From: leadfoot@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Mark Curtis)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
Subject: Re: Altitude Busters at LDRS
Date: 27 Aug 92 00:46:20 GMT

In article <1247@taniwha.UUCP>, paul@taniwha.UUCP (Paul Campbell) writes:
|> In article <5818@transfer.stratus.com> leadfoot@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Mark Curtis) writes:
|> 
|> >This wasn't known until the pad 99 people requested a countdown
|> >and Rodgers told them it was too late.  After several minutes of
|> >thought it was discovered that the waver was still in effect and
|> >they launched.  A great launch, but well after tracking quit.
|> 
|> Actually I saw what happened - Chuck had quit tracking at 5 and gone
|> over to check out the 'monster' on the way back - as he got back to
|> the normal launch site someone told him that 'pad 99' were launching
|> outside the waiver - he immediatly tried to stop them - for about 5 mins
|> on the radio before someone pointed out that there was a later waiver from
|> 6-7pm too.

I was there as well and my first posting was meant to be a little
lower key version of what really happened.  In short, Chuck told
myself and everyone I heard ask him that the waiver was 9:00-11:00
3:00-5:00 for 30,000+.  People could fly their high-alt birds in
those windows only.  Lower stuff didn't matter.

I was at the LCO table a great deal of the day on Monday and Sunday,
plus all day Saturday.  All day Monday that was the story Chuck was
telling people.  He wanted to get all the lower flights off before
3:00 so that the 3:00-5:00 window would be open for non-stop no waiting
30,000+ shots.  Not that it turned out that way.

5:00 rolled around and Chuck's project hadn't even been loaded
into the tower yet.  Chuck closed the range to 30,000+ flights
stating that the window in the waiver was over.  He cancelled
his own project's flight, so he truely beleived the waiver was
over.  At this point tracking stopped and the trackers returned
to the flight line.  Phil and I got our radios back and packed
them away.  Tracking was closed!

About 7:00 pad 99 called and wanted a count.  Chuck asked about
the rocket/motors.  This rocket would easily push the 30,000 mark.
Chuck told them not to launch.  They didn't respond.  Again Chuck
asked them not to launch and to stop playing "Oh your not coming
in good here" radio games.  Still no answer from pad 99.

I thought they were going to launch anyway.  Chuck started to get
real upset with pad 99's silence.  Bill Lewis pulled out a copy of
the waiver and read to Chuck that the waiver was in effect until 7:00.
By now it was a few minutes after 7:00.  Chuck got back on the radio
and told pad 99 the news, suddenly they could talk and hear again.
They soon launched and it was a great flight, but no tracking was
possible.  Tracking had packed up at 5:00, two hours before the launch.

|> >Someone should go to a little more trouble to
|> >avoid this in the future.  Chuck was more than a little steamed.

|> The waivers were read at the flier's meeting and all Tripoli board members
|> were given copies (including Chuck) ... next time we should probably set up
|> a notice board and post them somewhere at the launch site too .....

I agree!

Mark (one of the silly radio people you all saw at the last two LDRSs)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets