What is your score?

[K'Tesh]

I think some folks should count up their demerit badges...

 

[K'Tesh]

Different hobby, but I watched a strobe rocket with a salute header arc down under power and hit a port-a-pot. The person inside was not as amused as everyone else.

That scared the C**P out of him.

 

[terryg]

8 for me

 

[boatgeek]

10. Would have been 11 but the cops were called to ejection charge testing, not the launch site.

 

[NTP2]

5, but can we please add a point for getting shot at while recovering a rocket? It would be 6 if so.

 

[Fishhead]

10

 

[Capt. Eric]

11.
Pretty good for someone without kids and only doing this a few years.
Came close to pools a couple of times. And a pond.
Lost 2, not to clouds, but to darkness.
So I am close on a couple more points.

Lost 2 rockets in a wide open field with no trees, clouds, tall grasses, animals, spectator-thiefs, or any other concerns. Just never saw the little buggers again once they left the rod.

 

[lakeroadster]

As a BAR: Zero, None, Nada
As a kid back in the 70's: One

 

[GuyNoir]

12, but in my defense, as of May 2024, I will have been flying model rockets for 58 years.

 

[Back_at_it]

Scored an 8 but was close on two others. Would be a 9 if you changed pool to water as I've had a water landing a few times.

 

[Tractionengines]

8, or 9, [well maybe10]. Counting years ago in my youth, and now as a BAR.

 

[MClark]

22
I have been doing this for a long time .

 

[David Schwantz]

18

 

[Rschub]

I will claim all of them, with the caveat that the events or ones like them were spread over several different hobbies.

 

[Rob Campbell]

10 for me.

 

[jqavins]

Four. And another four of more or less similar things.

One point for each thing you've done (max 25 points):

Glued fingers together Yes
Nearly cried when your rocket had a cato Actually cried when one disappeared; it was being mailed around from one TRF member to the next, and I'm the one who lost it on the way. I searched for over an hour then sat down on the edge of a drainage ditch and cried.
Face-planted from running while looking up in the sky toward your descending rocket Tripped and stumbled, but didn't fall.
Committed minor vandalism against a tree in an attempt to recover a snagged rocket No, but I would.
Have a lost rocket miraculously find its way back to you Yes
Set up your new rocket for launching only to realize you forgot to glue a launch lug on it Yes. I can't remember how many times!
Oversaw a group of 6 or more kids building their first rocket I tried, but the school officials never got back to me.
Had to dodge out of the way of a wayward rocket Yes
Had a dog or other animal run off with your rocket before you could recover it. I had one land right at the feet of a dog, but the dog just sniffed it. I had another chased by a dog, but I got to it first. And my own dog destroyed one that I left outside for paint to dry.

I've got a few I could add to your list:

Hauled everything to the launch site EXCEPT the Aeropack screw-on ring? Hauled everything to the launch site EXCEPT the whole rolling cart of all my rockets.
While watching one of my own come in ballistic thinking out loud "I wonder if I put in the ejection charge?" (thud) "Guess not." No, but
Walked straight into brambles while "'not breaking eye contact"? Yes

 

[DirkTheDaring]

One point for each thing you've done (max 25 points):

Glued fingers together
Glued other body parts together
Purchased a kit with cash so the spouse won't see it on the credit card statement
Nearly cried when your rocket had a cato
Laughed or cheered when someone else rocket had a cato
Smuggled a new kit into the house to keep the spouse from finding it
Dragged unwilling kids out to watch you launch rockets
Face-planted from running while looking up in the sky toward your descending rocket
Committed minor vandalism against a tree in an attempt to recover a snagged rocket
Ask someone if you can go up on their roof to get your rocket
Had a rocket land in a swimming pool
Have a lost rocket miraculously find its way back to you
Had your new, perfectly finished rocket eaten by the clouds on its maiden flight
Had dealings with the police over your choice of launch site.
Set up your new rocket for launching only to realize you forgot to glue a launch lug on it
Watched clear coat destroy your beautiful paint job
Bought a new kit only to realize there is already one in your build pile
Bought a new kit, not to build it, but to upscale it.
Oversaw a group of 6 or more kids building their first rocket
Had to dodge out of the way of a wayward rocket
Had your rocket go wayward and nearly hit someone
Had a dog or other animal run off with your rocket before you could recover it.
Burn through 5 or more ignitors before lighting the motor
Forget the batteries
Forget the launch rod

17. I should just stay home.

 

[techrat]

My score is 10 -- and I had to skip all the spouse-related questions as I am not married.

And as for the swimming pool, I am counting that as we launch from a large athletic field, and there are no nearby pools, but there's a small pond. And half of my rockets manage to find that pond even if the wind isn't blowing that way. It's like they are magnetically attracted to it. Maiden flights are exceptionally rough. If a rocket survives it's first flight with me, I will likely have it until I die.

 

[3stoogesrocketry]

How about driving 6 hours to a launch, pull out a lvl3 class rocket, pull out a pre built then vacuum sealed M motor, only to realize you never grabbed your hardware bin.

Or get to a launch only to realize you didn't grab the one multi rocket battery for use in the ebay for 3 rockets (9.6v Nicad RC car pack) because you wanted to give it a quick charge before you left.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

Get to the launch without your controller.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

Blackberries. How many points for landing in blackberry thickets?

 

[jqavins]

Blackberries. How many points for landing in blackberry thickets?

Points, as in the points of the thorns. Ouch!

 

[neil_w]

Two related items:

1) Forgot to arm the electronics
2) Made a checklist and then forgot to refer to your checklist

(This would increase my score by… counts on fingers… carry the 1… ah yes: “2”.)

 

[Tractionengines]

WAIT.... A QUESTION CAME UP.

If the same issue happens multiple times, does it still count as only 1, (or) is it 1 "per occurrence"?

This accounting difference could be big in some cases.

 

[NTP2]

WAIT.... A QUESTION CAME UP.

If the same issue happens multiple times, does it still count as only 1, (or) is it 1 "per occurrence"?

This accounting difference could be big in some cases.

I say pre occurrence.

 

[neil_w]

No one keeps count. 1 per item.

 

[Zman1961]

12. One of my proudest rocket moments was landing a Big Bertha in our community/public pool, with the classic orange and white chute, just like watching the Apollo landings. Fortunately it was between the morning and afternoon sessions, so no one was in pool. The life guard was not happy, but gave it back to me. I was grinning ear to ear as I walked backed to my launch pad. I was 12 years old, that was a LONG time ago. The flight began with "Gee, I wonder what will happen if I use this C6-5 I have been carrying around."

 

[Tractionengines]

I say pre occurrence.

No one keeps count. 1 per item.

I agree with @neil_w just a 1 if you've ever done it, regardless of # of times.

 

[jqavins]

WAIT.... A QUESTION CAME UP.

If the same issue happens multiple times, does it still count as only 1, (or) is it 1 "per occurrence"?

This accounting difference could be big in some cases.

I understood the spirit of the question to be "Has this ever happened or have you ever done this?" So only one per item even for multiple occurrences. This is implied by:

One point for each thing you've done (max 25 points):

followed by 25 possible things. If this were once per occurrence, I'd have a bunch more for forgetting the launch lug alone.

But it's not like the rocket police will come after you no matter how you count it.