Vern and Gleda Estes built Super Alphas from Estes Rockets on Sunday 7/24/11, and here they are flying them on Monday 7/25/11, at NARAM 53 near Cincinnati, OH. Vern and Gleda founded the company that bears their name in 1958 in Denver, CO, then moved to Penrose, CO a year or two later. In 1958 Vern devised a machine to mass produce reliable model rocket motors for another model rocket company, but made so many motors that he had to start his own business, which grew into the company that is synonymous with the hobby of model rocketry. Vern and Gleda sold the company in 1969, continued working with it until the 1980's, but they have remained strong supporters of the hobby in general since then.