ROCStock Is Coming! Sign Up for Range Duty

The ROCStock XXXVII Range Duty signup sheet is online and ready to be filled in! Grab your preferred job and time-slot before they fill up!

Visit: http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=rocrangeduty

Sign up TODAY!

Launch this Saturday May 11th 2013

Fellow ROC Members,

This is our monthly announcement that this Saturday (May 11, 2013) is the next ROC Launch. While the current weather is cool and unsettled, projection for the upcoming weekend is for warm and sunny weather.  We are beginning to enter the time of year when the desert can be hot, so attendees should be prepared. Overnight lows are expected to be in the 50′s and daytime temps could be in the high 80′s.  At this time, winds look to be westerly and low to moderate in strength.   Dress in layers for a range of possible conditions.  As usual it is expected the best conditions will be in the early morning, with wind speeds gradually increasing after mid-morning.  Be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned.  We are expecting our regular food vendor to be in attendance, in addition to our rocketry vendor.

*** RANGE ASSISTANCE ***

We were very close to canceling the launch this month due to a lack of volunteers to tow the club trailer.  At the last minute, Richard Dierking was able to rearrange his personal schedule to help out.  Please express your appreciation to him for making the launch possible.  As helpful as this is, it does not relieve the problem for future months.  As Veni announced in her President’s message the other day, the board has made the decision to scale back on monthly launches to address this problem.  Starting after June ROC-Stock, we will not bring the large club trailer out, and will only bring as much range equipment as we can with a smaller utility trailer.  On the plus side, this will allow many more members to be able to help with the towing.  We hope this will inspire many of you to set aside one month of the year to volunteer your time and effort to help the club in this way.  On the negative side, the smaller launch setup will mean fewer pads and potentially longer waits to fly.  We will see how this works out after several months.

Concerning this month’s launch, there will be a couple of board members out on Friday for early preparations and moving equipment between our storage sites in Lucerne Valley.  They have expressed the need for additional help, so if you are interested in going out Friday to assist, please contact us for details and so that we have a head count.

As usual, we are dependent on YOUR HELP both to set up and to operate the range — the range doesn’t open in the morning until range duty slots for the day are filled.  We have continued to have chronic problems with getting people to sign up to help on the range.  This month we will be experimenting with a new system to help with our short-handedness.  We will have “roaming RSO” volunteers.  The idea would be that rather than sitting at a table in the sun for a couple of hours to safety check rockets, the roaming RSOs could remain at their campsite (or wherever they like) wearing an orange vest or other garb identifying them as an RSO.  Flyers wishing to have a rocket checked would approach the RSO at his/her camp and get the flight signed off there.  The roaming RSOs could be on duty for as long as they like, and could take off the vest when they didn’t want to be disturbed, such as when prepping their own flight.  If we get enough people to participate, it should go a long way toward improving our volunteer situation and perhaps also reduce congestion at the range head.  So if you are a Level 2 or better and are willing to serve in this way, please sign up and inquire at the registration table.

Even with lots of roaming RSOs, we’ll still need people in positions like LCO, pad manager and pad helper.  As always, we need your help or we won’t fly, so do your part!

SIGN UP HERE NOW:    http://mysignup.com/rocrangeduty

Don’t let that sign-up sheet be empty on Saturday morning.  Please let the board know in advance if you have any large projects or unusual support requirements that we should know about.  

*** EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE WORK PARTY 5/12 ***

This is another reminder of the trailer and equipment cleaning event to be held at our storage site at the Sundowner Inn, near the launch site.  The work party will be on Sunday, May 12th on the day following our monthly launch starting at 9:00 am.  The purpose of this work party will be to prepare for June ROCStock, and paint our new storage container.  You’ll be able to camp overnight on Saturday and attend the work party the next morning and save an extra drive.  Please come out and help!

*** GENERAL INFO ***

Non-member daily launch fee is $15 and the paid-up member fee is $5.  Everybody needs to register and get a wrist band to fly.  All participants and spectators need to sign a liability waiver.  Please be aware of the requirement to follow all safety rules and procedures while attending the launch, and make sure that children are supervised by a responsible adult at all times. 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.  Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday to support overnight campers and setup.

Let’s fly rockets!  We’ll see you on the lake bed!

———————————————–

Greg Lyzenga

ROC Vice President and Board Member – NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088

Time to Sign-up For Range Duty

One week until Launch! We need signups for Range Duty.
Visit: http://rocstock.org/range-duty-positions-and-procedures/
for descriptions and a link to our on-line signup.

Fellow ROC Members,

A quick reminder: this Saturday (April 13, 2013) is the next ROC Launch. Weather forecasts currently indicate clear sunny weather for the launch.  Temperatures are warming up and the currently strong winds should have diminished by the weekend to 10 mph or less.  Overnight lows will be in the 40′s and daytime temps should be around 80.  Dress in layers for a range of possible conditions.  As usual it is expected the best conditions will be in the early morning, with speeds gradually increasing after mid-morning.  Be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned.

*** RANGE SETUP ***

We are fortunate again this month that Richard Dierking has volunteered to tow the club trailer and begin early setup of the launch range.  With adequate help from the membership and cooperative weather, we hope to have the range open by 7:00 a.m. Saturday.  *IMPORTANT APPEAL* We do NOT have volunteers lined up for trailer towing for the rest of the year.  We NEED VOLUNTEERS to commit to help out if we are to put on launches.  People who want to tow the trailer should receive orientation to learn the job.  Anyone who is interested will have the opportunity this month to shadow Richard as he tows the trailer between the launch site and our storage site 3 miles away.  Please contact the board and/or Richard to arrange for orientation, so that you can learn the ropes and be ready to volunteer in the coming months.  We look forward to your participation!  On Friday the day before the launch, we’ll be taking delivery of the club’s new storage container at the Sundowner Inn.  If you are free to come out on Friday, you can help with installing the container and learn about towing the trailer at the same time.

*** RANGE OPERATION ***

As usual, we are dependent on YOUR HELP both to set up and to operate the range — the range doesn’t open in the morning until range duty slots for the day are filled.  With the warming spring weather, we can expect more flyers to come out wanting to fly.  It won’t be possible if everyone ignores (like last month!) the need to sign up for range duty.  We need your help or we won’t fly, so do your part!

SIGN UP HERE NOW:    http://mysignup.com/rocrangeduty

Don’t let that sign-up sheet be empty on Saturday morning.  Please let the board know in advance if you have any large projects or unusual support requirements that we should know about.  

*** EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE WORK PARTY 5/12 ***

This is advance notice of a trailer and equipment cleaning event to be held at our storage site at the Sundowner Inn, near the launch site.  The work party will be on Sunday, May 12th on the day following our monthly launch starting at 9:00 am.  The purpose of this work party will be to prepare for June ROCStock, and further details will be provided in subsequent announcements.  We may also be painting the new storage container, so your help is needed for that too.  You’ll be able to camp overnight on Saturday and attend the work party the next morning and save an extra drive.  Put it on your calendar now!  (You can work in the morning and get home in time to grab a shower and take Mom out to a nice Mother’s Day dinner!)

*** GENERAL INFO ***

Non-member daily launch fee is $15 and the paid-up member fee is $5.  Everybody needs to register and get a wrist band to fly.  All participants and spectators need to sign a liability waiver.  Please be aware of the requirement to follow all safety rules and procedures while attending the launch, and make sure that children are supervised by a responsible adult at all times. 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.  Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday to support overnight campers and setup.

Let’s fly rockets!  We’ll see you on the lake bed!

———————————————–

Greg Lyzenga

ROC Vice President and Board Member – NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088

March Launch Report

Saturday 9^th March 2013

Although is was chilly and a bit breezy we had a very successful launch day.  It was quite a surprise to see the amount of fliers that came out today, despite the rainy and cold temperatures the night before. 

Range setup went smoothly in the morning and we began launching about 9AM in the morning.

The range was shutdown at 2:00 PM. Thank you Richard Dierking for bringing out the trailer this month. 

 We had several volunteers that were attending their first ROC launch and the assistance of the regulars and new volunteers was greatly appreciated. As usual, we did much on the job training during the launch and we always welcome new folks coming up to learn the jobs.

Overall attendance

Total flights: 270

Certification flights

David Baldwin flew his “Blue Sky” on a K-700 packed full of electronics including HiAlt 45, stratologger, a Rocket Tracker on a dual deploy.

Mike England flew his scratch built “Rapid Pulse” on a cessaroni K-360 with a camera, hope everyone waved.

Andy Tran flew his Liberty 4 on an AT K-550.

Cal Poly flew their “Platypus” on an ATl1420.  Unfortunately this flight did not end well.

A big call out to Cor Rurien, who managed to get his Nar L-1 certification on an H175, I know it was a rough day for you, but I am glad you stuck it out.  Congratulations!

Josh Jersin did his L1 certification on his first visit to ROC with a Madcow Super DX3 called “Avalanche” on a Cessaroni I-345.  His was the Last of many L1 and L2 certifications.

Welcome to our newest Executive Member James Turner!

Once again I want to thank all the volunteers who helped set-up, operate and tear-down the launch.  I want to remind everyone that ROC is a volunteer organization.  No one gets paid for the time and effort they put forth to help at these launches.  The board members give of their time for the love of the club and the love of the hobby, but we can not do it alone.  We need the help of each and every one of you.  Whether you are an executive member or a pay-by-day flier we need you to step up and give some time to make each launch a success.

We look forward to seeing you next month!