5/2005 Launch Report

Washington Aerospace Club held their last launch of the spring at Monroe
last Saturday.  Clouds early in the day kept flights well below the 5000
foot waiver but the clouds lifted as the day went on.  Early breezes toward
the swamp slowed during the day so that few rockets left the field.  The
freshly ploughed field provided the needed cushion for several flights while
the lack of tall grass in most areas made finding even small rockets
relatively easy.  

As the first rack of rockets was going up about 11 AM, a tractor arrived to
tow away a disc.  The driver informed us that he was moving the disc because
the field was to be seeded with corn sometime in the next few hours!  The
tractor driver did say that once the corn was planted we would need to stay
off the field until roughly mid-September when it would be cut for silage.
He also said that normally corn would be planted by late April in the field
but it was taking longer to get the field in shape this year.

With everyone warned that they might have to pick up and depart on short
notice we proceeded to get 74 flights in before operations ceased a little
after 4 PM.  The tractor returned around 5:30 PM but only to do some more
manicuring of the field. 
For the records we got 74 flights in and only lost one to the swamp.  Motors
used were as follows:
	    1/2A - 4
           A - 5 
           B - 5
           C - 20
           D - 16
           E - 3
           F - 13
           G - 3
           H - 7
           I - 3
           J - 1
Total motors - 80

Several notable flights entertained and amazed during the day.  Mike Wyvel
put up his upscale Der Red Max on a J350 for a nice noisy first flight.  The
landing dead center on John Hawkin's prep. table easily took spot landing
award for the day.

Steve Bloom put up his Yellow Jacket on an I211 but experienced some trouble
on the recovery.  Tim Goldsmith & Bill Munds teamed up with a nice scratch
built rocket flight an another I211 that went very well.  Eric Albrecht was
warming up for FITS with a couple nice flights, his PML Black Brant on an
I366 for a good dual deployment flight and his LOC Expeditor on an I218
(Eric likes Redlines).

Hard luck award goes to young Tim Grant who had all three flights with
different size Estes motors lawndart each time.  The first and last didn't
even blow the nose cone off while the middle flight barely pushed the nose
out, but nothing more.  Post Mortem review showed the rockets had been
assembled properly, motors stayed in the rockets, but there was just not
enough ejection charge.  Thanks to the freshly plowed field the rockets were
largely undamaged.

Beth Johns flew her Mini Meanie successfully several times for successful
landings.  But the frequent flyer award is a tie this month between Howard
Kelly and Carl Degner, each with six flights.  Each had spent several hours
driving to the field and showed they were serious about getting some rockets
into the air.  Paul and Ian Nelson teamed up for a total of seven flights
with the launch of Paul's AMRAAM 2 on an h180 being the last flight of the
day.  Unfortunately it was also the flight that landing in the swamp.  In
all 31 different fliers got something into the air for generally a
successful day of flying.

Thanks go to all who helped set up and tear down again at the end of the
day.  There could be no launch without your help.  See everyone at FITS in
less than three weeks.

Jim