TSM Launch - Septmeber - rained and held on October 5, 2013

The september TSM was rained out on the normal launch date and a backup launch was held the following week. Weather looked very questionable up to the morning of the launch, rain from the previous two days looked like yet another launch would be scrubbed. To everyones surprised, the fields were reasonably dry, winds died down, and it felt to warm up a bit at launch time.

Andy started the day off with his 'Bite Me' rocket fashioned in the motif of nathans hotdog. I believe this was his prototype for a large project to grace the plya of black rock. The sausage took to the skies in a promising flight. The weiner witnessed some chute issues during the dogs deployment and the nathan nestled in the west with a broken bun and a little fin damage. Andy felt the flight was a success for the tube steak and was mosted excited about the supersized sausage that would soon soar.

Next at the flight line was a somewhat odd bulbous bird from Craig N. with his 'Dont burst my bubble' painted in a very blissful blue hue. She flew on an H185 redline motor and also experienced some chute issues with a late deployment and found terra firma towards the west, all things considered bodacious flight for the bubble.

Craig K. was next up on the flight list with his 'Beer Here'. Flying on a J280 to a projected altitude of about 1 mile. The bottle rocket (no pun) took off and looked to reach every bit of the projected altitude. Recovery made the name of the rocket good...for Beer Here finally showed up 'here' after some searching towards the north.

Craig N. followed with his appropriately named rocket PVC, which is constructed from PVC tubing for a very frugal airframe. Craig had her armed with a K800 that was very loud off the pad and found herself to an apogee of about 8000 feet. Craig took the altitude record for the launch with that flight and I believe she found home somewhere in the northwest near Maple Island. No rocket was left unaccounted for at the launch and Craig eventually brought her back - good job! Craig also had a EX motor at the launch for a static burn test - everything looked great and we might see the motor rocket bound soon.

Warren had his Black Brant JR out for a flight on a G-80, sim'd to reach 2100 feet. It was a great flight and Warren won the award for closest to pad landing with the BB-Jr landing just slightly northwest of the flight line. She stuck her landing as well making for the easiest recovery.

David had his Tux Rocket out for its first launch on an I229 motor. He was concerned that Tux would find the corn in the northeast but there was no need to be concerned for Tux landed in the Southwest with a slightly late deployment and another easy recovery.

Brendan from Iowa State showed up late at the launch and was ready to certify level 2. He took the test and did great and then started work on his wildman Jr rocket and prepped a J648 motor. She was expected to reach 6000 feet and folks at the range suggested Brendan borrow the walston tracker. She took off with a fury and quickly lost sight of the folks trying to track her. A couple issues with the Walston frequency hampered finding her, but she was eventually spotted towards the north and upon return she was cristened a level 2 rocket - Great Job Brendan.

The backup september TSM launch was a very nice outing at Maple Island, after all the equipment was returned in the trailer back at Reynens farms, folks headed to Bruno's east for a bit revelry and cheer for a nice early october launch.