ROCStock 44

I hadn't renewed my BLM vendor permit in time for this launch, so I showed up to fly--"just for fun," as Hulan would put it. I'd never flown a K1275 before, and I figured it would be a good way to dust off the old Interceptor. Since it was a K motor, I could fly it from the middle row; Neal was on LCO and he thought it was really cool :) Wimmer flew just before me and landed back on the pad, but I must've caught some upper level winds, because after an arrow-straight boost and freefall under drogue, the main opened about 3/4 of a mile away downrange. Recovery was easy with the Com-Spec tracker and Recon chute. Nice flight!

Gary's bird had flown twice before: once on an M1297, and once on an M2400. I figured I'd split the difference and burn a load that I never had before: an M1550R. I brought the prepped rocket with me, but didn't load the motor until the day-of--but, OOPS, I had sold the liner with an M1315 the day before. Charlie Savoie came to the rescue and fetched a spare from BAR, thanks man! After ironing that out, prep finished quickly, and I lugged the bird out to the back row. Andrew Wimmer helped me get it loaded up, and then back to the next row for the countdown. The M1550 lit right up, courtesy of the thermite igniter, and the rocket arced downrange under power as it headed up to 11,000' and change. Dual deploy worked as planned and I recovered it just at the edge of the scrub brush line. Great shakedown flight!