High-Power Launch @ Elsberry, MO – Sunday November 10th

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Sunday, November 10th is the date for our next high-power launch. This launch will be held at the Elsberry launch field (see map).

  • Our waiver will be open from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. The range may or may not remain open until 4:30 pm, depending on how many people attend and how many rockets we want to fly.
    Our waiver altitude is 6,500 feet AGL, with call-in windows to 14,500 feet AGL.
  • The club equipment trailer should arrive at the field around 9:00 am for us to begin setup. We would greatly appreciate as much help as possible with setup and cleanup, so please plan to arrive early if you can.
  • There will be neither food concessions nor restroom facilities at this site, but it is a very short drive into town for those needs.
  • Launch fees will be $0 for Low-Power Rockets (also called Model Rockets and class 1 rockets, with 1/4 A up to G80 engines) if you're a PAID SLRA member, and $3 if you're not a paid SLRA member; and $10 for High-Power Rockets (also called class 2 rockets, with H up to O engines), however we are currently only able to fly rocket motors up to M.
  • We plan to have various sizes of launch pads set up, from the 1/8" model rocket rods up to 1515 rails. If you have any special needs, please reply to this email and we will see if we can accommodate you. In particular, if you need the "Monster Pad," please let us know ahead of time.
  • As always, please be courteous to our hosts and respectful of their property, including driving slowly on all farm roads. Once we get on site, we will clarify where it is okay to drive and park.

Location and directions to field:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1616154,-90.7682789,2917m/data=!3m1!1e3

Take MO-79 to Highway JJ, the first intersection south of the town of Elsberry.
From this point, we should have signs up to guide you - but head east onto Old Missouri 79 (if you were coming north from the St. Louis area, this is a right turn) and continue straight onto the farm road where the main road takes another right turn.

If you have any questions, please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 General Membership Meeting Announcement

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SLRA is having our regular monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, October 22nd, at our regular meeting location:

Fallon's Bar & Grill 9200 Olive Blvd. #116 Olivette, Missouri, 63132

The room will be available at 6:00 PM and the business meeting will start at about 7:00PM.

If you're a member of SLRA and are registered on the website, you can view minutes of previous meetings here: Meeting Minutes Page, The meeting minutes will be the basis of our "old business" discussion.

The standard agenda for all meetings is as follows:

  1. Treasury Status.
  2. Recognition of Achievements
  3. Recognition of Contributions
  4. Members expenses.
  5. Old Business - please review minutes for last month's meeting for topics
  6. New Business

Online and paper membership forms with payments received by mail to be processed by treasurer and president.

Please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com if you have new business for the meeting.

Elsberry HPR Launch Update

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Right now precipitation does not seem to be a problem for Saturday, but cloud cover could be.  Weather Underground is showing about 70% coverage.   So we may have to wait for the blue skies to be over us depending on how high the ceiling is and how high the rockets are going.

The launch status is currently go, but with a weather caution?  Please check our website before you head to the launch site. 

So, with an uncertain cloud ceiling, we are asking for help from any flyers who plan to fly rockets they have flown before that have a pretty accurate estimate of altitude, in order to help us to determine how high the cloud ceiling is.

Thanks, Dan Welling

High-Power Launch @ Elsberry, MO – Saturday October 19th

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Saturday, October 19thisthe date for our next high-power launch. This launch will be held at the Elsberry launch field (see map).

  • Our waiver will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The range may or may not remain open until 5:00 pm, depending on how many people attend and how many rockets we want to fly.
    Our waiver altitude is 6,500 feet AGL, with call-in windows to 14,500 feet AGL.
  • The club equipment trailer should arrive at the field around 9:00 am for us to begin setup. We would greatly appreciate as much help as possible with setup and cleanup, so please plan to arrive early if you can.
  • There will be neither food concessions nor restroom facilities at this site, but it is a very short drive into town for those needs.
  • Launch fees will be $0 for Low-Power Rockets (also called Model Rockets and class 1 rockets, with 1/4 A up to G80 engines) if you're a PAID SLRA member, and $3 if you're not a paid SLRA member; and $10 for High-Power Rockets (also called class 2 rockets, with H up to O engines), however we are currently only able to fly rocket motors up to M.
  • We plan to have various sizes of launch pads set up, from the 1/8" model rocket rods up to 1515 rails. If you have any special needs, please reply to this email and we will see if we can accommodate you. In particular, if you need the "Monster Pad," please let us know ahead of time.
  • Typically some of us try to meet for breakfast in Elsberry at Rachael's Place before set up.  Please let us know ahead of time if possible.  (That way the first person there knows whether we may need a table for 8 or maybe just 2 or 3.)
  • As always, please be courteous to our hosts and respectful of their property, including driving slowly on all farm roads. Once we get on site, we will clarify where it is okay to drive and park.

Location and directions to field:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1616154,-90.7682789,2917m/data=!3m1!1e3

Take MO-79 to Highway JJ, the first intersection south of the town of Elsberry.
From this point, we should have signs up to guide you - but head east onto Old Missouri 79 (if you were coming north from the St. Louis area, this is a right turn) and continue straight onto the farm road where the main road takes another right turn.

If you have any questions, please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com.

October Fly XVIII

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Reminder!
This weekend we are running October Fly XVIII at Buder Park in St Louis. We'll fly Saturday and Sunday. I will be on the field on both days by 8AM with the goal of starting flying by 9AM. Saturday we'll stop around 5PM approximately. Sunday we will have a hard stop at 3PM.

I will be using a misfire alley range setup. . Sport flyers are welcome, but bring your own launch equipment.

John Buckley

High-power launches added to the SLRA calendar

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At last night's meeting, we received news that no crops had been planted in the fields around Elsberry this year due to the flooding. While unfortunate for the landowner, this is good news for us because it looks as if the field is available for us to launch rockets this fall.

We have added three dates to the calendar:

  • Saturday, October 19
  • Sunday, November 10
  • Saturday, December 7

As always, these dates are weather-dependent. High-power flyers will pay a $10 launch fee; paid SLRA members can fly low-power for free, and non-members pay $3 for low-power only.

The entrance to the field is just south of the town of Elsberry, on the east side of Highway 79 where Highway JJ intersects it. https://goo.gl/maps/3CdtkUbTvw6dY8Kf6

The launch will be held under Tripoli Research rules; research motors are allowed with approval of the RSO. Our FAA waiver allows flights to 7,000 feet above sea level (about 6,500 feet above ground level) with call-in windows to 15,000 feet above sea level (14,500 feet above ground level). If you plan a flight above 10,000 feet, please bring simulation data along to help the RSO evaluate the risk of your flight violating the waiver.

If you have any questions, please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com.

Buder Park Model Rocket Launch – Saturday, September 28th

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Our next model rocket launch is scheduled for this coming Saturday, September 28th at Buder Park.

The current Weather Channel forecast predicts sunny skies, 5-10 mile per hour winds and a high temperature of 81

As always, please check the website for last-minute updates before heading to the field, or check your email if you are subscribed to the email list.

We'll start setup at 8:00 am and should have the range open by 8:30 if not earlier. The range will stay open for as long as people are flying, but we're typically done by 12:00 or 1:00 pm.

If you have any questions, please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com.

---The fine print---

Launch pads are usually set up in the southeast corner of the park, but this may change based on wind direction and other activities nearby.

Anyone who is a current, paid member of the National Association of Rocketry or Tripoli Rocketry Association is welcome to participate. Due to insurance regulations, those who are not a member of one of the two national organizations will need to have a NAR or Tripoli member inspect and fly their rockets for them. Non-members will also be asked to sign a liability release. If you wish to fly your own rockets, please be prepared to show your NAR or Tripoli membership card, or a receipt of payment if you are a new member who has not yet received a card.

Please note that these launches may be cancelled for a number of reasons, notably: weather conditions (rain, high wind), park conditions (mud, flooding), or scheduling conflicts (another group’s use of the park makes it impossible to safely launch, or not enough SLRA members are available to run the launch). Please check the “current launch status” on the front page of our website, http://dmortproductions.com/stlrocketry, before making your way to the park.

Buder Park launches are conducted under the NAR safety code as “Class 1” rocket launches. Class 1 launches carry the following restrictions:

Rockets must weigh less than 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) at liftoff, including propellant.
Rockets must contain no more than 125 grams (4.4 ounces) of propellant – this includes most motors up through G class (although see the note below regarding high-altitude launches). Only certified, commercial motors are allowed.
Rockets must be made of wood, paper, or breakable plastic, and contain no substantial metal parts.
Rockets must employ a recovery system such as a parachute, streamer, helicopter, glide, tumble or featherweight recovery
Decisions of the LCO (launch control officer) and RSO (range safety officer) are final with respect to these restrictions and safety in general. Our goal is safety for everyone involved.

The total size of Buder Park is approximately 2100 x 1200 feet, which according to the Model Rocket Safety Code is large enough to fly a G motor rocket. However, please keep in mind that we are usually not the only users of the park – we share it with radio control aircraft flyers, archers, sports teams, joggers, and many others. Also, the perimeter of the park is lined with very tall trees, and just beyond the north treeline you will find the Meramec River. Have some idea of how high your rocket is expected to go before you launch, keep the wind conditions in mind, and use common sense. Experienced SLRA members will be happy to advise you to make sure your rocket is safe and likely to be recoverable.

Finally, please remember to take adequate precautions in hot weather – use sunscreen and bring water or sports drinks to stay hydrated. One nice thing about Buder Park is that there is plenty of shade around the edges of the field, so please take shelter from the sun when you need to.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 General Membership Meeting Announcement

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SLRA is having our regular monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, September 24th, at our regular†meeting location:

Fallon's Bar & Grill 9200 Olive Blvd. #116 Olivette,†Missouri,†63132

The room will be available at 6:00 PM and the business meeting will start at about 7:00PM.

If you're a member of SLRA and are registered on the website, you can view minutes of previous meetings here:†Meeting Minutes Page,†The meeting minutes will be the basis of our "old business" discussion.

The standard agenda for all meetings is as follows:

  1. Treasury Status.
  2. Recognition of Achievements
  3. Recognition of Contributions
  4. Members expenses.
  5. Old Business - please review minutes for last month's meeting for topics
  6. New Business

Online and paper membership forms with payments received by mail†to be processed by treasurer and president.

Please email admin@stlouisrocketry.com if you have new business for the meeting.