January
brings the first rocket launch of 2012 and more importantly, the
4th
annual Christmas Tree Launch. This is the launch where
rocketeers bring
their used Christmas Trees to the field to strap a rocket motor
on and
let them be disposed of as nature intended. Toni was away at a
spa
weekend with some friends and she took the Highlander with her.
This
left me the VW Bug so I packed my rockets and gear the best I
could and
headed to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I stopped and met some
rocketeers
at Hollys and enjoyed breakfast before heading to the field.
The muddy field felt like frozen tundra under our feet. The
winds were
blustering out of the west and the temperature highs were
predicted to
be only slightly above freezing. There is a fine line between
enthusiasm and stupidity and many of us wondered if we crossed
it.
However, the skies were cloudless and the sun was bright. We
made quick
work setting up the field and then went on to prep our rockets
or trim
the Christmas trees.
I watched others fly before me and then started my preparations
of
Shaken,
Not Stirred.
Soon I had
Shaken,
Not
Stirred on the pad. I verified the electronics and
posted my
flight card.
Shaken,
Not Stirred bolted off the pad on its customary Loki
H144 motor
and arced over at 1,239 feet.
Shaken, Not Stirred
continued to arc, and arc, and arc, until it was in ballistic
recovery
mode. It soon became apparent that the apogee ejection charge
did not
fire. The tickle of vomit started in the bowels of my stomach
before
the backup motor ejection finally separated the rocket. The
force of
the ejection also threw the main parachute out causing it to
deploy
early.
Shaken,
Not
Stirred came to rest close by but I knew that
deployment
during ballistic velocity zippered the sustainer. Closer
inspection
revealed double zipper damage.
Shaken, Not Stirred
would go home needing repairs.
See
Shaken,
Not Stirred
get shaken, and not stirred here.
I was bummed out with the pending repairs but the Christmas Tree
launch
soon put a grin on my face. What could be better than a
Christmas Tree
that was in someone’s home during the holidays, that sheltered
presents
underneath, and brought such joy to the young and old during
Christmas
morning? Why a Christmas Tree with a rocket motor strapped to it
of
course! Christmas Trees are inherently unstable and usually fly
unpredictable trajectories. Rocketeers do their best to make the
trees
fly straight and most of the time they fail miserably, hence the
fun.
They were many rounds of tree launches during Saturday, and each
was as
fun as the first.
See the
trees fly
here.
I headed home as the sun set and the temperatures dropped even
further.
I woke early Sunday morning and headed back to the field to film
some
flights and enjoy the nice weather. However, the cold wind blew
into
our faces all day, the clouds shaded the sun, and the
temperature never
rose above freezing. There were still some diehards flying and I
filmed
some of these flights. But in the setting sun and dropping
temperatures, most rocketeers abandon the field for warmer
alternatives. I assisted in packing up the field and headed
home. I
still have to conduct a post mortem on
Shaken, Not
Stirred
to determine the cause of apogee ejection failure.
For all the
weekend’s fun, see here. Until the next launch . . .
