For four days over the July 4th weekend in a field in upstate New York the world came together in a festival of love, peace and……….rockets. People from widely differing backgrounds braved the unrelenting sun, actually it was incredibly beautiful weather, to show the world how we should all get along. But mostly everyone flew rockets, big rockets and small rockets.
Upon driving up to the NYPower field in Geneseo NY the first thing that struck me was the size of the field. It was amazing that this enormously flat field should appear in the middle of an area of the beautiful foothills surrounding the Finger Lakes. We must thank the glaciers of eons ago for carrying all the debris to make this perfect flying field.
I’ll remember NYPower 2002 for four things, I certified Level 2, Ed Romani certified Level 2 and, unfortunately after I left on Sunday I missed as Phil Stein certified Level 3 in what sounds like was an incredible flight with eardrum popping sound. And number four was Wes winning an airplane ride in the raffle; actually he’ll remember it more than me.
Rockets flew constantly, from the low power Duct Tape Rocket of Zach Stein to his father’s beast on an M 3000. PARA was represented by myself, Wes Rudy, Ed Romani, Phil and Zack Stein. We put together about 10 total flights, but three of the flights were certs, and memorable they were.
Ed flew his rocket while experimenting with electronics and it flew flawlessly.
I tried on Friday with a Pro 38 J330 engine; unfortunately there was a problem with a lot of J330s and I CATOed. I tried on Saturday with an Aerotech 350 with a perfect flight, except I landed in the potato field that had been quarantined for 24 hours, so it was not until Sunday that I retrieved the rocket.
Everyone was talking about Phil’s flight, one of the people working the Away Cell commented ‘that rocket scares me, it needs power’, well after some searching Phil found the power with an Animal Motor Works M3000. He had oodles of power and made a perfect flight.
NYPower was also the site for the unveiling of the Animal Motor Works engines and the first flight was on a Green Gorilla, what a sight! Green flame pouring out of a rocket. We were also treated to some excellent first time rocket flights, including the X-15 from Smokin’ Rockets of New Jersey on a J-800, and the Hershey’s Hug also flying on a J motor, the Wet Floor Pylon, which had a huge failure, Hyper Tec flights and M motors daily. What an experience of sight, sound and smell! I am sure to return next year. While there were a lot of people there and at times lines were a bit long, they soon shortened and we could fly in a hurry.
While we were there we started what may become a tradition, we commandeered the television at the Days Inn Lounge and played video of the day’s flights, and the cast of characters watching was a who’s who of east coast rocketry.
I have become a fan of NYPower overnight…it was a weekend of memories, fun, ‘work’ and exhilaration. I must attend next year. I understand this was an absolutely perfect weekend but Wes and I just plain had too much fun. Phil, Ed and I traded tools and parts with each other at the drop of a hat, but other people did the same. The entire place exchanged with each other, if someone had a problem they were given a part or a tool to keep them flying. That might be the best part of the weekend, realizing that rocket people are the least competitive people who love to watch everyone succeed in getting their birds in the air. It was indeed a weekend of peace, love and rockets.
Chuck Rudy