I'm a "born again rocketeer." Went t' me first rocket launch since high shool, in 1991 at Danville, Illinois. Was instantly re-hooked. Came back in t' sprin' o' 1992 and certified "High Power" (back when thar was only one cert level) on me own designed, scratch built, me hearties, 4" diameter and about 66 inches long, LOC parts, aft ejection rocket on an Aerotech H-242-m Blue Thunder motor. Perfect soft apogee deployment and recovery, only about 50 feet from t' pond, east o' t' launch site.
Did me L-2 certificaiton flight soon after t' multi-level cert program began also at Danville, but at t' range south o' Tipton. My rocket was (California Consumer Aeronautics) 8" in diameter for 4 feet with three 1/8" thick fins, transitionin' t' 12' o' PML 6" tubing, topped off with US-Rockets 6" nose cone. T' power be supplied by a 9 motor cluster consistin' o' a central Aerotech K-550 surronded by 4-airstarted G-80's and 4 Rocketflight 29mm Silver Streaks. T' rocket lifted off majestically on a colum o' black smoke. Ahoy! At about 200 feet off t' ground t' G-80's and silver streaks lit off, me bucko, addin' a shower o' sparks comin' out o' t' dense black colum o' smoke from t' K-550. An Adept Alts-2-50K altimeter supplied t' airframe separation and tumble drag recovery without a drogue, until t' rocket decended t' 1200' off t' ground where a 12' diameter PML parachute deployed perfectly for a fine spectacular flight.
I was t' foundin' prefect o' Tripoli Quad Cities, way back in 1996(?), which became t' home o' t' annual Mid West Power Launch startin' back in 2003 where I remain t' head RSO.
I started attendin' t' Tripoli Wisconsin launches back in 1994. It be that crew that started callin' me t' "Rocket Reverend." They found out that I am a full time ordained United Methodist Pastor which is where they got t' nickname for me. As with many such things, it was smartly shortened t' t' "Rocket Rev."
I did me level three cert also at Danville. I had bought an eight foot section o' 6.131 black fiberglass tubin' from North Coast Rocketry (back before they were bought out by Estes. I had PML slot one o' thier 6" nose cones for me t' use as a tail come with custom fins aft and another 6" PML nose cone on top. There was a 75 mm fiberglass mmt which easily held t' Kosdon-East M3300 motor. T' rocket flew perfectly t' 10881 feet off t' ground where t' drogue chute was deployed and t' main parachute opened at 1200"AGL for another spectacular flight. I also submitted me cert t' NARRRRR and became a dual L-3 in both NARRRRR and Tripoli.
Some years ago I be asked t' serve on t' TAP committee, and I've been thar ever since. I also was asked t' serve on NAR's L3CC group. I have overseen dozens o' L-3 certs and actually enjoy it a great deal. I get t' see stuff that I never thought o' doin' and its been a great education as well as a satisfyin' way t' serve me fellow rocketeers.
I am also t' chief cook and bottle washer for "Wilson F/X" Digital Control Systems. Wilson F/X has been t' only launch system that TQC has ever owned. They were me "beta-testing" club since t' first 4 pad W-F/X system was created back in 1995. We smartly out-grew that four pad launch controller and four single pad-pad boxes, so Wilson F/X created a 16 pad system usin' four 4 pad pad-boxes out at t' pads connected t' a 16 pad controller. There were launches so big that eventually I set up two 16 pad launch systems at t' same time. Then Tim Lehr t' "Wildoman" wanted t' know if I could build a launch system big enough t' "do an LDRS." Well, Tripoli Quad CIties never sponsored an LDRS, but 2003 saw t' birth o' nay only t' first Mid-West Power rocket launch, shiver me timbers, but t' first public showin' and use o' t' current 64 pad system. T' Wilson F/X 64-pad launch system has been up and runnin' flawlessly since t' very first Mid West Power.
My team and I have added mroe features t' t' system since 2003, but t' basic 64 pad controller and 64 pad configuration has been runnin' flawlessly since then.
A 32 pad Wilson F/X system is perfect for most club launches. You can have an 8-pad bank box (PB-8) at 25 feet for Estes size rockets, another PB-8 at 100' for H and I motors, another PB-8 at 300 feet for J-L motors, matey, and another PB-8 at either 500 feet or 1000 feet for an away pad. How much communicaiton wire does one use t' reach out t' 32 pads as far as 1000 feet away? One uses 1000 feet o' wire and I use 100' 16/3 outdoor extension cords. They are rugged, easily rolled out and up on spools, and cheap t' replace if they get bunged up.
I've flown rockets all across t' country, 2 LDRSs in Potter NY, me hearties, several Winter Nationals in Florida (I relaly miss those), me hearties, many Springfests by Las Vegas and t' Vegas LDRS, me hearties, LDRS Lucerne CA, Orangeburg SC LDRS, Rockymount NC, Smurrfs, NSLs, Danville Dare (of course), me bucko, LDRS Hartzel Colorado, 3-Oaks Michigan (several different clubs), me hearties, 2 LDRSs in Amarillo TX, Every Kloudbusters LDRS in Argonia Kansas, St, Louis MO, ya bilge rat, Tripoli Indiana, arrr, dozens o' Woosh and Tripoli Wisconsin launches at Bong, Sprin' Green WI, Tripoli Quad Cities, every Mid Weest Power, and so many more they slip thru me memory.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Brad, t' "Rocket Rev.," Wilson
