Ye Olde Rocket Forum - Bezos inspired by Rocket Boys and started with model rockets

#21

03-22-2024, 07:33 PM

ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline

President, MAYHEM AGITATORS, Inc.

Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: Nunya Bizznuss, Michigan

Posts: 13,516

I'd love to go if I could, but I'm just coming off a 4 month disability leave.
Pretty sure my company would take a DIM VIEW of me taking vacation 5 months after that.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

#22

03-22-2024, 10:04 PM

BEC

Master Modeler

Join Date: Feb 2009

Location: Auburn, Washington

Posts: 3,657

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghrocketman

I'd love to go if I could, but I'm just coming off a 4 month disability leave.
Pretty sure my company would take a DIM VIEW of me taking vacation 5 months after that.

Yeah, I can kind of see that.

Still, it is a BIG site and will be as big a deal as SCORE and the NAR can make it, and Vern and Glenda will be there (or that is the plan).

__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

#23

03-25-2024, 07:43 AM

Bill

I do not like Facebook

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: North Tejas

Posts: 3,104

Quote:

Originally Posted by astronwolf

We'll just have to disagree about the tubes. I just browsed through eRockets parts offerings. What I saw was encouraging rather than discouraging. When browsing parts offerings can rekindle ideas and imagination, it's pretty good.

My reaction is a feeling of loss for what once was.

The McLawhorn SEMROC spoiled the lot of us...

Quote:

Originally Posted by astronwolf

I'm kind of glad NARAM is "hurting," and I am a fan of NAR competition going back to the 1970s. "Hurting" is a matter of opinion, in my opinion. If growth, growth, growth, and only growth is your metric, then NARAM is indeed hurting. We even had some troll on here heralding the "Death of NARAM" which would lead to really, really bad things for the hobby that old age and health problems could not overcome.

My witness is that over the years people with good intentions kept piling more and more things into NARAM that it grew into some big, fat MONSTER that was difficult for an ordinary NAR Section to host. NARAM needs to shrink down to an appropriate size for the smaller numbers of people that enjoy that sort of activity. NARAM needs to return to being the thing that it was - a national championship. Use an early NARAM, like NARAM-8 or 10 as a model. Gone would be all the expected whistles and bells, like the make it take it booth, sport launch ranges, large enough field for Level 3 high power support, ridiculously huge trophies, a venue for the BOD meetings with coffee service, etc.

True that it was growing into the mega event that many wanted. I do believe that sport fliers were subsidizing much of that growth so the organizers could not ignore it.

But the competition championship aspect is hurting as shown by the difficulty filling range duty positions. Even after the switch to altimeters which eliminated the need for optical tracking stations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by astronwolf

As for local sections and TARC, we haven't been approached for TARC stuff for years.

I find that surprising. It is very different here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by astronwolf

I've been a NAR Section President, Launch Directior, and Chief Gopher for the past few years. Before then going back to the 1990s I've always been a NAR Section Officer, President, Senior Advisor, Secretary, Gopher, Contest Director, etc. I had a break for a few years 2004-2010.

You probably do not hear this enough, but thanks for what you do.

Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

#24

03-25-2024, 07:47 AM

Bill

I do not like Facebook

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: North Tejas

Posts: 3,104

Quote:

Originally Posted by Initiator001

Not to derail this thread too much.

I believe there have been at least THREE 'Golden Ages' of model rocketry.

The second was from 1985 to 1993 (Give or take).

MRC, widespread availability of composite motors, Apogee, AeroTech, Quest, etc.

I plan to write an article for Sport Rocketry in the future detailing this era.

I'll give you that. I was out of the hobby at the time.

Finding High Power Rocketry magazine on a shelf in a bookstore in the mid 90s got me interested again.

Bill

#25

03-25-2024, 12:35 PM

Blushingmule Blushingmule is offline

Where'd it go?

Join Date: May 2006

Location: Mississippi

Posts: 612

Quote:

Originally Posted by Initiator001

Not to derail this thread too much.

Bob,

I agree. From '68 ~ '74 it was great! Then High School, etc. got in the way

Then, in 1985, working at Hall's Hobby House in Dallas; "they still make these?"
I got back into it, joined DARS etc...there were many great kits, the aerotech engines, etc. in that era.

Then NARAM 32 in Dallas; the introduction of Aerotech reloadables and their kits!
Easy affordable mid power for all...

Bob

__________________
illegitimi non carborundum

NAR# 54643 L-1

SAM# 043

AMA# 157091

VRCS# 154

A&P# 42x xx xxxx.

#26

03-26-2024, 07:48 AM

Bill

I do not like Facebook

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: North Tejas

Posts: 3,104

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blushingmule

Then, in 1985, working at Hall's Hobby House in Dallas; "they still make these?"

That was a great place. Unfortunately, I did not discover them until after I got back into the hobby and only got to enjoy shopping there a few years.

Bill

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode