Injury due to Drone Policy Violation

I want to remind everyone that attends a ROC Launch of ROC’s Drone Policy.

Issues with Incorrect Assembly of Aerotech RAS Hardware

Two incidents, one potentially serious, occurred at the July 20 ROC launch due to flyers improperly assembling Aerotech Reload Adapter System hardware.

In the more serious incident, a rocket was launched with an improperly assembled motor. The rocket took a very long time to come up to pressure, and during this time sat smoldering on the pad. It then did pressurize and had a far less than adequate flight profile. After the flight it was determined that the RAS was assembled incorrectly, causing the fight problems and causing damage to the hardware.

The motor had been assembled with the spacer at the bottom of the motor against the nozzle. The spacer(s) should always be installed between the floating forward closure and the matching forward closure ring. The spacer is not designed or constructed to withstand the heat of combustion, and should never be in or as part of the motor combustion chamber.

In a second incident, an inexperienced flyer had incorrectly assembled a motor, receive incorrect advice resulting in reassembling the motor in a different wrong configuration, before finally getting the correct information and completing a successful Level 1 certification flight with the motor correctly assembled.

Incorrect assembly can cause unsafe flight profiles that may result in injury. In one incident today the incorrect assembly only resulted in hardware damage, and the second was recognized and corrected before flight.

Equally, perhaps more important, when giving advice on how to use rocketry hardware it is essential that the advice be based on following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cesaroni hardware using spacers must also be assembled following the manufacturer’s instruction. Only the correct combination of spacers may be used, and the spacer(s) must be forward in the casing, ahead of the reload.

There are links below to the Aerotech instructions. The RAS is a great hardware system and increase the versatility of motor casings, but must be used correctly and safely!

Aerotech Instructions Page:
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/resources.aspx?id=4

29mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/0b7924f1-f870-4bf1-ad1b-330609b44a63_29mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf

38mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/900941fb-4429-42b3-b686-abff01c8f083_38mm_reload_adapter_anchor_inst.pdf

54mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/d80b9080-9f79-4012-93d1-696ae0787765_54mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf

75mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/229b9c98-d70d-46c0-b4fd-7e74ff4d98aa_75mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf

Hope to see you Saturday!

Remember that we will be launching this Saturday, July 20, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

We expect to open the rang and begin flying at 7AM and continue to 1PM, weather permitting!

We expect Discount Rocketry, for all you low power needs, but no high power vendors.

Temperatures are expected to be about 95°F, with very low humidity and high UV index. Please bring plenty of water and prepare for summer on a desert lakebed.

Current Excutive Members: no fee for 2020

It’s been a tough year for flying! Much like our east-coast friends, we spent the fall, winter, and spring building rockets instead of flying them due to unstable weather. As a way of saying “Thanks” to all of our Executive Members, ROC is providing FREE Executive Memberships for 2020 to all of our existing Executive Members.

It’s simple, if you are a current, paid Executive Member at the end of this year, December 31st, 2019, then you’ll automatically get 2020 for free! That’s $60 you can spend on rocket gear, motors, or whatever you want!

Detailed Rules:
1. If you paid for a 2019 Membership already, including those that paid in the last three months of 2018, you will automatically be renewed for 2020. There’s nothing to do. To check your current membership status, log-in at: https://roc.wildapricot.org/ or ask at registration.

2. If you join as an Executive member ($60) between now and December 31, 2019, you will receive all of 2020 for free. Join here: https://roc.wildapricot.org/

3. Family membership policy remains unaffected.
4. Non-member fees remain unaffected.
5. Pre-registered Youth Group fees remain unaffected.

July 20th Launch

Reminder that the next scheduled launch will be July 20th. There will be no launch on the 13th, the 2nd Saturday of July.

Bay Area Rocketry will not be attending the upcoming July 20th launch. Mike has offered to compile a group shipment for ROC. If you need motors and/or supplies from Bay Area Rocketry then please place your order with them by July 16th NOON. Please put “ROC Moon Walk” in the instructions when ordering.

Mike Ostby,
ROC President