Once again, welcome back (from another BAR). Consider going to a club launch; it's usually a good bunch of folks sharing an interest in rocketry AND they usually have the best spot for a launch site in the area.....meaning a greater likelyhood of getting your rocket back after the flight. Not to mention a powerful launch system & collectively, you could learn more from them than FAQ. This'll help you find a club in your area:
I stepped back in ahout a year ago and have had a blast ever since. In fact, I even managed to get myself elected to Veep of my club,. CATO (CT).
Find a local club as the guys (and gals) there have been of immense assistance to me.
Like you I restarted with Estes and the like. If you want an easy transition to something a bit more challenging. Try the Aerotech rockets. They are somewhat higher performance, still not terribly hard to assemble, and fun to fly. Just keep in mind that you need to locate a good hobby source as the engines can be spotty in thrir availability.
welcome back!
Al
snip
Welcome back and welcome to rmr!
This is a great place to learn and hang out, if you love rocketry. It can be somewhat confusing when you first encounter all the talk about the ATF, flame wars, etc. but there is no better place to enjoy this hobby. Just concentrate on the things you are interested in and ignore the flotsam that floats through from time to time. At some point it may keep you entertained as much as the on topic stuff.
There is also binaries group (alt.binaries.models.rockets) for posting pictures to, or enjoying those of the others here.
Randy
Welcome back to this great hobby........bigger is often better when you're looking in a potato field for your rocket, as Richard noted if you fly with a club more sets of eyes have a better chance of seeing that chute on the horizon! If you build em big, build em strong! :-)
Congrats on the flights, and welcome back to rocketry!
Hi,
I too am a BAR and am just looking to start my first rocket after returning from the distractions of the teens and twenties.
Probably a silly question as their are too many variables and too many opinions, but....
Can anyone recommend a first rocket? I am leaning towards an Estes 'Monarch' after looking online (mostly because I like the way it looks). I work a lot with my hands and pay attention to detail so am not put off by a harder project but also want to get flying! Any suggestions?
Also, is anyone familiar with the NARTREK program? Again have seen this online and it seems like a good way to re-learn what's been forgotten and get a proper start toward eventually working on level 1 cert.
Last question (I promise) is anyone here from the Houston, TX region?
Thanks & regards, Andrew
Hi, welcome back. I just "got back in" a year ago.
I like the NARTREK program for exactly the reasons you mention. I'm still working on the Bronze from the packet you can download from the NAR site.
It's fun and it exposes you to things you might not get into without it, like clusters and gliders in my case.
Estes Fat Boy
Estes Alpha
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the input. It's nice to get an opinion that isn't based on marketing value!
Cheers, Andrew
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