Launch Report for 2003/07/06

Launch Controllers	Isabel's Estes Electron Beam
Launch Pads	Isabel's Tripod

Motor Power	Least Powerful	Estes A8-3 (2.5 N-s)
	Most Powerful	Estes D12 (17 N-s)
Flight Duration in Seconds	Shortest	3 (Flight 703)
	Longest	28 (Flights 701, 705)
Number of Landings Outside the Recovery Area		0
Number of Flights Carrying Payloads		0
Number of non-Estes Motors Used		4
Total Number of Flights Today		8

Launch Location
The Schoolyard of
École Polyvalente Louis-Philippe Paré
Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada

Neither I nor my friend Isabel from the rocket club had made a single flight yet so far and we were both itching to fly something so we went to my favorite flying field at the schoolyard of École Polyvalente Louis-Philippe Paré right here in Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada. It was a little breezy today, but I know the field well and I know what I can and can't get away with.

While setting up, I realized that I had forgotten to recharge my launch batteries and so Isabel & I both used her launch controller & launch pad. I brought my camcorder & digital camera to record images of each flight which is where the images on this page came from. Most of the images on this page can be enlarged by clicking on them. Those that can't be enlarged are already at full size.

Flight 698, 1st flight this year
Estes Challenger 1 01 on an Estes A8-3 for its 13th flight

Being my first flight of the year, I did my standard flight on an A8-3 with my very first rocket, the Estes Challenger 1 which I got as a teenager way back in 1981. As always, it made a great flight although it landed some distance from the pad.

Next up was Isabel's Estes Venom for its first flight. Quite a performer even on a B6-4 and it got enough altitude to drift way past the chain link fence and onto a dirt path. With some effort, it was recovered!

Flight 699, 2nd flight this year
Estes Challenger 1 01 on an Estes A8-3 for its 14th flight

I sent Challenger 1 01 up again on another A8-3, but this time I increased the launch angle to try to "calibrate" the launch pad for the winds we were getting. This time it landed much closer to the pad.

Isabel flew were brand new Estes Wacky Wiggler on an A8-3 for its first flight. This rocket is unusual in the fact that it breaks apart into a number of segments all held together by the shock cord. It's an unusually large tumble recovery rocket so there's no parachute on this one. All the segments made it difficult to keep this rocket straight so it flew somewhat erratically. Cool to watch though.

Flight 700, 3rd flight this year
Estes X-Ray (Original) on an Estes A8-3 for its 5th flight

The Estes X-Ray was up next for its first flight with its new paint job and since 1986 when my friend Andre & I shot a film for college called "Into The Blue Frontier". I replaced the 12 inch chute with a 24 inch streamer for this flight since this was one rocket I wasn't going to lose!

Isabel's Estes Trans-Wing Super Glider was up next. On liftoff,. it arced over towards that fence that the Venom drifted over, but the pod landed on our side of the fence while the glider did its usual beautiful circular glide downwards before coming to an abrupt halt when it hit the fence, slightly damaging the leading edge on one of the wings.

Flight 701, 4th flight this year
Keith Bedard's Estes Flash on a Quest B6-4 for its 9th flight

My trusty Estes Flash was up next on a Quest B6-4. Great flight!

Isabel's Estes Death Star was next and the "exploding" pieces dispersed nicely with the wind we had.

Flight 702, 5th flight this year
Keith Bedard's Custom Serval on a Quest B6-4 for its 13th flight

Time at Liftoff:	15:37:50
Flight Duration in Seconds:	6
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Flight 703, 6th flight this year
Keith Bedard's Custom Serval on a Quest C6-5 for its 14th flight

Time at Liftoff:	15:41:27
Flight Duration in Seconds:	3
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Time at Liftoff:	15:48:53
Flight Duration in Seconds:	8
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Isabel Deslauriers' Estes Screaming Mimi on an Estes D12-5 for its 1st flight

Time at Liftoff:	15:56:16
Flight Duration in Seconds:	35
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Flight 704, 7th flight this year
Keith Bedard's Estes Colossus on an Estes D12-3 for its 10th flight

Time at Liftoff:	15:59:35
Flight Duration in Seconds:	17
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Time at Liftoff:	16:11:32
Flight Duration in Seconds:	16
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Flight 705, 8th flight this year
Keith Bedard's Estes Flash on a Quest B6-4 for its 10th flight

Time at Liftoff:	16:22:17
Flight Duration in Seconds:	28
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Time at Liftoff:	16:27:48
Flight Duration in Seconds:	37
Distance from Launch Pad in Feet:

Temperature	26^o C (^o F)
Winds	25 km/hr from northwest