Answer to "How do we attract new flyers?"

Here's an idea...

Rather than rant and rave and name call and threaten to sue and accuse and argue and fight over TRA/NAR regulations, certifications, arguments about parking fees, morphing every thread in this newsgroup into how one or another person is unfairly targeted and criticized (you blowhards all know who you are), pull your fat butt away from your computer for awhile and try taking a few kids out to the local park and launching some model rockets!

Yesterday morning (July 18) where I live the weather was perfect, with nary a breeze. Packed several rockets and my three boys into the van, called a couple of friends to bring their boys and daughter along (non- rocket flying dads and kids), and headed to the soccer field at the local elementary school for some launches.

Estes Shuttle Express (my 7 year old son's rocket) - 1 flight on a B4-2. Estes Chrome Dome (my 5 year old son's rocket) - 1 flight on a B-64. Quest Totally tubular (my 10 year old son's rocket) - 1 flight on an A8-

3 and 1 flight on a B6-4. Quest Intruder - 2 flights on a C6-5. Estes Blue Ninja - (10 yr old's rocket) - 1 flight on a D12-3. Estes V2 - 1 flight on an E9-4.

Each flight was perfect and landed within several yards of the launch pads. My boys each launched their rockets once, and then we let the other kids all have a chance to do a count down and press the launch button. Each one was thrilled to death. Even the dads were quite impressed with the V2, given its size and perfect flight. Fielded dozens of questions from the dads and kids about model rockets, how they work, costs, time to build, etc.

A few hours later the moms/wives of these kids/dads were at our house visiting with my wife and all they could talk about was how their kids were raving all day about how much fun they had and how much they want to build and fly rockets. Needless to say, the local Hobby Lobby will be getting some rocket business this week, and five more kids and two dads will now be participating in model rocketry.

I view rocketry as a great hobby I practiced in my youth and now am pssing the joy of on to my three boys. Each one of them is able to build their own rockets, due to the range of rocket kits available (from E2X on up for the younger ones). I have also built and launched and enjoy flying a couple of mid-power rockets from Aerotech that the dads adn kids are looking forward to see launched (field was too small yesterday). As my boys get older, we already plan to build larger rockets as time and money is available and hopefully I can start working on my certifications. Until then, we are enjoying a great hobby together, and also hopefully spreading it to others.

So there you go. Shut up, pull your fat butt away from the computer once in awhile, invite some friends and kids along to the park and actually launch some rockets.

Now, let's see how this gets post gets twisted into another name calling argument about being persecuted.

Reply to
Douglas
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Heretic!

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My launch:

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:)

Or posting of yet more content compliant with your wish.

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

: )

Randy

Reply to
Randy

Hey I thought I was the Heretic!

Reply to
Michael Mackay-Blair

A guy at work lost almost 1/2 of his foot in an accident. He is on the "walking wounded" list so I gave him a temporary job in my lab. Seeing the rocket pictures on my wall, he asked about rocketry. (Bad move on his part.)

He told me how he could never play ball again with his kids and perhaps rocketry would be a great new way to spend time with his kids outside.

I met him at the schoolyard a few days later and he brought his kids and some new rockets they built together.

They are hooked.

Doc

Reply to
Doc

Hell, just get the *dads* interested - they'll take care of the kids... :-) I tried to get a couple of friends(who both have kids) out to the launch Saturday. Neither one could make it, though. Maybe next time.

Eldred

Reply to
EldredP

What he said.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Mark B. Bundick mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net NAR President www - dot - nar - dot - org

"A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, but high above the quiet streets on the twelfth floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye."

Reply to
Mark B. Bundick

Sometimes things get a little lower than I'd like but, I'm not going to sit by like a pussy & have these guys spreading lies. If you guys want to that's fine. If you want to clarify jerry's bs, that's fine. Otherwise the people that do not agree with him will handle it as they see fit.

Reply to
Phil Stein

Any chance they could be revised sans arguement?

Mark?

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

What BS?!!!

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

You can't stop him from posting.

Maybe you could help rmr with the spam problem next. Every time someone posts a spam or virus, reply with 30 messages that say "don't post that there, thanks". That would ""handle it"" just as well.

Joel. phx

Netstat isn't available for June yet, but I take it you're officially in the club?

Reply to
Joel Corwith

Don't forget to leave in all the crossposts to other groups.

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

Wow! He was right. That didn't take long at all.

Reply to
Scott Aleckson

After a season or so, bring them down to a METRA EX and we'll test fire and fly an M or three. As cool as flying is, seeing a static burn gives a WHOOOOOOLE different perspective.

Oh, yeah, I forgot... our field is too far for a guy who has a 15 MIN RIDE TO HIS OWN FIELD!!!!! :-)>

Reply to
Gene Costanza

Reply to
Phil Stein

...and how many times have you been to my field? I did drive over two hours to build 2 L motors with you didn't I?

Doc

Reply to
Doc

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