BAR-First post

I can only speak for where I have limited travel (4 states) but I see many signs of greater interest and participation, at least regionally. The proliferation of hobby stores carrying rocketry items, the number of new clubs, the clubs I have frequent contact with, have all been picking up new members, the club I belong to has been adding new members every month since it began 16 months ago. We picked up 2 more at yesterday's meeting, with 2 more considering membership, 4 total, and that, while we were under severe storm warnings from hurricane Dennis. There are now 2 annual regional events Southern Thunder in Manchester Tennessee & The Birmingham Blast. Participation in and by all of these examples cover 1/2 A model rockets through any size HPR.

The local mom & pop hobby shops tell me their rocketry related sales are definitely up, even with 2 Michael's, 4 Hobby Lobby's and 5 Super Wal-Mart's competing with them. The local schools are opening up to TARC.

Last Tuesday, one of the kids that attended the Birmingham Blast, had his scout master call up and ask to use the field for a launch. They spent the day Saturday flying and getting their space badges. My only point about this, is that the word is getting out we're here and the club responded quickly to make it possible for the scouts to fly. They didn't join, at least not yet and if they don't, it's ok, we're more interested in growing the hobby than acquiring new members. In fact, no one ever has to join in order to fly. They are welcome back as often as they wish to come. There is no pressure to ever join the club.

Gotta wonder how many are out there that fly alone. What would you say, 95%?

Yes, the hobby here is growing.

Randy

Or higher.

At least. Estes would probably tell you it's more like 99%.

With the Shuttle fleet ramping back up this week, we'll probably see a surge in interest. As far as I can tell, that happened in '88 as well (I was one of the people who returned to rocketry in '88), but now the hobby is in a better position to respond.

Roy nar12605

Opinion or fact? If the latter where is your proof?

Consider the observations.

Estes sells a milion motors a month or so.

Even with the relatively large numbers of motors on Kaplow's annual motor survey and extrapolating those numbers to TRA and NAR globally, the total number of motors consumed is an indicator.

Further the "problems" associated with clubs (from every perspecive ever posted to rmr), show that lone rangerism is still prevelant.

The only debate now becomes whether organized rocketry represents 5 in

The motor sales figures indicate it is far closer to 1 in 100 than 5 in

Hence my "claim".

Jerry

I assume you will refute these observations and claims by "attacking the messenger" with an unrelated matter such as a fine (you participated in implementing).

To review:

So bring on the evidence. Don't hide it.

What problems?

Eldred

We're no longer limited to A-C modrocs designed for mass-marketing to children. There are many more forms of rocketry available to adults these days than in Stine's day: High power, hybrids, EX, Amateur, etc.

Thank you.

EX is an abortion.

HPR Magazine is an abortion.

TRA wouldn't let you use EX as means to bypass the motor cert process, so now you badmouth it.

So what? You don't have to subscribe to it.

That would imply that it had life...

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L >>> To reply, there's no internet on Mars (yet)!