Wow!, it
was time for Red Glare X already. It seemed like yesterday that we
attended Red Glare II where I received my level 1 certification. Toni
and I packed the rocket trailer and set course for Higgs Farm on
Maryland’s Eastern Shore before the sun started to peak over the
horizon. The weather was rainy and breezy but we were hopeful to get
something in the air in-between the raindrops. We donned some ponchos
and assisted in getting the field setup in the rain.
The rain finally relented and teased us with a possible day that could
be salvaged. I prepped
Shaken, Not Stirred
with an endangered Loki
H144. Somehow, using a magnification lamp, I had managed to repair the
onboard video camera the week before so I taped the used and abused
Q-Cam on the rocket. With an eye to the sky, I took
Shaken, Not Stirred
to the pad, armed the electronics, powered up the video system and
waited for the countdown.
Shaken, Not Stirred
smoked off the pad when the launch button was
pushed and ascended to 1,254 feet before arching over. The Q-Cam was
still working and caught the drogue deployment on video.
Shaken, Not
Stirred danced wildly under its drogue which threw its nosecone
loose.
The main ejection charge fired at 400 feet and pushed the main
parachute free where it successfully deployed.
Shaken, Not Stirred
came
to rest on the edge of the parking area without any damage.
See Shaken,
Not Stirred’s 33rd flight and the return of the repaired Q-Cam
here.
Toni started to prep
Sally Ride but
as she assembled the endangered
Loki J528, the rains returned with no hope of relenting. We call quits
at 03:00 PM and left the field for the hotel to warm up and get a hot
shower. We ate dinner and enjoyed martinis at Annie’s while overlooking
the views of the Kent Narrows.
Saturday brought better weather. We arrived at the field very early to
start our preparations. I started preparation of Y
ou Only Live Twice.
The
clouds
were
low and there were bouts of breezes and rain but I was
confident that the skies would clear. The crowds were gathering and
were hovering around
You Only Live Twice
as that was the only big
rocket being prepped at the time. I managed to assemble the Loki M2550
and finished the preparations in between RSO duties and fielding the
many questions from the interested young spectators.
At 11:00 AM, the ceiling lifted to about 3000 feet and I deemed it time
to send
You Only
Live Twice aloft. We trucked the 82 pound rocket out
to the pad and installed it on away cell number 1. The crowd was
excited as this was the largest motor for Red Glare X up to this time.
The countdown concluded and
You Only Live Twice
squealed off the pad on
a large blue plume.
You Only Live Twice
kissed the low clouds and
disappeared for a few seconds before deploying its drogue at 2,885
feet. For some reason the sustainer danced widely on its way down
before the mains were ejected at 1200 feet.
The main parachute cleared the bag but failed to inflate. Y
ou Only Live
Twice seemed to pick up speed with the sound of the flapping
deflated
main parachute increasing as the rocket descended.
You Only Live Twice
hit the soft field with a thud and a moan from the crowd. I hung my
head in shame and slinked my way to the crater in the field that was
left by
You Only
Live Twice’s sudden stop. I scoured the ground to
start to pick up the pieces and realized that there were none. I
inspected Y
ou Only
Live Twice and removed the dirt from the core sample
and slowly came to the conclusion that there was no damage, other then
to my pride.
See You Only Live Thrice
(typo intended) survive to fly
another day here.
Toni had her
Sally
Ride prepped but by this time the field was at its
busiest. It took Toni two hours to get an available pad for S
ally Ride.
Sally Ride
bolted off the pad at the conclusion of the countdown on a
Loki J528 and ascended to 1,468 feet before arcing over and
successfully deploying her drogue. The main parachute was successfully
deployed at 700 feet and slowly descended under a full main.
The LCO made sure that everyone knew that Toni knew how to deploy her
main parachute.
Sally
Ride slowly came to rest over a tree top on the
wood’s edge. We
managed to retrieve
Sally Ride
without any damage.
See
ride Sally Ride
here.
Sally Ride
was the last flight for us at Red Glare X. We filmed some
other flights and helped with the launch. Saturday night was the MDRA
Red Glare banquet where we enjoyed good food and cheap drinks. We hit
the room exhausted and had no trouble sleeping. We left early Sunday
morning, missing the last day of Red Glare X as I had to be in
Philadelphia in the afternoon on business. Another Red Glare had come
and gone. We will move onto the summer field at the Central Sod Farm in
May. Until the next launch . . .