Hutchinson, Kansas
 
April 13th, 14th, and 15th of 2012

 

NARCON 2011 Presentations

Saturday Dinner Keynote Speaker

Former Shuttle commander and retired Navy Captain Hoot Gibson
Hoot is a veteran of 5 shuttle missions and served in the US Navy as an F-14 pilot. He is an Academy of Model Aeronautics ambassador, he was present at the 1980 Spacemodeling Championships held in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Sunday Keynote Speaker

Bill Stine: Model Rocketry - The Formative Years
Bill is the founder and President of Quest Aerospace, Inc. Founded in 1991, Quest quickly became one of the two leading model rocket companies. In 1995 he sold Quest to ToyBiz, Inc (NYSE, TBZ) and remained its President into 1999. In 2003 he re-acquired Quest from Marvel Enterprises (NYSE – MVL). Prior to founding Quest, Bill worked for Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC) and was responsible for their complete line of model rocket products. Prior to his involvement with MRC, he was Vice President of Enertek, Inc. (now Aerotech, a Division of RCS, Inc.) a pioneer manufacturer of large model rocket products. He also worked in the research & development and marketing departments of Centuri Engineering and Estes Industries from 1978 through 1981. He has designed and built rocket models professionally for two Hollywood movies, General Dynamics Space Systems and Motorola's Iridium. He has served as an industry expert committee member of the National Fire Protection Association Committee on Pyrotechnics (NFPA) since 1989. He is a Reserve National Champion competitor with the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). In 1999 he founded the Model Rocket Museum to further document and preserve the history of Model Rocketry. Bill is the author of the 7th Edition of The Handbook of Model Rocketry (John Wiley, Publisher), which is widely considered the "bible" of the hobby. Today, Bill travels the world giving model rocket workshops for teachers, and every two years acts as Team Coach for the USA Junior competitors at the World Spacemodeling Championships (as taught by his father “paying forward”).

Presentations

Trip Barber: International Competition (Download 5MB PDF)
The World Spacemodeling Championships are the place where skilled model rocketeers from 25 countries compete each two years for the title of "World Champion" in 8 separate events and two age divisions. This talk will share the experience of several recent international spacemodeling competitions with photos and video clips, including scenes from the 2006 Internats at Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome, and will describe the techniques that the competitors use to build and fly these models. Trip Barber is the NAR President. He has flown in 5 World Spacemodeling Championships, including the last 3, in his 48 years as an NAR rocket flier and competitor.

Scott Berfield: Lighting Them Up: e-Matches and Igniters – Techniques for Success (Download 4MB PDF)
This talk will cover the basics of ignition for black powder and composite motors including how e-Matches and igniters work, making the build vs. buy decision, different risk scenarios and how ways to minimize chance of failure. Basic construction techniques for e-matches and low and high current igniters and working with pyrogens will be covered. Techniques for clustering, staging and air-start ignition will be discussed including a coverage of when and how one might decide to use thermite ignition. Safety rules for working with flammables will be stressed. Some demonstrations may be possible if facilities permit. Scott Berfield is the Executive Producer of the University of Washington Bothell Center for Serious Play. He has been active in high power rocketry for 7 years and has been L3 certified since 2008.


Ken Biba: Aeropac's Virtual Classroom
Ken Biba has 40 years of experience in the computer network industry. He has a uniquely successful background of general management and leadership with a strong product and marketing focus and a particular knowledge in the areas of wireless network systems and information security. Ken was an early engineer of the Internet in 1975 and has co-founded and managed four notable network companies including one IPO. Ken is currently a partner, CTO and co-founder of Novarum – a strategic technology and market advisory firm with the leading knowledge of scaling WiFi and wireless technologies from small networks to large enterprises and municipalities. Novarum has independently analyzed and measured over 300 deployed wireless networks and has the world’s best experience base in how wireless networks succeed or fail. Novarum is currently deploying the world’s fastest (and least expensive) MIMO municipal networks. Ken is a Born Again Rocketeer, having rediscovered rocketry in the early 90’s. A member of NAR and Tripoli for many years, he has served on the TRA Board of Directors, currently is Chairman of the Board of Directors of AeroPac, Inc. (the nonprofit Tripoli Prefecture that sponsors 3 annual launches at Black Rock each year for the past 20, with over 12 days of 100k’ MSL waiver flying) and holds a Tripoli Level 3 certification. Ken is a long time TRA TAP and currently holds TRA’s N altitude record of (41,500’ AGL - but secretly knows the real record is 45,500’). He is a member of TRA’s Competition Committee and Chairs AeroPac’s ARLISS program - A Rocket Launch for Student Satellites - a Professor Bob Twiggs (inventor of the CanSat) inspired competition that over 12 years has combined rocketry, robots and satellites for over 1000 international aerospace engineering students. Students participating in this program went on to be collectively responsible for over 10 satellites in earth orbit. Ken has a Bachelor of Science in Physics (Magna Cum Laude, Tau Beta Pi) and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Case Western Reserve University.

John Boren, Bill Stine, and Bill Simon: From the Concept to the Catalog - Breaking through the "Romantic" vision of product development.
Bill Stine of Quest Aerospace, John Boren of Estes Industries, and Bill Simon (formerly of Estes Industries) will discuss the history and current processes of how that cool kit gets to the marketplace. How many ideas does it take to get to one kit? What are the greatest challenges? Do kits ever flop? What's the best story of an outstanding idea developing into a landmark kit? What's a favorite kit? All this and more, plus a chance to ask the questions you've always wanted to ask.

Gary Brandt and the Northwest Indian College students: Fun and easy paper rockets

Mark Bundick: The Ancient and Honorable Art of Kitbashing
No less a rocketry expert than "The Old Rocketeer" himself, G. Harry Stine, thought kitbashing was a great and fun part of our hobby. Whether you're experienced at taking a stock kit and making it something new, or just want to get started, "The Ancient and Honorable Art of Kitbashing" will provide some tips, hints and ideas that are sure to get you a unique model that will have all your friends jealously wondering "Where did you get THAT?" A rocketeer since 1966, Mark Bundick is a past National and Reserve competition champion, a Level 1 Certified HPR flyer, and Past President of the NAR. He and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Barbara Bundick, live in the Woodstock, IL, home of their dreams (complete with 15 x 26 rocket workshop), and are proud parents of twin daughters, Lizzie and Jenni. Bunny's non-rocketry passions are food, wine, and his 2003 Porsche Boxster, “Quicksilver”.

Mark Bundick: Growing Up Wallops
Mark Bundick's boyhood home gave him a ringside seat to what was once the world's most active rocket range. Known to scale modelers all around the globe, Wallops Island was full of rockets, airplanes and flight stories good and bad. Whether you're a space history nut or a curious rocketeer wondering what it was like around 'the real thing”. "Growing Up Wallops" will provide a glimpse into the unique world that is NASA's Virginia based launch site.

Julie Clift, Eddie Jeffries and Charles Pierce: Student Launch Programs from a NASA Perspective
Learn how you can participate in the NASA Student Launch Projects (SLP)! SLP challenges middle, high school and college students to design, build and launch a reusable rocket to one mile above ground level while carrying a scientific payload. SLP is managed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) Academic Affairs Office (AAO) and is comprised of two projects: NASA Student Launch Initiative (SLI) for middle/high school teams and NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) for community college and university teams. Bios: Julie Clift has worked in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Academic Affairs Office since 2003. She is the project lead for the NASA Student Launch Projects and holds a Level 2 certification. Julie has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Auburn University and is currently completing a M.S. in Human Resources Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Prior to working at MSFC, she taught fifth grade for six years. Eddie Jeffries is an Aerospace Engineer employed by Jacobs ESTS Group. He has been a contractor at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center since 2006. His work experience includes non-destructive testing of space flight hardware and is currently the Technical Coordinator for the NASA Student Launch Projects. In his spare time, Eddie is an avid skydiving instructor and is a Level 2 certified high power rocketry enthusiast. Charles (Chuck) Pierce has worked for NASA since 1987, specializing in the design, development, and operation of spacecraft chemical propulsion systems. The first nine years of his career, Chuck worked at the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle Program, and in 1996, he transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center. Currently, he is the supervisor of the Spacecraft and Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center. Chuck was born-again into model rocketry in 2000, serving for 5 years as the president of the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association (NAR Section 403), and currently holds a Level 3 certification. Currently, Chuck also has serves as the Subject Matter Expert for the NASA Student Launch Project, which is managed out of Marshall Space Flight Center.

Ted Cochran: Sport Rocketry Safety (Download 2MB PDF)
In 2005, a Special Committee on Range Operation and Procedure, led by Jay Apt, was tasked to survey and review current NAR safety practices, procedures and operations, and made several recommendations for changes to NFPA codes and NAR practices. Dr. Cochran, a member of that Special Committee, will discuss their findings, our progress, and remaining opportunities for improvement five years later Dr. Ted Cochran is the current Vice President of the National Association of Rocketry. He has 25 years of R&D experience concerning human interaction with complex control systems and the impact of new technology and organizational culture on safety.

Dr. Ryan Coleman and Jennifer Ash-Poole: Beginning Competition: Why would I want to fly competition rockets? (Download 4MB PDF)
Come talk to the Pacific Contest Board Chair and Board member about competition. We'll be focused on two topics: 1) building and flying competition rockets is fun and easy 2) running a local competition at your club launches is fun and easy. Get tips about simple ways to become more competitive and ask your questions about the sometimes-confusing Pink Book. Jennifer Bio - I started flying in college, when most kids are taking a break. I helped start SARA (Southern Arizona Rocketry Association) then moved to the east coast for a contract job at NASA Goddard. There, I really began competing: starting with NARHAMS, even winning a spot on the 2008 World Space Modeling team in parachute duration. I helped run NARAM 50, and jointly ran the NARHAMS NARTREK program when we had the kids compete using sport models. They beat the "BTC" kids. Ryan started flying rockets through 4H sometime in the early 90s and quickly joined the NAR and started competing first with the Columbus Society for the Advancement of Rocketry. He was fortunate enough to attend many NARAMs over the years and have flown with many clubs as he moved from college to graduate schools. He finished my PhD from Penn in Genomics and Computational Biology and moved west for his postdoc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF, and was promptly promoted to NAR Pacific Region Contest Board Chair and LUNAR Contest Director.

Tsolo Dann: Project Gemini: From What Was To What Could Have Been
It was with Gemini that the U.S. Caught and surpassed the Soviet Union in the space race. It was with Gemini that the techniques and technologies were developed that would take us to the moon. It was with Gemini that we could have gone to the moon! The history of Gemini is fascinating, what could have been is astounding! When the first manned flight of Gemini took flight in March, 1965, I was living in Huntsville, Alabama, as my father was working on the Saturn V. I designed and built my first rocket there. Gemini captured my imagination and seeing Ed White floating in space made science fiction reality.

Tsolo Dann: Rocket Photography
We'll start with what equipment you'll need and then get right into tips and techniques for getting great shots. We'll talk about post shooting: what you do right after you take your photos can make the difference between a great shot and no shot! Then a discussion about some unique techniques and equipment to expand the possibilities. Bio: My love affair with photography began when my dad bought me a camera for two bits at the Seattle Good Will. Over the years, I've done many kinds of photography, but I found a new challenge in 2003 when I went to Scott Binder's farm for Fire In The Sky: rocket photography.

Tim Doll: Apollo Scale Modeling (Download 1MB PDF)
An open discussion regarding scale modeling the Apollo era USA manned rocket program. Discussion topics to include: Why scale models, sources for scale information, scale vs. sport scale, building and finishing techniques, kit bashing/scratch building scale models, and what's currently available in the way of Apollo era rocket kits. Tim Doll has worked at Boeing Commercial Aircraft as a Propulsion Engineer since 1977. He built his first model rocket in 1966 and became a BAR in 2001. Tim is current Level 2 with both NAR and TRA

Tom Ha: Cheap Rocketry
Cheap is not always obvious, so here is your chance to find out what you've been missing. From crime scenes to your neighborhood fence line and from recovery to night launches, we will cover all the bases. This talk will keep you thinking about what you can find to add to your arsenal of parts and scratch built rockets. This talk is best suited for new rocketeers and those coming back into the hobby. Tom Ha is a veteran rocketeer from the 1960's who never quite gave up the hobby. Tom is a former Chairman of NAR Technical Services and a current NAR Board member. His cheap rocketry interest dates back to the day when he found he hadn't saved enough allowance after three years to buy that Astron Ranger kit he wanted.

Frank Hermes: The Rocketiltometer(TM) – An Autonomous Air-Start Ignition Control System For Model Rocketery (Download 32MB PDF)
Take a journey with Frank Hermes as he shares his experience in the development of a device which determines the attitude, or tilt, of a rocket while in flight. In trying to discover how to maximize the coast interval between booster burnout and ignition of the sustainer motor for 2-stage flights, Frank began what resulted in a months’ long trek to build a device capable of monitoring the angle of his high-thrust, high-powered rockets relative to perfectly vertical flight. The result was an experience which required learning about all sorts of sensors – accelerometers, magnetometers, thermopiles, and most importantly, gyroscopes, and, how to apply them usefully through the use of microcontrollers and software. The result is a gyro-based system, developed by Frank and William Premerlani, which can either initiate ignition, or in the case of adverse attitude, inhibit ignition. Frank is a relatively new member of NAR and Tripoli and holds his Level 3 certification. He flies frequently at Plaster City (San Diego) and Lucerne Valley (Los Angeles) and flew his gyro-based Coast Optimization System at BALLS 19 this past year where it saved his sustainer motor for another day while the booster went on a skywriting adventure.

Dr Roy Houchin: USAF Hypersonic Research from World War II through the Dyna-Soar Project
As a child I watched Walter Cronkite’s “You are There” show when he unveiled a remarkable new Air Force program called Dyna-Soar. I watched with fascination as Walter described each aspect of the program: its potential to boost an astronaut in to space, perform a mission, and land him safely on a runway. For awhile I asked about the project; but, when I didn’t hear anymore about it, I moved on. Nevertheless, my early curiosity about the disposition of what would have been our nation’s first space shuttle inspired my dissertation research and eventual book. This presentation will attempt to trace the hypersonic missions of Dyna-Soar through their fruition in the X-37B. Dr. Roy F. Houchin II joined the faculty of the Air War College in 2006 following his retirement from active duty with the Air Force. He has taught previously at the School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air Command and Staff College and in the Department of History at the US Air Force Academy. While on active duty, Dr. Houchin served as Director of Operations and Chief, Combat Operations, 607th Combat Operations Squadron, Osan, South Korea. He also held various air battle management assignments in the Tactical Air Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Combat Command and HQ USAF. He is the author of US Hypersonic Research and Development: The Rise and Fall of Dyna-Soar, 1944-1963, Taylor and Francis Publishing, 2006, several chapters in edited works and numerous articles in professional journals. He is an associate editor for Quest: the History of Spaceflight Quarterly. He is also the historian and archivist for the former Atlantic Research Corporation (now a part of Aerojet). Dr. Houchin holds a B.A. and M.A. from Western Kentucky University, and a Ph.D. from Auburn University. His areas of interest and expertise are history of technology and military history (particularly space and World War I), as well as airpower history, theory and doctrine.

Vince Huegele: Launching Student Experiments with High Power (Download 13MB PDF)
That extra space in your big rocket's nose could be filled by the imagination of young people. Any club or individual active in high power rocketry can learn how to conduct a program to launch student experiments. This session will explain how to organize and help a school or youth group put their science fair project in your rocket's payload section and discover the next level of rocketry beyond TARC. Whether the experiment is as simple as a canister of seeds or as sophisticated as a flight computer, the kids will learn systems engineering and rocket science by becoming real payload specialists. NAR Education Committee Chairman Vince Huegele will review four student programs he has been with in his twenty years of rocketry education work and show how you can use those ideas in your community.

Andrew MacMillen and Bill Clugston: Hybrid Rocket Failure Points & Solutions (Download 34MB PDF)
High power hybrid rocket motors can be troublesome to work with, but with over 20 years of combined experience, Andrew & Bill have seen just about everything and worked out simple solutions to the common issues. The rewards are successfully passing gas successfully the first time every time with a long slow burn. Andrew is an almost-BAR - he flew kites, balsa/tissues airplanes and just about anything in the air as a kid. He got hooked on rocketry in 1999, and quickly became obsessed with hybrid rockets after his L1 cert in 2000. He certed L3 on a Ratt M900 hybrid in 2009. He also is a web analyst & wild food hunter. Bill is a true BAR. He flew with the Northern Virginia Association of Rocketry during his high school years. He came back into rocketry when he saw a high-power launch at Monroe in April 2000. He is currently a level 1 flyer who decided that hybrids would be fun (an obvious case of insanity). He has astrophotography, photography, geology, Tai Chi, and rocketry for hobbies and the priority order varies. He’s worked for the federal government as a computer programmer for 22 years.

Mark Mayhle, Gary Rosenfield, Matt Steele and Randy Sobczak: Early Development of Commercial Composite Motors (Download 6MB PDF)
Learn about early efforts of Crown/SSRS, Composite Dynamics, North Coast Rocketry, and Plasmajet from the rocketeers who were there. Randy Sobczak grew up in Southern California and became involved in model rocketry in 1969. He was a member of the NAR and competed in Regional Meets in the early ‘70's. Randy began working with composite propellants in 1976 and founded Plasmajet in 1978. He produced F,G, and with John Krell, 29mm I motors from 1978 to 1981. Dr. Sobczak resumed his propellant work in 1986, developing a series of F thru J motors which were Tripoli certified and commercially available until the early 2000's. Dr. Sobczak is the author of a paper "Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant Basics" which was published in High Power Rocketry May/June Issue 1993, and in the Journal of Pyrotechnics Issue #3, Summer 1996.

Dr Roger Myers: Aerojet's In-Space Propulsion Technologies
Roger Myers is the Deputy Lead for Space and Launch Systems at Aerojet. In his 25 years of experience at both Aerojet and NASA, he has worked on a wide range of in-space rocket propulsion technologies, including chemical monopropellant and bipropellant systems, and electric Hall, gridded ion, pulsed plasma, and magnetoplasmadynamic systems. He has led the development of rockets and propulsion systems for dozens of near-Earth and interplanetary space missions. His presentation will provide an overview of the requirements for in-space propulsion and review the options available to the spacecraft and human space exploration community.

Kent Newman: FAA waivers, Class 3 rocket applications, and Certification level strategies

Keith Packard, Robert Geer, Dustin Knie, Alex Dumas, Nathan Shelby, Greg Clark: GPS Vendor Forum
Current vendors of GPS platforms discuss the capabilities and options of their systems.

Bob Parks and Dr. Ryan Coleman: High Performance Piston Launchers (Download 4MB PDF)
Piston launchers have been a part of model rocket competition for several decades now. They increase launch speed, and thus altitudes by pressurizing the engine exhaust gas in a piston and cylinder assembly to help accelerate the model. Almost all current competition pistons are a variant of the "zero initial volume" type based on the concept of a small volume which will maximize the internal pressure to get the most acceleration. This presentation will focus on some recent work that indicates that zero volume does not produce the best performance, but rather, large initial volume combined with a substantial "hold down" force gives better results, with up to a 3x increase in launch speeds (so far). The presentation will discuss both simulation results and flight test data, along with topics for future research, as well as some details on how to build the new type pistons. Ryan Coleman and Bob Parks compete as the Pacific Flying Machines team. Ryan has been flying rockets for about 20 years, and has been competing in NAR contests ever since. He is currently doing a postdoctoral fellowship in Computational Biology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSan Francisco. In his spare time he is the NAR Pacific Region Contest Board Chair. Bob has been flying rockets for nearly 50 years, and competing in NAR contests for 40 years and internationally for over 30 years. He is currently working as an aeronautical engineer for zee.aero, a green aviation startup company. He will figure out what to do with his spare time when he actually gets some!

Dave Randall: GPS Tracking Technology (Download 7MB PDF)
GPS systems are everywhere - and they should be in your rocket too! Come learn about the fundamentals of GPS tracking systems and how they can be used in your rockets. From use in models to extreme high altitude desert powerhouses and everything in between, you'll learn valuable installation techniques, the costs and the benefits of different systems. Get a hands-on look at amazing things you can do with your GPS system beyond walk-to-it recovery. Involved in hobby rocketry for over 30 years, David is currently a Level 3 Certified NAR and Tripoli flyer. After having proven his skills with mid and high power rockets, David expanded his flight log to include high impulse clustered and multi-stage rockets. David's high power rocket payloads have included wireless SD cameras, HD cameras, GPS real time tracking systems and multi-level redundant electronics payloads. David is currently serving as the 2011 Launch Coordinator for Washington Aerospaces’ Club's Western Washington "Thunder" series of launches, and is Launch Director for Fire in the Sky 2011 - the Northwest's premier high power rocket launch.

Peter Schurke: Building a Rocketry Education Program In and Out of the Classroom
It can start small--just a few students inspired by a demonstration of the physics of a rocket in flight. Soon, you've got a dozen students huddled around a computer talking about their CP/CG relationship or the descent rate of their main 'chute. There are countless opportunities--from classroom projects to a school club level organization--to bring rockets alive for students. Peter Schurke is a Science and Engineering Teacher and Lead Advisor for Ingraham High School's highly successful Rocketry program. Peter will share the story of how Ingraham built a program based on the "student as teacher" model.

Robert Simpson-Clark: Lightweight Composite Construction Techniques For Custom Rocket Designs
A discussion of structural and safety considerations in design as well as fabrication options for use of handmade composite components in lightweight rockets, including fin cans, tubes and nose cones, with emphasis on all-composite design, rather than use of reinforcing over non-composite structures. Material samples, tooling, components and finished products will be on hand for the workshop-style presentation. Robert Simpson-Clark is a retired geologist raised in a Boeing engineering family. He was a motor builder in the early days of sugar motors, returning to the sport a decade ago to fly commercial with NAR.

Matt Steele: ATK/Thiokol - History And Current Projects In Space Lift (Download 13MB PDF)
Matt is Director of Strategy and Business Development for Vehicle Integration Services at ATK Space Systems. He pursues opportunities for ATK’s Vehicle Integration Services business, including the Lockheed Martin/ATK Athena launch vehicle, Dnepr Launch Vehicle, and other suborbital and launch vehicles. Matt co-founded North Coast Rocketry, a hobby model rocket company that designed, developed, manufactured and marketed high performance rocket motors and models for consumers. In 1995, the North Coast Rocketry products were licensed to Estes Industries (Penrose, CO), where Matt went to serve as Marketing Manager. Matt has designed over 100 different model rocket kits for Estes, Quest, HobbyLab and North Coast Rocketry. He has been a member of 5 US International Teams, winning 2 individual bronze and 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze team medals; 8 NAR National Championship teams; 9 NAR Section Champions. He has also served as a NAR Trustee (9 years), National Contest Board Chairman, and Contest Director for two NAR Annual Meets (NARAM-30 and NARAM-48).

Art Upton: Telemetry and Data Logging
Discussion and demonstration of Telemetry and data logging methods. This will look at both commercial Off The Self (COTS) and Open Source DYI Options for rocketeers. After looking at commercial options, the discussion will focus on Arduino based embedded micro-controller development platforms and the telemetry and data logging options for them along with demonstrations of several such projects that the presenter is working on. Art Upton has been involved in rocketry continuously since 1970, R/C aircraft, and amateur radio and electronics development to name several of his many interests. Art works professionally in Information Security, Risk, and Compliance; after a long career in E-commerce architecture and development. Art Upton also runs BoosterVision.com.

Tim Van Milligan: Rocksim - from Beginner to Expert in One Hour

Dr Robert Winglee: Sailing the Solar System with Plasma Propulsion and Student Zeal
Robert Winglee is Professor and Chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, as well as the Director of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium. Prof. Winglee has extensive experience in space plasma physics and engineering, particularly in relation to the space environments around the planets and advanced space propulsion systems. He was the recipient of the 2001 Awards for Technological Innovation, sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and appears in several documentaries related to advances in space propulsion.

Bob Yanecek: Rocket Tracking and Recovery (Download 7MB PDF)
Getting your rocket to boost straight and deploy its parachute is just the first part. Unless the rocket remains visible after touchdown, finding it can become a challenging and often disappointing exercise. Bob has been flying and losing rockets for over 40 years during which time a few tips and tricks have been identified to reduce both the odds of losing a rocket and the time required to find it. This workshop will cover the basic tools and tips that help reunite a flier with his/her rocket. We'll start with simple close track techniques, progress through the use of a handheld GPS and finally discuss RF beacon type transmitters. Bob worked as a Design Specialist performing Missile System testing and Flight Analysis on the Navy's Standard Missile. Flew my first rocket as part of a 5th grade science project in the late 1960’s. Flew my first high power rocket in the late 1980's. Became President of the Spokane Area Rocket Club (SPARC) in November of 2006. Accepted to TRA’s Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) in 2008. Current focus is minimum diameter vehicles between 18mm and 98mm.”