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Feb 13th Launch moved to Feb 20th

Friday, February 12th, 2010

We will move the Feb 13th Samson launch one week to Saturday Feb 20th. The sun will be out but the field has recieved a large amount of moisture today. We do not want to risk damage to the field. The South Alabama guys said the extra week would help them get their final rocket ready. Unfortunately this is a hardship on Chris Short and his work schedule . Please contact him about motors.

As always check your email or the web site before heading out to the launch. Please let anyone who may not get this email know about the change.

Thanks,

Greg Lane
SEARS President

Don’t miss the S.E.A.R.S. June 13th 2009 Monthly Launch

Monday, June 1st, 2009

The next monthly S.E.A.R.S. Launch is Saturday June 13th at Samson, AL. We setup at 8:30 AM, the waiver opens for launches at 9:00 AM. We usually go untill about 4:00 PM. Beginners are welcome. Bring the whole family!. Everyone is also invited to Crews BBQ in Samson after the launch. For more info see http://www.sears572.com/sears-launch-info

Jun 13, 2009
        General:  Multi Stage Day
        Youth: fly a two stage rocket and find both the booster and sustainer
        Challenge: fly a three stage rocket
        Advanced: fly a four stage rocket

Use a green flight card for any multi-stage rocket and you will entered for a draw from the prize pool.

Note: We depend on everyone’s good judgement about keeping their rockets safe and stable and on-the field. Most but not all multi-stage commercial kits are good designs. If you are scratch building be sure to research the principles and tips that will keep your rocket safe and stable. We will require a check by a RSO for multistage stage rockets at this launch to identify rockets that should not be flown or need to be flown at the away cell.  Low power multi-stage need an RSO by a Level 2 club members. Mid and high power need an RSO by a Level 3 club member. Every multi-stage rocket is a HEADS-UP Flight. So keep your eyes on the rocket and remember the booster will be decending separate from the sustainer.

Gary Goldenbaum's Two Stage with 4 X 24mm cluster

Gary Goldenbaum’s cluster two stage.

Tip: CHAD (Cheap and Dirty) Staging is direct staging and requires no
modification to an existing rocket. This is where you add a booster
motor with a -0 delay behind the ususal motor. This is done by attaching
the top end on the booster to the bottom on the usual motor. You can do
this with one wrap of cellophane tape. I would use CHAD staging where
the weight of the extra motor does not change the CG that much. Remember
CG must be forward of the CP. I have  found that the Estes Snitch can be
CHAD staged C6-0 to C6-3.

Greg Lane

SEARS President

May 9th SEARS Launch Cancelled

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

All,

The May 9th launch in Samson is cancelled due the number of regulars not attending. We will resume on June 13th. See you then.

Greg Lane
SEARS President

January 10th SEARS Launch Cancelled

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

All,

The January 10th Rocket Launch in Samson has been cancelled due to the thunderstorms and winds forecast for launch day.

Sorry about that!

Greg Lane

SEARS President

S.E.A.R.S. appreciates our Sponsors

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

Please patronize these sponsors of SEARS Launches

Greens Grass Farm 
877 Sod Road,
Samson, AL 36477
(334) 898-7901

We appreciate the use of the field at Greens Grass Farm for our launches.

Portable Toilet Service
2321 N Range St
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone : (334) 794-2144

PTS provides excellent service at our launch site in Samson.

S.E.A.R.S. 2009 UNLEASHED

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

SEARS fliers enjoy themed launches. But in 2009 were are unleashing a new concept. General, Youth, Challenge and Advanced categories. General will be on the green flight cards and there will be the drawing for a prize pool item. Youth is for fun and will you will likely get your picture on the web site. Challenge is to develop your rocketry skills. Advanced: This categoy is for those who have the basic skills down and have been flying rockets for a year or more with appropriate certifications. These flights will be flown from the wireless launcher if they present a greater risk than normal flights. That would be monocopters, billiard balls, four stage rockets, 7 motor clusters and the like. The stand off distance will be determined by the Club Advisor. Details will be supplied on the next cut. Let me know if you have any tweaks to the events.

Greg

Jan 10, 2009
       General: Anything but a Chute day.
       Youth: Make a colorful streamer and fly in a rocket
       Challenge: Fly a helicopter rocket
       Advanced: Fly a monocopter rocket See http://www.artapplewhite.com/monocopters.html

Feb 7, 2009
    General: Egg Loft Day
    Youth: Decorate eggs as Eggstronauts
    Challenge: Egg Loft Duration
    Advanced: Billiard Ball Loft

Mar 14, 2009
     General: Maiden Flight Day
     Youth: Decorate A Rocket Contest
     Challenge: Kit Mash, build a rocket from two or more commercial kits.
     Advanced: Fly a Hybrid Rocket

Apr 18, 2009
        General: Peep Spot Landing
        Youth: Launch three different kinds of peeps
        Challenge: Deploy four or more peeps. The more the better
        Advanced: Fly a peep to as close to 1500 feet as possible based on an altimeter

May 9, 2009
        General:  Classic Day: Any published design or kit over 20 years old including clones and upscales.
        Youth: Bring a friend to the launch and show them how to fly a rocket
        Challenge: Scratch Build an original Design
        Advanced: Fly a dual deploy rocket

Jun 13, 2009
        General:  Multi Stage Day
        Youth: fly a two stage rocket and find both the booster and sustainer
        Challenge: fly a three stage rocket
        Advanced: fly a four stage rocket

Jul 11, 2009 
        General: Glider Day
        Youth: Bring a hand glider and fly it
        Challenge: Glider Duration
        Advanced: Fly an glider with 24 inch wingspan or greater (Maybe R/C)

Sep 12, 2009 
        General: Sci-fi / Futuristic / Alien Day
        Youth: decorate a rocket to have aliens on-board
        Challenge: Fly a Mars Lander type rocket
        Advanced: Warp Factor

Oct 10, 2009  
        General: Odd Roc Day
        Youth Build and fly an Applewhite 13mm saucer
        Challenge: Build an totally original Odd Roc
        Advanced: Fly an rocket on K or larger motor

Nov 14, 2009 
        General: Cluster Day
        Youth: Paint a rocket the same color as a pumpkin
        Challenge: Modify a rocket to take three motors instead of one
        Advanced: Cluster 7 or more motors 

Dec 12, 2009 
        General: Drag Race day
        Youth: Decorate a rocket for Christmas
        Challenge: Drag race a matched rocket and motor with a friend
        Advanced: Drag race H or larger rockets
      

Don’t Miss the Nov 1st S.E.A.R.S. Launch

Monday, October 20th, 2008

The next monthly S.E.A.R.S. Launch is November 1st at Samson, AL. The event is Cluster Day. A cluster rocket has two or more motors in a single stage. We setup at 8:30 AM, the waiver opens for launches at 9:00 AM. We usually go untill about 4:00 PM. Beginners are welcome. Bring the whole family!. Everyone is also invited to Crews BBQ in Samson after the launch. For more info see http://www.sears572.com/sears-launch-info

Greg Lane

S.E.A.R.S President

Hydra Drag Race they are off

Two seven motor Hydras drag race

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September 6th 2008 Launch Highlights

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

All,

The weather was better than we thought. We had no showers. A great hot day for launching rockets. Cliff Oliver had the launch of the day with his Temporary Insanity. Cliff’s family came out to witness a perfect flight on the AMW M1350 White Wolf. The boost was very straight and the rocket landed nicely in the field. The rocket had an on-board video camera that gave us some of the best video yet.

We had Russ Roberts with a sucessful L1 Cert with his PML Explorer. Justyn Palmer had a successful L2 with his scratch build “Shoot the Moon” Rocket and finally Ricky Nichols launched his Giant Leap Vertical Assault painted red of course for his L2 also. Congratulations to all.

Alexa Stetson won the Scale event with a flight of her Patriot. Thanks to Russ Roberts for bringing many interesting scale rockets.

See pictures and videos on the web site. Thanks for a great day. The next launch is October 4th. The event will be Odd Rocket Day. What kind of Halloween creations can you fly? 

Temporary Insanity

Don’t Miss the July 12th Launch

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

The next SEARS launch is July 12th at Samson and the event is Glider Day. Fly any rocket that recovers as a glider and you will be entered to pick a prize from the prize pool. Use the green flight cards for glider flights. In addition, we will have a Edmonds Deltie B Duration Contest. There will be a pick from the prize pool for the longest Deltie B flight. You can make up to two “for the record” flights. Just announce it is for the record before the flight and it will be timed.

New Club Banner!

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Cliff Oliver contacted Graphics-N-Stuff and had a banner made for our club. It turned out fabulous! Graphics-N-Stuff also did the body wraps for Greg and Cliff’s L3 rockets. The SEARS Logo was created by Tom Rackers a while back.