High power rockets soared today...

above Ray’s Mesa in a remote corner of the Grand Valley in Colorado, just west of Grand Junction near the state line, organized and coordinated by the local Warp Core rocketry club. About a dozen men of all ages participated in the event and huge fun was had by all.

Launch controller Ben’s view of the launch pads, with my two-stage Majestic model rocket on the center launch rail ready for flight, the first of the day. Someone had to fly in order to check the winds aloft and I volunteered this high flyer.

My two-stage boosted Majestic soaring to an apogee of 2,275 feet (693 meters) on two “F” engines, with a successful recovery under parachute for a flight lasting 2 minutes and 18 seconds, softly landing about 150 feet (~50 m) away from the pad.

Dozens of launches were made throughout the morning by the various club members. Nerd alert!

The Ken's Lake Proving Ground...

in the southern Spanish Valley is a nice alternative launch site for higher powered rockets. Several were fired off today.

The MOAB heading to 639 feet.

Frangible Arcas soaring in front of the snowy La Sal Mountains to an apogee of 1,343 feet.

No fooling around...

this morning with the launch of a small rocket to celebrate a friend’s birthday and the arrival of April.

Patriot flying into the breeze to 350 feet followed by a gentle recovery by parachute.

A growing club of rocketeers...

gathered this morning at the Round Mountain Missile Proving Range. It’s not a very diverse group. Heh.

Majestic heading skyward to an undetermined altitude, unknown because the flight recorder was lost, but the rocket was recovered safely under parachute.

Unpainted MOAB is the first rocket to test the more rigid rail system used for higher powered rockets. It flew straight as an arrow to 647 feet on a “F” engine.

GoPro view of MOAB at ignition on the launch rail, about to lift off.

The high flyer of the morning was the Arcas on a “E” engine, with an apogee at 1,482 feet (before the loss of the altimeter). The wind was picking up so the launch rod was tilted in order to accommodate for parachute drift during descent.

Wide view of the Round Mountain Proving Ground.

Career Day for Moab middle schoolers...

brought them to the Utah State University campus where one of the activities involved model rocketry. We launched and successfully recovered four rockets in a series of demonstrations as small groups of students rotated through the various activities. It was big and chaotic fun.

Observing the first day of spring...

by lofting a rocket.

Blast off from the driveway with Parriott Mesa in the background.

The Patriot clearing the launch rod and flying to a 486 foot apogee.

Annotated profile of a perfect flight and parachute deployment. The rocket landed softly about 150 feet away from the pad.

It may look menacing...

but it’s just a model rocket, albeit a very big model rocket. The HV Arcas by Aerotech stands 56 inches (142 cm) tall and is mounted on a rigid rail used for launching high powered rockets. I will seek Level 1 certification this coming summer from the National Association of Rocketry in order to fly this impressive projectile on larger engines to several thousand feet in altitude. It’s important to have goals in retirement. Go big or stay home.

Note: The 1010 aluminum launch rail stands 7.5 feet tall (2.3 meters).

"Rocket Men"...

reliving their childhood, featured in this week’s Castle Valley Comments. The young lad pictured below plays a leading role.

Junior rocketeer with Science Fair project, circa 1968.

Richard Codd from Moab (left) supervises as I attach the launch system to the igniter on the unpainted Doorknob model rocket. (Image courtesy Ron Drake.)

With a mighty roar...

on a “F” engine, the unpainted Doorknob model rocket leaps skyward off the pad in a sparkly liftoff. The one minute-long flight reached 832 feet in altitude according to the onboard flight recorder.

Though not a high flyer, the Doorknob drifted about 500 feet from the launch site once the chute deployed.

Launching slightly into the wind on a “E” engine, the sleek and unpainted Frangible Arcas achieved 1,381 feet at apogee, landing softly under chute and drifting about 600 feet down range.

Model rocket descending under chute...

after an early launch on a calm, clear and sunny morning. This one flew to 501 feet on a “C” engine and pulled 9.4 Gs at peak acceleration, softly landing less than 20 feet from the pad.

Estes Red Max model rocket with a tethered altimeter (black object near nose cone) and Nomex chute protector (orange fabric attached to shock cord).

Still frame from the upward-looking GoPro at the pad.

Who needs a drone...

when you can launch a camera on a rocket?! I’m anticipating that the Castle Valley Town Council will prohibit such activities in three…two…one…

Self portrait microseconds after launch.

A view towards the snowy La Sal Mountains, plus Round Mountain and Adobe Mesa, caught at apogee.

UPDATE: Added this wide view taken on descent under parachute. That’s me and my shadow in the driveway, next to the launch pad.

The largest rocket in the arsenal...

was launched today on a “F” engine, also carrying a strap-on downward-looking video camera to record the flight. Too cool for school.

The unpainted MOAB leaping off the pad on a F15-4 rocket engine.

Rocket’s-eye-view of lift off!

Frame grab from the onboard video camera at near apogee, about 500 feet, with Round Mountain and Porcupine Rim clearly visible in the background.

Majestic soaring on a F15-4 rocket engine to 1,425 feet. This one disappeared in the clouds for a while.

Lift-off...

of several model rockets this afternoon, with a digital flight recorder onboard. The rocket engines have gotten a lot bigger, and the gadgets have gotten a lot cooler, since I was a kid. Fun beyond words.

Red Max launching on a C6-5 engine.

Red Nova lift-off on a D12-5 engine.

Arcas soaring on a E12-6 engine, achieving more than 1,600 feet in altitude at apogee!

Flight data as recorded by a Jolly Logic digital altimeter. Data is the new bacon.

A Christmas launch...

of a model rocket, my first in 55 years, went off with a satisfying woooooosh! Just as I remembered it as a fledgling rocketeer in my youth. Priceless.

Second launch of the day, on a C6-5 rocket engine, lofting it to more than 1,000 feet in altitude. Recovery was by parachute, landing 305 feet away from the launch site.

A third launch, on Boxing Day. Woooooooooooooooosh!