The weather was very hot, even for June. I missed the May launch due to various family conflicts which cause my rockets resting in the corner of the family room to begin whispering to me at night. “Send me to the blue yonder”, “let me loose”, “fly me”, were words I often started to hear. Saturday was booked but Sunday was free, so to keep sane, I threw some rockets into the Highlander and made my solo trek to the Centreville Sod Farm in the morning’s summer haze. I arrived at the sod farm which was lush and green. The skies alternated between cloudy and sunny with hot and humid temperatures. The zephyr like breeze was not enough to blow the humidity away. I have experience much worse heat and humidity at the sod farm in the past and consider myself lucky that this was tolerable.

As customary, I let those eager flyers test the upper winds and once satisfied, I prepared Shaken, Not Stirred with an H120 Red for propulsion. At the end of countdown, Shaken, Not Stirred boosted to the skies on its familiar red plume before arcing over at 1,317 feet and deploying its drogue. Shaken, Not Stirred danced during its descent to 300 feet where the mains were successfully deployed with vigor. Shaken, Not Stirred slowing descended before touching down in the very young soy beans. See Shaken Not Stirred fly on the left.

Shaken Not Stirred was my only flight of the day. I assisted with LCO duties, filmed some other flights, and gossiped rocketry with fellow members before it was time to pack up the field and head home. I got stuck in returning beach traffic on my way home which allowed plenty of time to reflect over the day’s flights. I arrived home with no repairs which is always a good day. Witness other flights here. Until the next launch . . .