Launch and Event this weekend

Hello everyone,

This is just a reminder that our launch this week will be on SUNDAY Nov 13th. from 0900 to 1400 or when people are done (whichever is earlier).
Also, this Saturday, SKAR will have a booth at Tehachipi High School’s Super Science Saturday exposition, hosted by the Tehachapi Robotics Club from Noon to about 4pm. If you are interested in helping hangout at the booth and showing kids the awesomeness that is rocketry please come on by, Right now it is myself and Derrik, but the more we get, the more time we can all have to take shifts and walk around and check out the other booths!

If you would like to be on our email list, please let us know at skarclub (AT) gmail (DOT) com

Lastly, my shop is nearly complete! That means a large space for getting our build sessions and meetings going again FOR FREE! On that note, if you have any folding chairs and/or tables you don’t need any more and would like to donate for use at club events, please let me know!

Hope to see you all at both the launch and the event on Saturday.

-Chris

Election Results

I have left the election polls up for awhile due to the online voting style. I believe they have been up long enough now to close them up and announce the results.
 
2016/17 Term
President: Christopher El Sergio Birkinbine
Vice President: Kevin Dolber
Secretary Treasurer: Kevin Dolber
Advisor Seat 1: Derek Ford
Advisor Seat 2: Dale Lovvik
Advisor Seat 3: Wesley Karkkiewicz
Advisor Seat 4: Empty

Launch this Saturday!

This Saturday is our June launch!

Don’t forget to place any orders you need from Bay Area Rocketry, and we will pick them up Friday evening and have them ready for you at the launch! Location is listed in the launch section to the left <-

New Items

Hello everyone,

Our Elections or coming up here in June. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else for a role in the club, please use the following form. Please note that a member must be an active dues paid Junior or Senior member of the club to hold office. Please submit your nominations here:

http://goo.gl/forms/4CYR5erjBucP4gKE3

Also we have an upcoming business meeting tomorrow morning from 10am to 11am. Location is available in the facebook event or in the events located here on site. If you would like to submit an item to be considered by the board, please submit it here:

http://goo.gl/forms/JGUdxgZJWoRYoiwd2

Lastly there is an upcoming event sponsored by ROC in June that is a free to spectate event. Please see information below:


Lucerne Valley, California USA — The Rocketry Organization of California (ROC, announce that the annual Large Dangerous Rocket Ships (LDRS) launch will be held June 8 to 12, 2016 at the Lucerne Dry Lake near Victorville, CA.

This annual event is hosted in different locations throughout the United States and ROC is proud to have been once again selected by Tripoli to host this year’s event.

Hundreds of rocketeers experienced in the art and science of high-power rocketry are expected to attend and execute over a thousand rockets launches during the five-day event. The majority are expected to occur on the weekend of June 11 and 12. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waivers, required for high-altitude flights, have been obtained for flights up to 14,000 feet with special provisions to allow event management to call-in for flights up to 19,000 feet or approximately 3.5 miles above the lake bed floor.

While the participants will be demonstrating their expertise in rocketry and the attendees will be experiencing first-hand the sound and the fury of large, high-power rocket launches, the organizers are focused on safety for the entire event. That includes a launch field that comprises approximately eight square miles of dry lake bed and strict adherence to the updated Tripoli Range Safety Guidelines. To assure a successful and safe event the organizers are staffing the launch with trained, high-power rocket certified volunteers who will serve in key roles such as Range Safety Officer, Launch Director, Launch Control Officer and others who collectively will ensure that this year’s LDRS is both safe and spectacular.

There is no charge for spectators attending the event and they can expect to see rockets ranging up to six feet or more in height, equipped with HD video cameras, multiple parachutes and telemetry that routinely fly at speeds of 200 to 500 MPH. While the sonic ‘boom’ itself is modest, it is not unusual for some flights to exceed the sound barrier, Mach 1, which is approximately 750 MPH at the launch site elevation.

Supporting the launch event will be numerous vendors of rocket supplies, electronics and related gear. Participating vendors include:

Bay Area Rocketry (http://bayarearocketry.com)

Discount Rocketry (https://www.discountrocketry.com)

Wildman West (https://www.wildmanrocketry.com)

Multitronix (http://www.multitronix.com)

Animal Motor Works/ProX (http://www.amwprox.com/)

And Daddy’s Famous Foods (http://www.daddysfamousfoods.com ) will be providing onsite catering

Lucerne Dry Lake (Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/EUQkW53oGXw) is located in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. It is located between the towns of Victorville and Barstow. Many lodging options are available within 30 minutes of the launch site; Ontario International Airport (ONT) is just one hour away.

ry Organization of California (ROC) is Prefecture #48 of the Tripoli Rocketry Association, Inc. ROC is also Section #538 of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). ROC is based in Southern California.

For further information: https://ldrs35.wordpress.com or www.rocstock.org

Rocketry Courses for free!

if you are not familiar with edx.org, check it out. Free classes on almost anything you can think of. These courses are taught by professors from major universities around the US such as MIT, Yale, Harvard, Colorado School of Mines, Corenell, Brown, etc etc. These are the same classes being taught there, give to you, for free.
 
Coming up are the following rocket related courses.
From Goddard to Apollo: The History of Rockets, Part 1 Self Paced.
https://www.edx.org/course/goddard-apollo-history-rockets-part-1-ieeex-atg1-x-0
 
The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science. (startet Feb 9th but you can catch up):
https://www.edx.org/course/conquest-space-space-exploration-rocket-uc3mx-bia-1x
 
Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight. TBA (I’ve taken this course, it is great!
https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-aerospace-engineering-mitx-16-00x

Canceled Launch (March)

Well, it looks like we will have to cancel our launch this month due to weather. The big rain storm today has left the ground too muddy to get to our site in most vehicles, and tomorrow has lots of wind and potentially more rain making for a not so great launch day. Sunday looks to be bad also, so we will have to reconvene next month. Sorry everyone!

SKAR Launch 12Mar2016!

Just a reminder to everyone that we have a launch coming up Saturday, 12 March. If it is anything like last month it will be an awesome launch day! Be sure to come on out as we are entering the prime launch weather/season! If you can’t get motors online in time, remember that High Desert Hobbies in Palmdale stocks larger mid-powered motors for us!

December Launch Canceled

Unfortunately the Rocket launch for tomorrow will need to be canceled due to weather. Winds over 20mph and most likely rain. Instead I invite anyone who wants to have a build session at my house between 1 and 3pm Let me know if you need an address or directions

Launch This Sunday!

Hello everyone, don’t forget this Sunday is our monthly launch!

If you need some last minute motors, please head down to High Desert Hobby 790 W Ave Q # B, Palmdale. They have agreed to start carrying some larger motors for us (E-G) so make sure you support them so that they can continue to do so!

Also I just submitted our FAA waivers for our flights for 2016. This time I was able to email it directly to the person I was working with last time, so it shouldn’t take anywhere near as long. Currently we have this month, and next month on our current waiver, so that should give us plenty of time.

Now that this semester is ending for me, I will have some time to polish up the Introduction to Rocketry course, and will hopefully be offering it free to members, and $5 to the community soon!

15 Nov 2015 Launch Summary

Not a lot was missed for those of you who were not able to attend our launch this last weekend. The wind was pretty bad.

Alex was able to launch his small Estes Flutter-By rocket on a B motor. This was our first launch, and we figured a good test of the winds since it was a flutter recovery. Even with no ‘chute or streamer, it was still almost a quarter mile walk to recover part of his rocket – even with appropriate weather-cocking.

I was able to launch my modified Renegade D on a D-12 motor twice. The first launch saw successful deployment, but a delay in the opening of the ‘chute. This actually worked in my favor as it allowed for a much closer landing. The second launch had the ‘chute opening correctly, which unfortunately for me, made for a longer walk. The walk turned into a frantic run as the wind picked up the chute and carried it along the ground a good 500 feet before being caught up in a bush.

Kevin was unfortunately not so lucky. In an attempt to complete his parachute duration challenge for his NAR Bronze achievement certificate, he launched an Estes Viking on a B motor with a nylon ‘chute. His rocket was in the air for just over 60 seconds, successfully passing the challenge. Unfortunately after almost two hours of searching, he was not able to successfully recover his rocket. Since he did not recover, and was not able to document the achievement with a photo, this launch will unfortunately not count towards his achievement.

After this loss, and with the wind picking up even more, it was decided to close down early. Kind of disappointing for me as I was not able to launch on any of my newly purchased H motors, but that just means there will be more to launch next month! Hope to see you all there!