There is something satisfying about watching a certification flight come together, and this one did. The rocket went up on an H135 motor, and the maker earned an L1 certification that same day. From a wide, flat, dry field under a clear sky, the rocket left the rail after a countdown called over a public address system, kicked up a white exhaust cloud, and accelerated rapidly upward. A thin white smoke trail hung behind it as it coasted down to a small speck after burnout.
On the build side, the maker loaded gunpowder into the H135 motor before flight, and the rocket launched from a rail. The launch area had several launch stands or pads aligned across the field, which reads to me like a well-attended range day. Handling the motor loading personally seems like a good way to get to know the hardware before flying for a certification.
One open question remains: the rocket skewed to the right during flight. The maker spilled some gunpowder while loading and wondered whether that caused the skew, and also wondered if a slightly angled rail was responsible. Whatever the cause turns out to be, the maker was happy with the result, and the certification was in hand.