Rocketeer's Corner 
Rocketeer's Corner Posts
A Geezer's thoughts on the 2016 TARC challenge... (2015-05-18)
Well, the 2015 TARC finals are over (Yay Russellville! Have fun in Paris!) and the 2016 rules are out. I look forward to a new challenge each year, and this one has some interesting twists. So, good ... [Read More]
Geezer TARC launch! (2015-08-29)Well, today was the long awaited day - a bit on the cloudy side, with winds in the 8-10 mph range. However, the rain held off long enough for us to complete the Geezer TARC launch, and I must say it ... [Read More]
TARC session at the University of North Alabama (2015-10-24)Time to catch up on blog posts - work has been kicking my rear lately and I haven't felt like writing when I get home. The rain outside is providing some motivation today :) Lee Brownell starts the ... [Read More]
I fly a few during TARC practice... (2015-10-30)The skies were overcast last Saturday, but that did not stop me and Duane from joining Nate and his two Liberty Middle TARC teams at Pegasus field. We showed up around noon to find the young folks ... [Read More]
TARC Saturday... (2016-03-28)It's a good thing that the weather was wonderful this past Saturday, because Duane and I spent 7 hours - from 9 AM to 4 PM - at Pegasus Field working with the local TARC teams. Eight made an ... [Read More]
The 2017 Geezer TARC season begins... (2016-05-15)The 2016 TARC Nationals were held yesterday up in Virginia, with two Alabama teams placing in the top 20. Russellville took the #9 spot, and Lincoln High School came in at #16 - a big congrats to ... [Read More]
Time for Geezer TARC! (2016-05-27)Given that Duane and I are already working on designs, I thought it prudent to post the rules for the 2017 Geezer TARC competition. Have to get things in writing, you know. The rules are the ... [Read More]
Making Geezer TARC a little more interesting... (2016-06-01)This past week I was petitioned to amend the rules to allow second flights for Geezer TARC participants, just like the top teams at the National Fly-off in Virginia. The altitude goal for this second ... [Read More]
TARC workshops and cell towers... (2016-09-28)In terms of rocket events, September has been a busy month. A few days after the Geezer TARC launch, HARA hosted a Saturday TARC workshop at the Educator Resource Center located on the grounds of the ... [Read More]
1st launch of 2017... (2017-01-14)A coupe of days ago, Duane informed me that the Pope John Paul II TARC teams (Falcon Rocketeers and Jurassic TARC) would be making their first practice flights on Saturday. This made today not only a ... [Read More]
Cold and windy... (2017-01-28)Jurassic TARC readies Stripes for launch (click to enlarge). Duane and I linked up with the Jurassic TARC team around 11 this morning - it was a chilly day, with temps in the low 40's, made even ... [Read More]
2 busy hours at Pegasus... (2017-02-04)Noon today once again saw the start of more TARC practice and flying at Pegasus Field. The weather was a bit more favorable than last Saturday, with the temps in the upper 40's and a moderate wind ... [Read More]
Getting ahead of the rain... (2017-02-11)Jurassic TARC readies one of their rockets for flight (Click to enlarge). There was considerable doubt earlier this week as to whether the scheduled Saturday TARC practice at Pegasus field would ... [Read More]
Sunday flying... (2017-02-20)The 'Cherokee nation' loaded on the pads (Click to enlarge). Our streak of nice Saturdays was broken by the rain that started this past Friday night, continuing through Saturday morning. It put a ... [Read More]
Pads galore at Pegasus... (2017-03-04)Liberty watches their rocket soar upward into a sunny blue sky (Click to enlarge). Today was another perfect day for flying, and four TARC teams - Liberty Middle School's Team Bazinga, Hope ... [Read More]
What a jerk! (2017-03-20)The Falcon Rocketeers get ready to weigh their rocket before a flight (Click to enlarge). We are now in "crunch time" - those last couple of weeks before the TARC ... [Read More]
Crossing the finish line... (2017-04-03)Hope Rising starts Headhunter on another flight (Click to enlarge). "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." These words from Dicken's A Tale of Two ... [Read More]
The pad's on fire! (2017-05-13)Last Saturday Duane and I joined members of Liberty Middle School's TARC team at Pegasus field for an end-of-year celebratory fun launch. The day was sunny, albeit quite breezy - most of the rockets ... [Read More]
Which is the smoothest ride - rod or rail? (2017-05-21)For the first time, the TARC rules state that the top 100 contestants making it to the Nationals cannot use a rod; however, they can practice and qualify using one. It's difficult enough to achieve ... [Read More]
We have a new TARC Geezer! (2017-09-30)Vince's Geezer TARC entry sets on the pad awaiting launch (Click to enlarge). Well, today was THE day - the annual Geezer TARC fly off. This year's contestants - myself, Duane, Marc, and Vince - ... [Read More]
Warm December launch at Pegasus... (2017-12-03)(Warning - this is a long post with many pictures) Some of the activity at Pegasus field this Saturday; the Jurassic TARC team is in the foreground (Click to enlarge). ... [Read More]
Same thing, every year... (2018-03-23)I thoroughly enjoy being a TARC mentor; working with the teams is great, and I am thrilled to be part of the whole experience that is Team America Rocketry Challenge. However, mixed in with the ... [Read More]
Sunday morning launch... (2018-04-30)The Longshots begin unpacking their equipment for practice (Click to enlarge). The weather was practically perfect this past weekend - not only did I get rockets built ... [Read More]
Time to start Geezer TARC! (2018-05-13)OK Geezers, now that the rules have been released for the 2019 TARC competition, we can start the annual Geezer TARC contest. This year promises to be fun-filled, with 3 eggs, 3 parachutes, and an ... [Read More]
I attend rocket camp... (2018-05-27)Campers hard at work on a 3" BMS School Rocket (Click to enlarge). I had the privilege of attending the Hope Christian Academy Rocket Camp this past Friday. Imagine 9 ... [Read More]
My first Geezer TARC rocket for 2018... (2018-05-30)I was suffering from rocket burnout last year at the time of the release of the TARC rules, so I did not get around to building my Geezer TARC rocket until the latter part of Summer. Normally I build ... [Read More]
A good piece of mail... (2018-06-17)The Longshots (Click to enlarge) The US Postal Service never ceases to amaze me - I can get a rocket part order from Ohio and Nevada in just 2 days, and sometimes it ... [Read More]
Miscellany... (2018-07-30)It's been a few months since I last flew, and I am feeling a bit restless. Unfortunately, Pegasus field is way overgrown with weeds - won't be cut until fall - and HARA is still awaiting our first ... [Read More]
Time to do some TARC math! (2018-08-26)Now that the Reliant is finished, it's time to figure out the size of the parachutes needed to land the booster and payload sections safely. To do so, you need to measure the weights of both these ... [Read More]
At long last... (2018-09-30)In my previous post, I mentioned that the day was perfect for flying - clear skies, light wind, and comfortable temperatures. Soon after arriving at Pegasus, I realized that the latter was most ... [Read More]
What I learned from this year's Geezer TARC... (2018-09-30)I spent a lot of time with my designs and simulations this year. Here's what I took away from yesterday's launch: Reliant's flight profile from the PNUT altimeter (Click to enlarge). 1) As expected, ... [Read More]
Goodbye Pegasus! (2019-06-01)You can see the construction going on at the former Pegasus field behind the Urban Astronauts, who are holding their rocket high after completing their TARC qualification flights. ... [Read More]
A new season and a new name... (2019-06-02)The 2019 TARC rules were released the evening of Nationals, and I must say that there were a couple of surprises. First was TARC now stands for something else - no longer "Team America Rocketry ... [Read More]
A modular TARC rocket? (2019-08-31)Now that the season has begun I have been thinking quite a bit about this year's TARC. The big change this year is that the 100 teams participating at Finals will fly not to their qualifying 800 ... [Read More]
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