GSSS sport launch Jan. 26 - Bridgewater, NJ

[Tom Swift]

Garden State Spacemodeling Society of New Jersey (http://www.robnee.com/gsss/) will be holding a launch on Saturday, January 26 at North Branch Park. See this link (http://www.robnee.com/gsss/launchsite.php) for directions. Launches are open to everyone.

This will be a general sport launch, from 10:00 AM to about 1:00 PM. (If turnout is low and/or weather is bad, the winter club launches end early.) Forecast at the moment for Saturday is "Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s."

[Rocket Doctor]

Received an email today, the launch has been cancelled due to cold weather.

[Tom Swift]

Well, I did not receive that email message and went with my son. It turned out to be a fun day. No launch photos unfortunately.

Temp was in the mid or upper 30's. Mostly cloudy but a little blue sky showed through. The air was quite calm for that site, maybe 2 or 3 MPH winds.

First up was a FlisKits Caution rocket. Fun flier and a great way to test the launch equipment and the wind. We put it up on a C6-5 and that baby really ripped. It did a little corkscrew up near apogee but an otherwise straight flight. The ejection charge timing was good and the streamer deployed. It took so long to descend that I thought maybe the motor casing had kicked. Landed maybe 100 feet from the pad and my son chased it down :) . The body was a bit charred so this rocket will probably be retired. Great fun from just a few sheets of cardstock!

Next up was a new scratch rocket based loosely on the old Enerjet 2250. I was a little nervous because this was one of my first scratch rockets, my first 3 motor cluster, and my first homemade clip whip. Three A8-3s were loaded to play it safe and my son watched this one from inside the car ;) . I figured I'd better launch it as soon as possible before the battery got cold and the power dropped off. WHOOSH! Beautiful, relatively slow liftoff and flight - it was easy to watch to whole show. Thrust stopped at maybe 75 feet and then there was a loooong coast phase where I kept expecting it to nose over. It never did. At about 300 feet it stopped, maybe did a bit of backslide, and then POP POP POP the ejection charges blew. Came down nicely and I caught it about 20 feet from the pad.

That was probably the prettiest flight I've ever had!

We also flew an 3x upscale Mosquito for a nice flight on a B6-4. I left the fin edges square on that one so it is high drag. Again, a low slow flight with ejection just after apogee and recovery not far from the pad. Next came my son's tube rocket made from TP and paper towel cores. Not glamorous but flies surprisingly well. We were starting to get cold by the time we recovered that one, and decided to get lunch and call it a day.

[SCE to AUX]

If I knew that anyone else was actually going to show up, my son and I would have come down. We were a bit bummed when the email came in. :(


We had a couple rockets that he got for the holidays ready to go, one for a first flight. Might have to cut out of work early one day this week, to get in a "make-up" launch at our local site. :)

Looking forward to next month's GSSS launch. Conditions permitting, I want to refly an onboard video system that gave troubles a few months ago...

[Tom Swift]

The night before a launch I'll catch up on chores, prep a few rockets, organize the field box, pack a lunch for the kids, etc. After spending that much time getting ready it seems silly not to go, especially since the park where we launch is only 20 minutes from my house.

Despite all the preparation we somehow always get there late though. :)

If I knew that anyone else was actually going to show up, my son and I would have come down.
I'll PM you my email address. Even if the club cancels I'll still go if at all possible.

[Rocket Doctor]

How many showed up? I was surprised that an email was sent out telling the launch was cancelled.

maybe next month, if it's no 30 degrees.

[Tom Swift]

How many showed up?
Including my son and me? Two :D :D .

That was from about 11:30 to 12:30. Don't know if anyone had been there earlier.

They used to send out an automated announcement of club launches and cancellations. Got neither this month.

[Rocket Doctor]

Including my son and me? Two :D :D .

That was from about 11:30 to 12:30. Don't know if anyone had been there earlier.

They used to send out an automated announcement of club launches and cancellations. Got neither this month.

I have received notices about launches last year, and last week, I think on Thursday. I also received the cancellation notice on Saturday morning, I was surprised, because, as you know, last year launches were being cancelled due to the weather. And. I'n and I'm over an hour away.
Maybe you should check to see if your email address is listed and why you didn't receive the notices.