To prepare for LDRS 29, ROC is holding a trailer cleaning party tomorrow, on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 9:00 AM, at the home of Leslie & Scott Mayer, in Oak Hills, near Hesperia.  If you're in the Southern California area, please come help us get ready for LDRS!

The eyes of the rocketry world will be upon ROC at LDRS 29, and we want to make sure to make a good impression.  This means that we need to make sure that all of our launch equipment is in tip-top shape, cleaned up, and that everything works properly.  We'll be cleaning all of the launch equipment, testing everything, and repairing anything that's broken.

Many hands make light work, so please bring a friend or two, and join us at 9:00 AM this Saturday to lend a hand.

Lunch will be provided by ROC for everyone who shows up to help.  Usually, we finish up around 2 or 3 PM, depending upon how many people we have helping.

We hold these trailer cleaning events twice a year, once before each ROCstock, and they're always a lot of fun, and a great way to give something back, while getting to know your fellow flyers better.

All are welcome.  Contact Rick Dickinson if you need directions.

It's traditional to take a group photograph of flyers and their rockets at ROCstock.  LDRS 29 is also ROCstock 31, and therefore, we'll be taking a group photo on Saturday, June 12, at 3:00 PM.

Here's an example photo from one of our smaller ROCstocks, about 10 years ago (photo by Dave McCue):

Shortly before 3:00 PM on Saturday, we'll be making an announcement over the PA system to have everyone bring their favorite rockets, and come to a spot near the range head to take a group photo.  If you'd like to take part (and why wouldn't you?), you'll need to be ready to come up to the front with your rocket when we call you.

The photo will be taken at 3:00 PM on Saturday, with or without you, so plan accordingly....

The Discovery Channel will be filming at LDRS 29, and two of the events they'll be filming are contests.

Fastest Rocket Drag Race on Saturday

The first contest is a "drag race" to one thousand feet.  The Fastest Rocket Drag Race will be held on Saturday, June 12, 2010.  Up to 16 flyers may compete in the contest, so please register NOW with Bruce Lee (bruce.lee@tripoli.org) or Dick Embry (jetviper@aol.com) if you don't want to miss your chance to participate!

The goal of the contest is to be the flyer with the first rocket to reach an altitude of 1000' AGL.

Here are the contest rules:

1. The rocket body must be a minimum of 6" in diameter.
2. The rocket must be powered by a single "J" motor.
3. The motor must be certified, and CA OSFM-classified as a High Power Rocket motor.
4. The rocket must carry an unmodified commercially-available recording altimeter, which will be used after the flight to determine the time required for the rocket to reach 1000' AGL.
5. All rockets in the contest will be launched simultaneously.
6. The rocket must make a safe, stable flight, and be recovered successfully.
7. Upon recovery, the rocket must be brought directly to a designated area to have the altimeter data read under supervision of the contest judges.
8. The rockets will be ranked in order by time it takes them to reach an altitude of 1000' AGL.
9. There will be a total of three "heats", approximately 2 hours apart:
   • The four fastest rockets in the first heat will advance.
   • The two fastest rockets in the second heat will advance.
   • The fastest rocket in the final head-to-head heat will be the winner.

Discovery Channel will be filming the contest, including pre- and post-launch activities such as rocket prep and data readout.  Also, they would like to film some of the contestants at home, building their rockets for the contest.

Please contact them at Ivaj@sharpentertainment.com and jonathan@sharpentertainment.com if you're willing to be filmed working on your rocket in advance of the contest.

Low Altitude Odd-ROC Contest on Sunday

The second contest is the Low Altitude Odd-ROC Contest.  It will be held on Sunday, June 13, 2010.  Any number of entries are allowed, although only one official contest flight will be allowed per rocket.  Please register NOW with Bruce Lee (bruce.lee@tripoli.org) or Dick Embry (jetviper@aol.com) to participate!

The object of this contest is to fly an oddball rocket of some sort (anything goes, from saucers to crayons, spools to port-a-potties) to as low of an altitude as possible, as long as the altitude is at least 100'.

The rules are as follows:

1. The rocket must have something unusual about its design.  In other words, it has to be an Odd-ROC.  (If in doubt, make it weirder.)
2. No, we don't have an exact definition of Odd-ROC.  The rocket should be, in some obvious way, not your typical rocket.  We'll know it when we see it.
3. The rocket must fly on one or more certified motors, which must all be CA OSFM-classified as either Model Rocket or High Power Rocket motors.
4. The rocket must carry an unmodified commercially-available altimeter, which will be used after the flight to determine the maximum altitude reached by the rocket.
5. The rocket must be flown on Sunday, June 13, 2010, at any time before 2:00 PM.
6. The judges must be notified before the flight, so that it can be watched and filmed.
7. The rocket must make a safe, stable flight, deploy a recovery device, and be recovered successfully.
8. Upon recovery, the rocket must be brought directly to a designated area to have the maximum altitude read out from the altimeter under supervision of the contest judges.
9. Rockets that achieve a maximum altitude of less than 100' will be disqualified.
10. The rocket that achieves the LOWEST altitude (100' or higher) will be declared the winner.

Again, Discovery Channel will be filming the contest, including pre- and post-launch activities such as rocket prep and data readout.  Also, they would like to film some of the contestants at home, building their rockets for the contest.

Please contact them at Ivaj@sharpentertainment.com and jonathan@sharpentertainment.com if you're willing to be filmed working on your rocket in advance of the contest.

Feel free to copy, forward, or repost this announcement elsewhere.

Vendor ad space set aside on "Welcome to LDRS 29" sign

A "Welcome to LDRS 29" sign will be placed at the entrance to the parking area on the lake bed, with space on the sign set aside to allow every vendor at LDRS to post their own logo, graphic, URL, or other ad artwork on it when they arrive at LDRS 29.

This sign will be passed by everyone who attends LDRS 29, and will undoubtedly be filmed by every news or film crew that visits, as well.  Having your name, logo, or web site URL on this sign will be a great way to spread the word about your company, products, or services.

Each vendor will have a 4" high by 15" wide space for them to post their name, logo, or anything else that will fit.  The sign background is white, so dark colors will probably stand out the best.  However, it's your space -- a blank canvas -- so make of it what you will.

(LDRS 29 vendor StickerShock23.com has offered to do custom vinyl decals for LDRS vendors at a discounted price.  Contact Mark Hayes with your requirements, and he'll give you a quote.)

Vendors are also entitled to an ad banner on the LDRS 29 web site.  Send your (400 to 468 pixels wide, by 60 pixels high) artwork in .jpg, .gif, or .png format to Rick Dickinson, ROC Vice President, at rtd@notesguy.com, along with the URL to which you would like your banner linked.

The Tripoli Rocketry Association and the Discovery Channel have signed a multi-year/multi-event contract, which begins with this LDRS!

LDRS 29 and Balls will be covered by the Discovery Channel this year, but we need projects for them to film!

Two special events will be highlighted at LDRS 29:

1. Low Altitude Odd-ROC rocket launches, in the same spirit as Ky Michaelson's Flying Porta-Potty from LDRS 22, and
2. A 16 Rocket drag race.
   • This drag race is limited to 16 contestants.
   • Rules and vehicle configuration are being finalized, but tentatively we're looking at "J" motors with colored  flames and 6-inch diameter body tubes. (All to show up better on camera.)

They are also looking for Special Projects with (visual) impact:

• Big rocket projects
• Odd rocket projects
• Projects made by LDRS veterans who've been around for years
• Rockets made by younger kids who are future LDRS stars
• Rockets breaking records; pushing the limits of rocket construction
• A whole family of rocket-makers
• Pat G on a Stick

Discovery is planning to film at the builder's locale, and at LDRS.

Final contest rules and vehicle rules will be announced as soon as finalized.

Please contact Dick Embry at jetviper@aol.com or Bruce Lee at bruce.lee@tripoli.org if you want to participate in one or both of the two special events, or if you have a project that you are willing to share with the Discovery Channel's audience.