Outreach Opportunity

[BEAR]

What did the police have to do with it?

[Steve Huntwork]

Told you Bear, I know how to fight dirty when required!

Until the church tells me no, then I will assume that we have a GO FOR LAUNCH on the 28th.

By launching my tiny rockets every day, they will finally get bored and realize that model rockets are nothing to be afraid of. Actually, since most people working at that church flew model rockets as children, they would enjoy watching them once again.

My battle is with the fear of lawyers and insurance.

[Kevin OslerParticipant]

OK, I am a bit confused now.

The event on April 21st in Wheatridge is cancelled.
The event on April 28th in Ft Collins is cancelled.

What is the event Shunt1 is talking about on the 28th? Let me know if you need help and/or launch equipment for it.

So, on the topic of when and where to launch model rockets along with insurance and the like, I think the hobby is being held back a bit by these issues. I wrote Trip Barber last week about it and am hoping to bend his ear a bit more if he shows up to Narcon next week. I am in the process of setting up a website on how to run launches for kid events. Everything from insurance to safety to launch sites. Yes, I am also worried about getting sued, but if we can make it easier to do youth launches and get more people understanding it, and ultimately more people in the world-wide hobby, it will be worth it.

[BEAR]

Shunt1 is talking about the Fort Collins launch of the 28th. We are still looking for a sight. But an even bigger concern is now the potential fire danger. If we do not have rain and green things up, there is now way I can make this happen. So we are still looking, and still trying, and hoping. and we are still going to need help if it is to happen, but it is looking very iffy. 😥

[BEAR]

Years ago my NAR section would launch at a junior high school. Every launch was publicized ahead of time and we would frequently have newspaper and TV reporters come out and do a story on us. Eventually, we were able to get a hold of a man named Paul Haney, who had been the voice of mission control for the Gemini launches. He had retired from NASA and gone to work for a man named Judge Roy Hoffeinz, who had been mayor and county commissioner in Houston and Harris County. He is the man that owned the Houston Astrodome and hired Paul to run it form him. We were able to get Paul to come to a couple of our launches and then we talked with him about launching rockets in the dome during a sporting event, and then in 1969, New Years Eve, during the half time of a football game we launched six rockets from each goal lines, simultaneously, with the chutes coming out over the 50 yard line and floating down. Then we launched a S-V on a specially manufactured D motor from the fifty yard line also, using a semi-scale of the launch pad. Mr. Estes, Bill Simon, Leroy Piester, and all of their wives were in attendance and it was shown live on national TV to about 50 million people. Before we new it, we were getting new products and motors from MPC, Cox, Flight Systems, and anybody else who wanted to manufacture to this hobby and might be able to ride on our coattails. We did launches at Six Flags over Texas at Arlington, at Astros baseball games, and anyplace else we could. We launched at shopping centers and at fairs, at carnivals, and any town in the area that was having a celebration of any type.

It seems to me that if we want to expand the hobby and get it out to more people, especially the youth,we need to find places where we can put on demonstrations. Invite the elected officials and work to get them on our side and to feel comfortable with what we are doing. As I mentioned in a previous post, we might start with the fire marshals. If the fire services become comfortable with us and will sponsor us, it will be easier to get the elected officials to view us in a good light and then we can get laws enacted that will allow this, so we can launch from schools and parks.

It will take a dedicated effort and it is not fair to have one person do it all.

If we are not banned from flying by the dry weather and lack of moisture, maybe we can find a way to get some officials to come out.

Any comments?

[Kevin OslerParticipant]

Anyone in the club feel like taking one for the team and running for Mayor? Joe Hinton for Mayor? We’d all vote for ya! 😀

I really like what both Estes and Apogee has done recently with promoting education through rocketry. I wonder if we could approach the public schools with promoting a build competition between schools? I ran the District Pinewood derby for years at the boulder county fairgrounds, we could do the same thing for rocketry. We might just see if we can get the science and math teachers jazzed up for one of the districts and get them to agree to a friendly competition. At that point you have potentially a city wide event which intrigues both politicians and school officials.

Education of fire marshals and authorities seem to be a large obstacle for everyone. I know NAR does some work in this area, but I don’t know to what extent. Also I would like to get the insurance questions in a more easier to understand form whether you are launching with scouts, nar members, school kids, etc. The NAR insurance is very specific and will not cover a non-members rocket even if it is launched by a member. So holding for example a launch with a bunch of Cub Scouts is not covered by NAR unless each kid has their NAR membership. I would imagine we are covered by the Scout outing insurance, but I am checking on it. Bottom line for any event, I guess we should have the participants sign NAR’s hold harmless agreement or something similar. Yes, everyone has become sue happy.

[Anonymous]

This is what I had expected and why I was getting so frustrated.

Sadly, if they had allowed us to use their soccer field for the little kids, my wife and I would have joined that church.

Oh well, even if granted permission, there was no way that I would charge little kids “rent” just to launch their model rockets.

This is a problem that will require my dedication in the next few months.

BTW, the kids can always launch from my front yard, which is located only about two blocks away from that soccer field. With my home test launches, some do land on the roof or the bushes, but they are easy to recover. I was trying to find a location that did not have any trees to snag their first rockets.

Anyway, it was worth the effort;
Shunt1

…..
Reply from the Church about their soccer field:
…..

Steve,

I regret to say that our policy is to not rent out our facilities, including our field, to folks outside our church. I was hopeful that we might be able to work something out but it’s just not possible.

If I come across a place that I think might have a field similar to ours I will let you know.

Have a great weekend.
Julie Redlin
Church Secretary

Front Range Baptist Church
625 E. Harmony Road
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970.223.5757

http://www.FrontRangeBaptist.org

[Steve Huntwork]

The church did what I had expected and denied us permission to use their soccer field.

I am sick and tired of people trying to make a profit off of these kids, or even allowing them to learn.

So, I am going to do something about this!

1) I have already purchased 12 model rockets for the kids.

2) My front yard is large enough to launch the rockets if we limit the motors to a B or C.

3) I have one rocket launcher available, and if you have one also, then we can make dual launches.

4) Other than my office, all of the downstairs rooms in my home are empty. I have enough tables and if we can scrounge up enough chairs, there is more than enough room to teach 12 kids on how to build a model rocket.

5) This is private property and I have already granted my permission!

6) I was serious about making this a “girls only” rocketry class. If the boys get jealous enough, then we can hold a second class for them the following month.

If we give something away free, then people do not pay attention, so each student must pay something to make it important to them.

Parents should attend the classes, but the kids should purchase their rocket motors out of their own money.

I propose that each kid should purchase the rocket motors themselves and we provide everything else. If they fail to build a decent rocket, then they will have wasted their own money on a useless motor.

We can purchase the motors at a bulk discount, so even that will not cost the kids much.

Bear, we will make this happen!

[Kevin OslerParticipant]

I’m in. I have a 8 port launcher and 8 port pad that needs some test time. We can drag 8 at a time.

I will bring some backup estes launchers just in case, but I have already fried about 50 2A fuses in testing today so I feel pretty good it will work.

[Dave Smith]

This past weekend I had the opportunity to put up a display regarding my rocketry program at the school I work at. We had a benefit auction.

FYI, here is the main text of the trifold display with photos of the kids building, launching, etc.

Mountain Phoenix Rocketry provides opportunities for life lessons that build character and help students mature into their own potential. Children learn by building and launching their own rockets. From following the written instructions to precise gluing, children learn to take their time and pay careful attention! Great self-control and patience must be exercised in order to build and successfully launch a rocket.
While desiring our children to experience success and happiness at every opportunity, society has seemingly forgotten the importance of learning through failure. When children choose to rush their work, natural consequences are the best teacher. Seeing their rocket blast off from the launch pad only to immediately corkscrew into the ground may be difficult to bear, but it teaches them a great lesson about failure. When their rocket fins weren’t properly aligned, and all that remains of the rocket is a twisted heap, there is no one to place responsibility on but themselves! In a world full of “everyone gets a trophy”, when do children learn how to fail gracefully? Failures in life happen! Children need to learn how to handle it, how to accept responsibility for their own actions and try again.
Younger children who are not yet in rocketry class get to see the older ones launching their rockets and look forward with anticipation to being old enough to participate. This high interest subject brings academic skills to life! Children experience the math and science behind the rockets. Newton’s laws of physics are a must for understanding the basics of rocketry.
The excitement of building their own rockets can bring focus to children we didn’t think could focus! The safety requirements, especially on launch day, are tremendous and bring out the responsible side of children who may not always show such maturity. Older children helping younger ones and more experienced rocketeers helping new ones create life long memories and help children develop their leadership skills.
Developing self-confidence, finding compassion when a friend’s rocket crashes, and cheering when a buddy’s rocket successfully blasts off helps create the caring individual we want our children to become.

[Author]

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