Safe Launching Formations for larger groups?

On 20 Jan 2004 10:22:45 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@mindspring.com (Steve Goulding) wrote:

One thing that I have noticed with these sorts of launches is that the limiting factor is not so much the number of pads, but rather the number of adults you have to supervise/assist the kids. We usually have a number of pads clustered together (and possibly roped off depending on the situation) and as the kids prep their rockets they get loaded on a pad and when all pads are loaded we launch the rockets. Have a couple of the adults at the pads to assist with putting them on and getting the clips attached and several adults to assist with prepping the rockets. Maybe one to hand out motors, several to help with ignitors, wadding and chutes and a couple to do safety inspections of the prepped rockets before they are taken to the pads. Have a "line of death" (usually the location of the person manning the launch controller) which the kids must stay behind, except for putting their rockets on the pad. After all of the rockets in a given rack have been launched, their owners can then be allowed to go and retrieve them. While that is going on the next rack can be loaded. With sufficient adult supervision you can get a very good turnover rate and fly a very large number of rockets in a fairly short time. You could have an assembly line sort of set up, the kids get a motor at one station, wadding at the next, install the chute at the next, the ignitor at the next and then get in line to wait for the next launch pad to be free. Some of the older kids will be able to handle this with a bit of help, but I would expect 6 year olds to need quite a bit of assistance.

Jonathan

I think Jonathon answered most of it (quite well I might add).

The last outreach I went to, we had the rocketeers lined up along the rangehead rope with a couple of rocketeers performing SCO as the kids moved near the end of the line.

We had an LCO controlling four banks of three pads each. There were about 3-5 pad managers directing SCO'd kids to the loading banks and and also assisting at the banks with ignitor clip attachment, rod aiming and continuity check.

For a group of 50, I'd say two banks of three pads should be plenty. Five rocketeers should be able to staff the SCO, LCO and PM positions while providing adequate throughput for a crowd that size.

FWIW, notice I said "rocketeers" and not "adults". My experience is that God made plenty of responsible, intelligent adults who turn into absolute idiots around anything remotely technical such as model rocketry :)

HTH. Doug

Put a fence or some ribbon around each set of pads (rack) at the required distance for the size motors that you will use. Have an adult regulate entrance into the safe zone. Other than that, let the kids run free to recover the rockets.

-JT

Steve Gould> I'll be organizing a launch for the local cub scouts that could be 50

Agreed, although with larger crowds to prevent damage to rockets, it's sometimes best to tell the kids that only the rocket owner, and his designated buddy, get to recover a given rocket.

-Kevin