[roc-chat] ROCtober and ROC's October Monthly HPR Launch is this Weekend
- From: Gregory Lyzenga <lyzenga@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, roc-announce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 15:15:06 -0700
Fellow ROC Members,
A quick reminder: this Saturday and Sunday (October 12-13, 2013) is the next
ROC Launch. The regular HPR launching and the ROCtober youth events encompass
both days of the launch. Projected weather conditions appear to be good for
flying, with mild fall desert conditions anticipated. Overnight lows will be
in the 40's and daytime highs will be in the mid to upper 70's under sunny
skies. Wind conditions should follow typical trends, with the best (lowest
wind, <5 mph) conditions in the early morning, with speeds gradually increasing
after mid-morning (probably peaking at 5-10 mph in the afternoon). As always,
remember that we are in a desert environment, so plan accordingly for the heat
and sun. Despite the cooler temperatures be sure to bring (and drink) plenty
of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to
avoid getting burned. For those of you new to the Lucerne launch site, THERE
IS NO WATER on site, so bring what you need! (This includes water for washing
as well as drinking/cooking.) We are expecting our regular food vendors, TWO
GUYS AND A GRILLE to be in attendance, serving breakfast and lunch (we're not
sure at this time about dinner). Lucerne Valley Market is about 4 miles from
our launch site and has an extensive selection of groceries as well as a good
deli counter. Our regular rocketry vendors will be in attendance as well.
Please keep in mind that we will be expecting *several hundred* scouts and
youth group participants for this annual ROCtober event. We will be keeping a
careful eye on the portable toilet and crowd control issues, but we can use
everyone's help in keeping the site clean and running smoothly. As always,
PLEASE keep the toilets clean and NEVER dispose of ANYTHING except human waste
in them. And you can further do your part by reminding our guests of the rules
and setting a good example. Everyone pack out ALL of your trash and leave no
sign of our presence after the launch is over.
The range should be open for flying between 7:00 and 8:00 am on Saturday, and
as usual you are advised to plan on flying early. NAR and Tripoli
certification will be available. Depending on weather and attendance, we plan
to shut down the range for the day Sunday at about 1:00 pm or so. PLEASE TAKE
NOTE OF THIS AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY! Please let the board know in advance if you
have any large projects or unusual support requirements or plans that we should
know about.
A quick reminder that our launch site has moved slightly from its traditional
location in past years. The new range location is just about 1000 ft. south of
the old site and is accessed from the same road as before. A half mile in to
the lakebed, look for the metal post and signs/reflectors directing you to turn
left to the new site. If you are arriving the night before for camping, don't
set up in the old spot because you WILL be asked to move. Drive VERY carefully
and slowly on the access roads and in the camping area, particularly at night.
The area is fairly heavily rutted, and passenger vehicles can get into trouble
if not driven with care.
VERY IMPORTANT -- In order to support a launch of this size and complexity, we
MUST have the help of members and volunteers to staff the range operation
positions! At our smaller launches over the last couple of months, we've been
a little casual about this, but at ROCtober we need to have range duty
positions filled before we can open the range for flying. We have an
easy-to-use site for volunteering for range duty. DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING
RIGHT NOW and visit:
http://mysignup.com/rocrangeduty
to select your range duty assignment. Remember that the HPR RSO position is
now a "roaming" assignment which allows you to move around your camp and the
launch site and have flyers approach you to have their rockets checked. We'll
open the range for flying as soon as we get our positions filled and the range
set up, so let's pitch in so we can take best advantage of the good morning
flying hours! Overnight camping is allowed as usual, but be sure to keep all
campfires in above-ground containers to comply with BLM rules, and pack your
ashes and wood debris out with you when you leave. Let's always try to leave
the playa a little cleaner than we found it. Portable toilets should be
delivered on site by Friday afternoon to support campers and setup.
Let's fly rockets! We'll see you on the lake bed!
-----------------------------------------------
Greg Lyzenga
ROC Board Member - NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088
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