[NRV Rocketry] Upcoming Launches!

[Thomas Weeks]

Upcoming Launches!

So we have two big launches here in the next month!  First up is at the new 
launch site at the Sinkland Farms -- the Pumpkin Fest and Rocket Launch Sept 
29th and 30th!  In case you've never been to Sinkland Farms before, it is 
located on Hwy 8, south of Christiansburg about 4 miles south of I81.  Lots of 
fun for the whole family with pumpkins, face painting, hay rides, food/craft 
vendors, and much much more!  Launch and Festival details are here:
	http://nrvr.org/launches/
	http://www.sinklandfarms.com/

If you haven't been to sinkland before, see the first link above where you can 
download & print this map:
	http://nrvr.org/launches/files/Sinkland-Farms-Launch-Site_map.pdf
	NOTE: Class-2 (high power) launches are still tentative right now

The second launch is just a week later at the regular Kentland Farms field 
where we have had most of our launches over the last year. This Kentland 
launch will be around Oct 6th, but we're still getting the details together on 
that one. Stay tuned!


Other Good News:

Bob Schoner, Monta Elkins, Dr. Shinpaugh and I have been working hard at not 
only getting us multiple new launch sites lined up, but also working with VAST 
and Tripoli Rocketry Association on making NRV Rocketry into our own official 
high power rocket group through international HP rocket group called TRA 
(Tripoli Rocketry Association). And we just got work, it's now official... NRV 
Rocketry is now an official Tripoli Rocket Prefecture #143!!!  Yaaaayy!  

Being our own official TRA group  means that we get our own TRA insurance, can 
high power certify our own people, have our own research launches, and 
more!... Right here in the Rocket Boy Homer Hickam's own back yard and alma 
matter (VT).

There are other implications of becoming an official TRA HP rocket group, but 
I don't want to get the cart before the horse.  We'll talk more about that 
stuff once we get some of this fall's launches behind us. After all, above and 
beyond anything else, we're still just a bunch of rocket guys who want to 
launch (and help others launch) rockets!  :) Hmm.. "The Rocket Guys".. I like 
the sound of that Bob... ;)


Interested in Getting High Power/L1 Certified?

The delay before the upcoming launches is a good time to start down the road 
toward your HP rocket certification! Getting L1 certified is not just a badge 
of honor, it's what you need to do if you want to be able to buy and use the 
larger, higher impulse motors that go into bigger rockets like these:
	http://nrvr.org/pics/wise-rockets.jpg
	http://nrvr.org/pics/Hobby-Fun-Day-Rocket-Kid.jpg

The first step for High Power certification is to join TRA (the 
legal/underwriter of our group now):
	http://www.tripoli.org/Membership/tabid/57/Default.aspx	

or the other rocketry group called the NAR.

After you're L1 certified, you can buy "the big motors" (H and above with the 
other cert levels) that these big rockets use, and talk to someone in our 
group about doing your first certification launch (and getting you hooked up 
wit h your first H or I HP motor).

Oh.. almost forgot.. want more info on L1 HP rockets, where to get them, 
suggestions on building them, etc? I sent out an email on this all (and more) 
a few months ago that should be on the mail list archives. Ahh.. here it is:
	http://nrvr.org/pipermail/nrvr/2012-March/000079.html

FYI, more info on L1/2/3 certification, the difference between low power/model 
(Class-1) rocketry and high power (Class-2) rocketry, motor sizes and more 
related info, see the wikipedia page on it here:
	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Power_Rocketry

And a really great book that I recommend to new folks with TONS of info on the 
hobby can be found here:
	"Modern High-Power Rocketry 2"
	http://www.amazon.com/dp/1412058104


What You Get By Joining The TRA:
The annual fees that each TRA member pays directly to the TRA is how the NRVR 
(our group) indirectly gets:
* our launch/spectator/land-owner insurance
* legal coverage/assistance (in case of incident)
* safety requirements/documentation
* listing in the international TRA rocketry group registry
* general oversight, help and guidance

While individual TRA members get:
* L1-3 certification paperwork, exams, cert cards, 
* regular board of directors reports on what all is going on with rocketry
* a voice in the voting of TRA board elections

All this to say, if you want to get L1 certified you need to first join either 
the NAR or TRA before you want to attempt your L1 certification launch.

If any of your are thinking you may want to get L1 certified at one of the 
upcoming launches, please make sure that you have your TRA membership ironed 
out, and you announce your intentions to the NRVR officers at this email 
address:
	officers[at]nrvr[dot]org  (obfuscated to keep out the spam)


If anyone has any questions about the upcoming launch, or anything else, 
please just let us know here on the list or via direct email.

Cheers!

Thomas Weeks
NRV Rocketry Founder
p.s. We of NRV Rocketry want to give our sincere thanks to our brothers to the 
north, VAST(Valley Aerospace) and specifically Chuck Neff. Without Chuck and 
crew helping us oversee our various launches, provide the NAR/TRA insurance, 
get the FAA waivers ironed out, etc... it would have been much more difficult 
for NRVR to get to where we are now. Thanks Chuck and other VAST guys! 
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