IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – ROC Launch Cancellation
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »It is with great regret that the ROC board must announce the cancellation of the upcoming April launch at Lucerne Dry Lake. This cancellation does not have to do with any weather problems, but is related to issues surrounding our BLM permit to use the land.
Unfortunately, both ROC and the BLM have been caught up in some fallout from the 2010 California 200 off-road racing accident that killed several people. When we applied for our annual permit last fiscal year, the application rules and requirements had been very recently changed and our application was rejected. Unbeknownst to the ROC board, we didn’t close the loop with BLM and they didn’t follow up with us as we continued to submit our monthly reports and payments, assuming the permit existed. Due to budget cuts and staffing shortages in the BLM office, nobody was aware of this situation until just very recently. We met with BLM this week and have started the process to re-establish our permit, but as a result of the fallout of the racing accident the BLM is being very particular on the permitting process which slows down the approvals, meaning that it may be three months before we can get our permission to launch again.
This is obviously a very troubling situation for us on the ROC board and for all of our members and regular flyers. We are working as hard as we can behind the scenes to restore our ability to fly as soon as possible. With this in mind, we would ask that members please refrain from contacting the BLM individually to inquire about the situation, so as not to complicate an already delicate situation. Clearly it will be a hardship for the flyers and for our vendors during this stand-down period, but we hope that many members will be able to continue to fly and support the hobby at launches held by our sister organizations in San Diego and central California.
Please watch the ROC email lists or Facebook group for further information on the situation as it develops. If you know of anyone planning to attend who does not subscribe to ROC-chat or read Facebook updates, please pass this information along to them.
ROC’s March Launch is this Saturday
Posted: March 5, 2012 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »Fellow ROC Members, A quick reminder: this Saturday (March 10, 2012) is the next ROC Launch. Projected weather conditions appear to be acceptable for launching. Generally speaking, the best flying conditions prevail in the morning hours; current forecasts call for moderate “W” from the SW during the day in the 5-10 MPH range. (It’s still early in the week, so this forecast is preliminary and subject to change.) Mostly sunny skies are expected with overnight lows in the upper 30′s and daytime highs in the upper 60′s. Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday for the convenience of those camping overnight. Despite the cool weather, be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned. The desert is a dry and sunny place, even in the winter.
Stay tuned for further updates concerning launch plans and the weather later this week. As always, we can use your help with range setup and afternoon teardown. The more setup help we have, the quicker things will go, and the better we can take advantage of those prime morning flying hours, so please plan on coming out early to help if possible! Thanks to the efforts of Richard Dierking, we hope to have most of the setup done Friday evening in preparation for an early Saturday start, but we always need volunteers to keep the range running.
Overnight camping is allowed as usual, but be sure to keep all campfires in above-ground containers to comply with BLM rules, and pack your ashes and wood debris out with you when you leave. Let’s always try to leave the playa a little cleaner than we found it. Let’s fly rockets! We’ll see you on the lake bed!
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ROC’s February Launch is this Saturday
Posted: February 7, 2012 Filed under: Launch Announcements Comments OffFellow ROC Members, A quick reminder: this Saturday (February 11, 2012) is the next ROC Launch. Projected weather conditions appear to be acceptable for launching. Generally speaking, the best flying conditions prevail in the morning hours; current forecasts call for “W” during the day in the 5-10 MPH range out of the west. Sunny skies are expected with overnight lows in the 30′s and daytime highs in the 60′s. Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday evening for the convenience of those camping overnight. Despite the cool weather, be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned. The desert is a dry and sunny place, even in the winter.
We will be expecting a couple of scout troops as visitors at this month’s launch, so we’re hoping to be able to put on a good show for them and show them our ROC hospitality. Please help any visitors you meet who look like they could use assistance. And as always, we can use your help with range setup and afternoon teardown. The more setup help we have, the quicker things will go, and the better we can take advantage of those prime morning flying hours, so please plan on coming out early to help if possible! (While on the subject of helping out, don’t forget the second of our two consecutive special trailer/equipment cleaning work parties coming up in two weeks on 2/25!)
Overnight camping is allowed as usual, but be sure to keep all campfires in above-ground containers to comply with BLM rules, and pack your ashes and wood debris out with you when you leave. Let’s always try to leave the playa a little cleaner than we found it. Let’s fly rockets! We’ll see you on the lake bed!
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Greg Lyzenga ROC Board Member – NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088
Trailer Cleaning and Equipment Repair – Saturday, 1/28
Posted: January 21, 2012 Filed under: Launch Announcements Comments OffThis Saturday, January 28, 2012, starting at 9:00 am, we will be holding a trailer cleaning event to re-organize the contents of the trailer, repair any broken equipment, and generally get everything in good shape for the new year ahead. It’s a great opportunity to give back to the club, and to shoot the bull with all your rocket buddies. We can use all the help we can get, so please put this on your calendar and join the fun!
A particular goal this and the next work party is a major reorganization of the club equipment in order to take advantage of ROC’s new storage site in Lucerne Valley and to significantly lighten the trailer for easier towing. The weather forecast for the weekend looks favorable, but dress in layers in anticipation of cold temperatures in the morning. Bring work gloves and suitable shoes. ROC will be providing morning coffee and donuts, as well as pizza and salad for lunch.
The location, as always, is the home of Leslie and Scott Mayer, in Oak Hills. Their address is:
8828 Kittering Road
Oak Hills, CA 92344
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=8828+Kittering+Rd+92344
Feel free to bring friends, relatives, and a willingness to lend a hand. Work gloves are encouraged, as we’ll be hauling all of the launch equipment out of the trailer to clean and repair it, and gloves can make that easier. If you have special expertise, such as with electrical repair or machining, bring that too! There is no shortage of deferred maintenance to take care of.
Directions:
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If you come up the Cajon Pass heading north on Interstate 15, you should take the highway 395 exit as you get in to Hesperia. You’ll cross over the freeway, coming to a traffic signal at the Pilot gas station/Newton’s Outpost truck stop. Make a left at the signal on to Joshua street, and follow Joshua street one block west to where it ends in a “T” at Caliente Road. Turn right on Caliente, and head north one block to where the pavement ends just before Muscatel street. Now on the dirt, turn left on Muscatel.
About 50 feet after turning left on to Muscatel, you’ll see that the dirt road takes a steep drop down a hill into a valley, and up the other side. Approach with caution, as it’s not uncommon for vehicles on this road to speed down one side and up the other, and you don’t want to collide with a car coming the other way.
Follow Muscatel west down the canyon, and up the other side. Continue another six blocks, and turn left on Kittering road. Leslie and Scott’s place will be the first house on your right after you turn. The trailer is in the back, parked next to the garage/workshop.
If you want to avoid the steep drive down into the valley on Muscatel, or if you’re coming southbound on 395 from somewhere to the North, or if you miss the 395 exit off the 15, and get off on Main Street, instead, there’s an alternate route you can take:
Head West on Phelan Road from 395. If you’re heading northbound on 395 from the 15, you’ll be driving straight past the Pilot gas station, and making a left on Phelan Road, which is the next signal past Joshua Street. If you’re heading southbound on 395, you’ll be making a right on to Phelan Road. (Phelan Road becomes Main Street if you go the wrong way and head east towards Interstate 15. So, if you get off the 15 at Main Street, simply head west until you pass 395.)
One block west on Phelan Road from 395, just past Los Banos Ave., Phelan Road goes from two lanes down to one. The very next street on your left, just after the lanes merge, is Freemontia Road. Turn left on Freemontia. DO NOT TURN ON LOS BANOS — go one block past Los Banos, and turn left on Freemontia.
Freemontia becomes a dirt road immediately. Follow Freemontia south until it hits Muscatel, and turn right. The house on the southwest corner of Freemontia and Muscatel has a giant rooster statue and a windmill in the front yard, so simply turn right when you see the huge cockerel. Head three blocks west on Muscatel, and turn left on to Kittering. Leslie and Scott’s place will be the first house on your right after you turn. The trailer is in the back, parked next to the garage/workshop.
