Unfortunately rain is predicted all day (Saturday, February 10) at our launch site and we are forced to scrub the launch. However, we have a scheduled another launch attempt for Saturday February 24. Hopefully we can get clear skies in 2 weeks.
Year End News
Polar Bear Launch
A few HARA members braved the cold to start the new year flying rockets on January 1. Greg, Blake, Patrick, Vince and all the Aguilars convened at the Pegasus field for some low power fun. Even as a casual launch there were several interesting flights either on ascent or recovery.
HARA’s Holiday Party
Thanks to Doug and family for hosting a festive get together. The food was great with a house full of rocketeer celebrants. Bill Cooke was Santa Claus bearing wonderful gifts.
Inclement Date
The monthly HARA launch for December was rained out. The next scheduled launch at Woodville is January 13.
ARC Registration Ends with Participation Up
At the close of registration 12/1 there were over 900 teams signed up nationally for the American Rocketry Challenge, the most in the program’s 22 year history. Alabama had 34 teams listed which was less than the 38 last year, but the Huntsville area number had grown to eleven from the 2023 eight teams.
Game on for this year-
Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (2 teams)
Civil Air Patrol – Redstone Squadron (SER-AL-119)
Columbia High School (2 teams)
Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama
St. John Paul II (4 teams)
Bob Jones High School
Note St. John Paul II came in third nationally last year.
Their official local qualification flights must be done by April 8 (solar eclipse day) to get flight scores that will earn one of the 100 spots at the National Finals on May 18 and a chance at the program’s $100,000 in prize money.
Category: News |
Veteran’s Day Launch
HARA’s November launch was a full day with 74 flights. An overcast sky hung over the range to discourage reaching for high altitudes but many flyers reached for and got their HPR certification. The day was treated by at least a half dozen rocketeers from the Birmingham Rocket Boys section who pilgrimmed up to fly. Families and student teams also enjoyed the mild temps and light winds with their flighs. Besides the big rockets there were scale models, odd rocs, gliders and gadgets. Pictures by Nick Boone, Debra Cook, Vince Huegele and Patrick Morrison. See more pictures at the HARA facebook page and the BRB page.https://www.facebook.com/BRB665
12 L1 Cert Flights 1 L2 Cert Flight
|
Class Motor |
No. Flown |
|
1/2A |
2 |
|
A |
3 |
|
B |
0 |
|
C |
11 |
|
D |
10 |
|
E |
3 |
|
F |
8 |
|
G |
4 |
|
H |
19 |
|
I |
9 |
|
J |
3 |
|
K |
2 |
Category: Launches |
HARA Launches for Blue Origin
The employees of Huntsville’s Blue Origin Engine Production facility had a family space day with HARA launching their rockets. It was a prodigious honor to provide the launch services for a local professional rocket company, or rather, their children. Blue Origin made the field arrangements at Research Park, got the motors and kits for their kids to build at home with their parents and then brought them out for HARA to launch on the club’s range equipment. The kits were mostly Wizards and Alphas on “A” motors so a single rack pad handled all the flights. About 60 rockets were launched by the seven club members supporting the event, including some of our own spooky Halloween models because it was late October and that’s when those fly. The warmer than average temps and light wind made the afternoon flying great. Although Jeff Bezos was reportedly in Huntsville that week he did not stay for the HARA launch. From the favorable family response this event may be held again next year. For more pictures go to the HARA facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064693116419
Category: Launches |
Honoring George
In a Graveside Memorial Service Saturday, September 30, 2023 At the Forest Hills Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama, legendary U.S. Team Spacemodeling Champion and NAR Birmingham Rocket Boys Club Member; George Gassaway, was finally laid to rest with his parents as he requested.Vince Huegele, and his wife Sharal, from Huntsville, Alabama attended George’s Memorial. Vince opened the Service with an inspiring New Testament Bible reading and words of reflection about George and how he was impacted by his life. Rocket Boys Club Member and Minister, Carol Witherspoon, also gave her reflections about George and his mother Margaret, and how George had become like family to her. Carol closed by praying an inspiring prayer and then turned the service over to me for the eulogy. As an Ordained Minister I was able to fulfill George’s request when he asked me in 2008 to officiate his mother’s Memorial Service, and to eulogize her.
In my eulogy of George I spoke of those last days I spent with him back in January of this year when he visited us. After helping him empty his storage unit of all of his rocket stuff, and loading it into his uhaul trailer to take back to his home in Minnesota, we had some quality time together. The Saturday before he left he attended our monthly Birmingham Rocket Boys Club rocket launch. George had been a member of our club for several years and had served as Vice President at one time. Little did I know then that it would be the last time that George would ever fly with us or that it would be George’s last rocket flight ever.
In honor of George, Birmingham Rocket Boys Officer, Rick Peek, assisted me in laying a wreath on his parents grave as I gave the committal of his cremains.
I want to say thanks to the Birmingham Rocket Boys for purchasing the wreath for George, and for assisting me to perform this service, and to Ed LaCroix and Keith Vinyard for securing George’s cremains so we could give him a proper Christian burial, and lay him to rest. Rest in Peace George my Brother and Friend until when we one day meet again……Ron Witherspoon
Category: News |
George Gassaway Memorial Service
From the Birmingham Rocket Boys… George was an exceptional rocketeer and made numerous contributions to our hobby. A regular on the international team, he will be missed by those of us who knew him.
“Greetings BRB Club Members and Friends. As most of you know, back in May, we lost one of our Dear Friends and long time BRB Club Members, George Gassaway. While at home in Minnesota George succumbed to pancreatic cancer, but before he died he asked me to perform a memorial service for him here at his parents grave. After consulting with the Cemetery Officials, and BRB Officers, we have decided to hold a “Graveside Memorial Service” for George next Saturday, September 30th at 11:00 am. As an Ordained Minister and President of BRB, I will be officiating and conducting the Memorial Service which will be held at Forest Hill Cemetery, 431 North 60th Street (Birmingham, Alabama) 35212. I am asking all of our BRB Club Officers and Members to attend and am extending an invitation to George’s Friends to attend as well. In honor and tribute to George we will lay a special wreath on his parent’s grave, have a brief 40 minute Memorial Service which will include a prayer, scripture reading, testimonial and eulogy. For those of you who plan to attend I will permit you to sign your names in George’s Family Bible and to choose from a few of George’s personal rocketry collectibles to remember him by. The Forest Hill Cemetery can be seen from the Birmingham Airport Freeway Exit. Follow your GPS directions to the cemetery, enter the main entrance, go pass the office, pass through the main gate, turn right at the first road, proceed straight to the end of that road to section #34 where my White Silverado Truck will be parked at the Gassaway Family Burial Plot. Please join me and the Birmingham Rocket Boys as we pay our final Respects and Tribute to our Beloved Friend and Brother, George Gassaway. God bless you.
Ron”
Category: Uncategorized |
NAR Website Excellence Award Sustained
The winners of the 2023 NAR Section Website Excellence Awards were announced in July and HARA’s website came in Third Place. This was up from last year in finishing 4th. The judging was conducted by volunteer NAR members and this website ranked third out of over 120 websites that were judged. There are currently 240 NAR sections. See details at https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/section-guidebook/communications/website-excellence-award/
HARA’s website won first place in 2014.
Congratulations to all that contribute!
Category: News |
UAH wins 2023 NASA Student Launch Competition
The local rocket team from UAH outscored dozens of other schools to win the NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI.) Multiyear champion Vanderbilt was third. The results were announced a month after the April launch day. To be number one UAH consistently scored well in the sub categories: first in payload design, second in safety, third in vehicle design, altitude and outreach. The UAH team were regular flyers at HARA launches this year testing their rocket and certifying their team members. Congratulations!
Category: Launches |
Alabama Rolls in TARC Finals Capturing Silver and Bronze
The state was made proud May 20 at the world’s largest student rocketry competition as Alabama teams from Russellville and Huntsville came in second and third out of 100 teams from across the country competing at the American Rocketry Challenge. More than 4,500 students from nearly 800 teams in 45 states entered the 2023 competition which held the finals at The Plains, Va. The Hardin Valley Academy Team from Knoxville, Tenn. was crowned National Champion. They will get $20,000 for the team, $1,000 for the school and a trip to the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show in June. Tharpstown in 2nd Place will receive $15,000 for the team, $1,000 for the school and 3rd place John Paul II will get $12,500 for the team, $1,000 for the school.
The Tharptown team is shown in pink shirts, John Paul II in blue shirts.
Competing teams had to launch the rockets to 875 feet with a flight duration of 43-46 seconds in the first round of competition. The top 42 teams conducted a second launch that was required to reach exactly 825 feet with a flight duration of 41-44 seconds. All nine Alabama teams present at the finals made the cut to move forward to the second round. California was the next most having seven teams advance out of the 15 attending from their state. They did have a group from Orange County come in fourth.
This was Huntsville’s best TARC year since 2013 when John Paul II was fourth and Liberty Middle was eighth nationally. Bob Jones was third in 2010. Tharptown finished tenth last year.
The John Paul II team mentor is Duane Meyer, who also is the reigning HARA Geezer TARC champion.
Here are the teams, places and scores.
Place School City State Flight 1 Flight 2 Score
1 Hardin Valley Academy Team 1 Knoxville TN 11.4 2 13.4
2 Tharptown High School Russellville AL 13.8 1 14.8
3 John Paul II High School Team 2 Huntsville AL 17 6.92 23.92
16 Hackleburg High School Hackleburg Alabama 30.76 28 58.76
23 Lawrence County High School Moulton Alabama 39 36.36 75.36
34 Haleyville City Schools Haleyville Alabama 49.24 65.52 114.76
35 Winfield City High School Winfield Alabama 29.72 102.72 132.44
36 West Morgan High School Trinity Alabama 26 222.32 248.32
37 John Paul II High School Team 1 Huntsville Alabama 37.12 946.92 984.04
38 Bob Jones High School Madison Alabama 9.44 DQ 9.44
As participants launched for points, a TARC alumnus was circling above them in space. NASA astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg competed in the National Finals of the inaugural American Rocketry Challenge in 2003. Twenty years later, in March 2023, Hoburg blasted off to space as the Pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). His journey to space began with a model rocket.
Category: TARC |
