GSA Outreach Report (11/13/2004)
[On Saturday, November 13, MASA helped with a Girl Scouts of
America rocket build & fly at Lakamaga Girl Scout Camp near
Forest Lake.]
Thanks to Mike Erpelding, Ken and Paul Jarosch, and Andy Heren
for helping out with the Girl Scout outreach launch today. We made
about 85 E2X rockets in three one-hour shifts in the morning, and
launched them in three one hour shifts in the afternoon.
The weather was about as perfect as you can get for November
upper 40s and nearly calm winds. The field was smallish, but
entirely adequate for the conditions--about 100 yards square,
bordered downwind by a field of reeds.
Almost all of the rockets landed on the field or just inside the
reeds (except see below). I think all of the girls got their rocket
back (although there were a couple of separations and there might
have been a lost nose cone or two). There was also the usual
smattering of misfires, one rod lock, and one rocket that tried to
fly with a clothespin on board.
We also let some of the girls fly their E2Xs a second time on
C6-5 motors (with no promises about getting them back, although most
of them did, albeit from a lot farther away. One ended up in a tree,
and another deep in the reeds). Paul flew his CATO three times as a
demo (it was announced as an attempt at a new Minnesota record of
115 perfect flights in a row by the same rocket, and we got them
going every time. I crack me up...). I also flew Silver Comet three
times, twice on a C11 and the last time on a D12.
MASA was thanked repeatedly and profusely. A gaggle of us
descended on Hub just before closing to stock up on stuff, too. All
in all, it was a terrific day!
[Ted Cochran]
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