lab Rat Rocketry, Loc Precision, MadCow Rocketry, Missile Works, Qualman Rocketry, SBR Fusion Rockets, Top Flight Recovery; and to all who donated to the raffle. Loni’s Sign Services also made and donated our sponsor banner for us. Thanks to the very generous donations from our sponsors and club members, we had a really big turnout for the raffle.

Special thanks to Dale Woodford who handled all of the L1 and L2 certifications, and to Jim Pommert who donated a truckload of ready to fly and keep low power rockets for the kids who attended. Also special thanks to all of you who really stepped up in doing LCO and RSO shifts, and registration. You helped make this once again a fun and successful launch!

 

[BEC]

Rich and Dave and Tamara,

Thanks again to the whole TCR crew for all the work it took to host us. We had a good time and a good visit.

One minor thing about your list of sponsors. I think you meant Qualman Rocketry.

See you again next year (if not before)

 

[rharshberger]

Rich and Dave and Tamara,

Thanks again to the whole TCR crew for all the work it took to host us. We had a good time and a good visit.

One minor thing about your list of sponsors. I think you meant Qualman Rocketry.

See you again next year (if not before)

Betting autocorrect got the better of DK.....

However..I fixed it on the 5 posts I could!

My guess is that if not for the bad weather on Monday we might have been really close to last years number of flights.

 

[BEC]

Betting autocorrect got the better of DK.....

Maybe. He often called it “Qualcom Rocketry” rather than “Qualman Rocketry” during the raffle, too. Not every time, but most of the time…

 

[rharshberger]

Maybe. He often called it “Qualcom Rocketry” rather than “Qualman Rocketry” during the raffle, too. Not every time, but most of the time…

Hes an EE, Qualcom makes stuff EE's like to play with, Qualman makes stuff rocketeers like to play with!

 

[BEC]

Hes an EE, Qualcom makes stuff EE's like to play with, Qualman makes stuff rocketeers like to play with!

I figured it was something like that.....

 

[DirkTheDaring]

Again, thank you all! Who is handling the lost and found? I lost a pair of prescription clip on sunglasses. On the off chance that someone found them, please let me know.

 

[rharshberger]

Again, thank you all! Who is handling the lost and found? I lost a pair of prescription clip on sunglasses. On the off chance that someone found them, please let me know.

Post a message to the TCR forums Lost and Found section!

 

[DirkTheDaring]

Post a message to the TCR forums Lost and Found section!

Thanks, will do.
Ken

 

[DirkTheDaring]

On the off chance anyone cares...

Here’s a link to my photos and videos from Sodblaster VI. Obviously these are focused on my rockets and the WAC group project, but there are a few others here and there. Also, misc. other pics that have nothing to do with rockets.

Feel free to download and share any you wish and to add your own. And feel free to ignore.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DK4QBHsrDkyJ7Vuy9

Took me long enough.

Once again, thank you to all the folks at Tri-Cities who made this happen!
Ken

 

[rharshberger]

On the off chance anyone cares...

Here’s a link to my photos and videos from Sodblaster VI. Obviously these are focused on my rockets and the WAC group project, but there are a few others here and there. Also, misc. other pics that have nothing to do with rockets.

Feel free to download and share any you wish and to add your own. And feel free to ignore.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DK4QBHsrDkyJ7Vuy9

Took me long enough.

Once again, thank you to all the folks at Tri-Cities who made this happen!
Ken

Thanks for sharing!