Next was my zombie rocket, the Lunar Eclipse Jr. I’d seriously considered flying it on an E9-6, the same motor that damaged it with a cato last summer, but I chickened out and loaded up a CTI E22 Smoky Sam. It curved back over the flight line and toward Turner Road. I thought it might have landed in Turner Road, so I hurried out without first getting landmarks for the line it was on. It wasn’t in the road, but despite the fluorescent orange 18″ Top Flight chute, I didn’t see it off the road either, for a while. Finally I spotted the chute, well off the road on the other side in the field. The rocket was fine but the 24 mm casing had been kicked. Stupid. I’d been a little worried about retention, it just being a hook, but I’d talked myself into believing it was sufficient.

Well, anyway, it flew. Didn’t hang on the rod, didn’t explode, didn’t get lost or run over or hung in a tree. It may still be cursed, but it’s kind of a lame curse.