Night Launch Coming Up

The next SoAR launch on February 27 at Hoschton will start later than usual, at 3PM. We'll fly in daylight for three hours, break for dinner, then return to the field for our somewhat annual Night Launch, which will run from 8PM to 10PM!

Rockets for the night launch must follow some rules, which we'll post later, but basically, the rocket must have active on-board lighting that will be visible throughout the flight. Light Sticks, bright LEDs, and other electric lights are great, but a rocket that relies only on photoluminescense is probably not going to fly. There may be a size or power restriction as well, so check back here or ask on the SoAR Business or SoAR Chat lists if you have any questions.

The SoAR 2010 Launch Schedule has been updated with the schedule that was approved at the January 23 meeting. It will be further updated with schedules from other clubs within the next few days.

Please note that our "High Power" launches are also low power launches!

SoAR now has a presence on Facebook. If you're on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Area-Rocketry/295200619273?ref=nf and become a fan of SoAR. It doesn't take the place of this website, but it is another way to keep connected.

Though the temperature was chilly and turnout a little soft at the Mill Springs Launch on January 23rd, a raffle of rockets netted $34 dollars for Haiti earthquake relief via Hope For Haiti Now.

We will be holding a special contest at our March Launch, featuring model rockets that use altimeter-based dual deployment (i.e. breakapart, or deploy a drogue streamer or parachute at apogee, then open a main chute at a much lower altitude). Go here for details!

If you know nothing about dual-deploy, you're in luck! Apogee Components has just started a video tutorial on dual-deploy, and you can see the first segment here!

Pictures from the November 14 launch at TurfSouth Sod Farm are now available at the Photos page. I've posted pictures from my short road-trip this past November. You see, I had heard about this high power launch they were having in Florida... really high power.

At each SoAR launch, there will be a bucket (white, about 12" diameter) that is designated as Dale Windsor's Bucket O'Rockets. Land any part of your rocket in that bucket and you'll win a jackpot of rocket kits. If no one gets in the bucket at a launch, the prizes will roll over to the next launch, and another prize will (occasionally) be added!

The current list of prizes (as of February 1, 2010):

• limited edition Roachwerks Saturn IB kit
• Estes SpaceShipOne
• ASP WAC Corporal
• Estes Scissor-Wing Transport (the newest re-issue)
• NOVA ASP