Successful Flights!

The rocket sessions at both schools went without a hitch! The kids at Linda Verde were super excited and were amazed at the launches. The best of the day was the first, when "Biggie Bertha" took off on a picture perfect flight in front of hundreds of kids gasping "WOW!!!" The next best was a delta winged model that flew on a C11-3. Not expecting to see it again, it shot off the pad and into the wild blue (calm all day by the way!) to what looked like at least 800 feet. The chute deployed and it came back down in the school yard behind the crowd line to jubilant cheers.

After that fun, it was off to Mariposa School and the After School Rocket Club's first flying session of the school year. We got more new members and everyone got to fly their Quest Starhawk rockets. Had some astounding flights since my assistant put C engines in most of them.
The kids and parents there had a total blast!

Rocketry at School Returns

Monday was a busy day of rocketry. Mrs. Leemus class had decorated their rockets and proudly displayed their reports of the launchers their groups were named from.

Over at Mariposa, I passed out Quest Starhawk rockets to build and the club got new members. Parents joined and helped the building session.

More Rockets Today

The second sessions of rocketry are taking place today at Mariposa and Linda Verde schools. At Linda Verde, the kids get parachutes for their rockets and I get to see how each group has researched their launch rocket group name. We'll fly them next session in two weeks. Over at Mariposa, we're having the second meeting of the After School Rocketry Club. We have more kids joining up, and today Quest Starhawk rockets will be given out and assembled. In each class, I'm going to introduce a little rocket math. I'll be showing how to calculate rocket altitude today using triangulation trigonometry. Each class will also get some Man and Space books from the old Time Life Sciences collection. These books excited me about the space flights of the 60's when I was their age, now they serve as historic markers of the space race

A New Beginning

The school year is well under way, and this year, rocketry in school is taking a giant leap forward. With the kind approval of Mariposa School's Principle, I've started an after school rocketry club with the help of Mrs Adams and Mrs Blanchard. It's a school year program, longer than any we've done in the past, and the mission is to teach as much math, science, history and English composition as possible through rocketry.

It will culminate in a competition with neighboring Linda Verde School to see who can design and build a rocket that will launch an egg into the air and bring it back intact. A tall order for 4th and 5th grade students but I know they can do it.

Over at Linda Verde, the principle, Mrs. Zapata, welcomed the idea of a rocketry program at her campus and enlisted the aid of Mrs. Leemus, who transferred there from Mariposa. Some of her kids flew with me last year, and she is no stranger to the rockets. Here's her happy class after getting their rockets today.


This will lead to a friendly competition between both schools in the Egg-straordinary Space Challenge later in the spring of 2010. These are future Team America Rocketry Challenge students in the making!

Last Blast!

Today was the last rocket launch of the 08-09 school year. Kids who didn't get to fly due to testing and year-end field trips got a chance to fly today. The weather was great! Clear skies and no winds 'till noon! We had a trickle of kids at first, but more came after the "whoosh" of the first rockets were heard in the neighborhood.

Crayon Final Assembly

With installation of these bolts and screws to secure the rear fairing and engine mount to the airframe, the big crayon is ready for its first flight. The small wood screws in the airframe join up with the thick ring of the engine tube, holding it (the engine mount system) all together. It can be removed for maintenance. The outer fairing bolts mate it to the engine mount with blind nuts.

All that remains is to decide on the launch site, which may be the dry lake bed at the Edwards AFB or near my home on huge vacant lot. I have chosen a G-series re-load engine.

YAY! Rocket May Day

Today it was Mrs. Adams' class's turn to fly their rockets. The weather cooperated a bit though we still had winds, just enough to sacrifice a couple of drifters to the rocket-eating tree next to the playground. It was a fun day for all.