There was a show on Discovery Science Channel called "Rocket Challenge" or something like that........ Please forgive me as I really can't remember if that's the name and don't want to cheese anyone off....:-)
This girl built a saucer and stuffed it full of D's.... all round it... The ignition was cool.......put BP on a foil plate and the saucer on top.... She went up then destroyed itself......motors going every direction..... One of the best I've seen!!!
Around these parts, she's known as 'Snitch Girl'...
She is a great student of rocketry, and wanted to go big at LDRS...
She most certainly did :)
She is a great rocketeer, a smart young lady, and is in this hobby for all the right reasons - Having FUN!
Summer is here, so that means I'll get to enjoy another flying season with Em and her equally talented brother Zach... Truly one of the things I look forward to each year.
Todd Moore.
Emily is also the first person ever (we think?) to fly a snitch on a hybrid motor... She's done it a few times now.
Indeed it was Emily....I mean Snitch Girl.... It was just on again............Cool.... It's on again at 3:30pm............I've gotta get in my groove....I mean the lounge chair.. I can't get enough of this stuff!!!
I'm not going to get all political......not my job to say what's allowed and what's not.... It was at LDRS wasn't it??? It wasn't large but it was dangerous so it fits in well..
If the program was about how safe rockets are I could understand it not being the best thing to show. But I don't think it was??? Every-one seemed to be behind the safety lines so I'm guessing no-one got injured.???
Even LDRS requires that the TRA safety code be followed - especially when there are folks filiming for a national broadcast.
It wasn't "large and dangerous", it was "small and stupid"
Do you have a clue? It was during the time that NAR/TRA was in court with the ATF (as they still are) and also around the time that there was a bill in congress to eliminate rockets from the patroit act. It was "best foot forward" time..
Every-one seemed to be behind the safety lines
Doesn't matter - it was a bad flight that shouldn't have been approved, as it had real potentail to be dangerous! You ever seen a launch pad take off with a rocket (HPR) and hit a truck where no one "got injured".. I have. ever seen a nose cone crack a windshield that would have caused an injury if it hit 5' away? I have. Ever seen a bird turn into a cruse missle because a cluser failed that (luckily) went away from a crowd? I have...
I didn't approve it for flight....only watched it on TV....
Your entitled to your opinion.......
Apparently not....
It was during the time that NAR/TRA was in court with
So maybe someone should have thought of that at the time. I can't see how an incident like the saucer would cause any difference to any court activities.......but then again I know nothing...... So...... sorry if it set the case back any.....
I did see other rockets fail during the program......ones that were 'large & dangerous'.....ones that looked like they could fly. Maybe they shouldn't have been shown either???
No............No and No........Sorry...I haven't seen any of the above incidents...
So accidents happen.......I could get hit by a bus crossing the road on my way to get the morning paper! I might make the news but that's not going to cause a ban on public transport is it???
It's not as if I would intenionally get hit by the bus and I'm sure those rockets weren't suppose to go wrong either.. As in crossing the road I'd look Left, Right then Left again. I'm sure that the above rockets were approved and conformed to the safety code..???
Things just went wrong.......
I watched a show on TV and I bloody well enjoyed it........get over it. I gave my 5 bucks!!!
OK....I must weigh in here...after all Emily "Snitch Girl" Palmer is my daughter. ;-) She doesn't read RMR (nor do I want her too), so she does not have the ability to tell you in her own words what she thinks. However, I can assure you, she can hold her own with you on this one ;-)
First and foremost, I respect your right to have your own opinion. I can also respect your right to disagree with my opinion. But before you completely close your mind, you should be aware of the context and background surrounding this flight.
Emily, and my son Zach, attend each and every launch with me and are both active participants in the hobby. Both have built rockets capable of flying L2 motors. Zach tends to like 3 or 4 FNC type rockets (with clusters). Emily flies the "standard" rockets as well but really prefers the unusual items (Snitches, saucers, Salad Bowls, Hubcaps etc.).
Prior to LDRS, Emily had successfully flown her "Snitches" in various combinations (including 3 stage CHAD, and 29mm/38 mm mount for G and H motors). In fact on her 11th birthday, celebrated with our club (her choice btw), she flew almost 600 ns worth of Estes motors, the majority of which were in CHAD staged snitches..with 0 failures.
This was our first Trip to an LDRS and we all wanted to bring something that stretched our own individual envelopes. Many other fliers did as well. Hers just happened to be caught on tape and was lucky enough to be on the broadcast.
Emily concepted, designed, built and painted her project on her own (as did Zach btw). Did I give her advice along the way?.you bet.did I "suspect" the flight would be less than nominal?.you bet..did I tell her that?.you bet.did I let her build it and fly it anyway?.YOU BET. She learned more about rocketry and stability from that one flight than many of her other successful ones put together.
I have heard many comments of the last 2 years regarding the "Safety" and appropriateness of this flight. I have heard this from many who were not even at the event. So let me put your mind at ease..
The flight was not in her name only, it was sponsored by me, her father, a Level 3 certified flier and a family friend (also an L3 flier) who donated both time, energy, and motors. I am stressing the L3, not because I am arrogant, but to assure you (and others) that flight was legitimate in terms of impulse and the fliers certification.
The RSO inspected the rocket, requested additional tape to secure the motors and APPROVED the flight.. Labeling it appropriately."A heads up flight". The Pad Manager directed us to the "High Power" pads.the same that were used all week for H-K motor flights.
"Flash Pan" ignition was chosen because it offered the best probability of igniting all of the motors. It is safe, effective and was electronically initiated. The ground around the pad was sprayed down with water prior to the flight. The hosting prefecture had a trailer set up to handle any ground fires (a 200 gallon tank and sprayer system).
The LCO.announced the flight as a heads up flight.Made everyone stand up.and pushed the button.the rest is.well. captured for posterity. Motors flew everywhere.AND they all ended up in the "no mans land" between the crowd and the pad. That is why we have "safe distance" requirements.
As to being more dangerous than other flights, I would argue that an Estes Snitch is about the safest rocket out there.even with the plethora of motors attached. It goes nowhere. and gets there, and back again slowly. I would also argue that many midpower flights often offer far more potential for injury.ever see a ballistic recovery of something along the line of a VB Extreme 29. I would argue that Emily's dispersal of spinning motors offered much less potential for spectator injury, You may disagree.but were you there.did you see the real thing.or did you just watch it on TV.
As to that being "Bad for the hobby". I disagree! The number of people, not previously associated with our hobby, which have been in to the local hobby store or to our club launches that mention that particular flight overwhelms me. The flight may not have been successful.but it was impressive and captured the imagination of some of the viewers.enough so that when they took a step towards the hobby by visiting the local Hobby store or a club launch, it was this flight that they mentioned.
So to some up..I believe that the flight was safe, it increased the excitement and visibility of the hobby, was conducted with great respect for safety, was permitted by the hosting Prefecture, followed all Tripoli rules and safety guidelines, was "Good TV" and was an extremely positive, hands on, educational experience for my daughter.
You may disagree still.but at least I hope you are somewhat enlightened and know.."the rest of the story"
As to your comments regarding small and stupid...I believe I could point to your comments as being pretty much the same!
Mark "Father of Snitch Girl Emily and proud of it" Palmer
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