ROCStock VIII
November 1998
/ Lucerne Dry Lake
3 flights, 1813 N-sec burned
ROCStock 8 was a beautiful November event, with absolutely calm conditions all weekend and excellent temperatures. This was the first launch that I got to meet both Gary Rosenfield and Frank Kosdon, which absolutely made my year; they were (are) rock stars to me. Five M motors took to the skies over the course of the weekend - the most ever at a ROC launch - with the notable one being Ken Finwall's M1939 in his huge, lumpy, bolts-and-housepaint MNO, which made a show-stopping flight at dusk.
View All Photos
For our first high power flight of the event, we chose the old reliable Expediter. The flight went great, with the ALTS2 recording data and the big orange parachute opening on time at apogee with a medium motor delay.
Altitude: 3,308 ft
Hulan was one of our first inspirations to come out to Lucerne, and continued to be one at ROC launches, putting up flight after awesome flight with perfect apogee ejections. His I-Roc was a memorable flier, and so when I finally got one, I was excited to drag race him on I284Ws. Unfortunately, his never went on this round, but ours made a good flight nonetheless.
Since the flight at Bonneville on a J180 went so well, we decided to do it again at the home turf. I was just as nervous setting the rocket up on the pad, but after a five-count, the Expediter boosted off the pad in a hurry on a teardrop of blue flame. She coasted to apogee and ejected that big neon orange chute which, despite the absolutely calm conditions, still managed to carry the rocket about 700 yards across Hwy 247 onto the other side of the lakebed.
Altitude: 5,500 ft
