Our Third Rocket Demo at the
Livermore Air Show

by Ron Baskett, LUNAR #188

Some more images from the air show ...

First Day Frustration

The Livermore Air Show's request to Mark Weiss for our demonstration this year was "more smoke, noise, and power." In response, using e-mail and the good-ole phone, Jack Hagerty, LUNAR volunteer coordinator, rounded up several club members with high-power rockets. Volunteers converged bright and early Saturday morning, September 9, at the Livermore School District Office just west of the airport with quite an arsenal:

Larry Baskett with his Initiacam, a modified Aerotech Initiator with his own-design 35-mm camera payload,

Jud Stubbs and Robert Taylor both with LOC Minie-Maggs,

Dave Redell with his LOC EZI I-65,

Louis Fico with his scratchbuilt Marte (Italian air-to-air missile),

Eric Kleinschmidt with his North Coast Phantom 4000,

Bob Parks with an Aerotech Phoenix RC glider (Bob designed the kit for Aerotech!).

Arriving at the airport with seemingly plenty of time, everyone prepped their rockets, and Jack went off to attend the morning Air Show Pilots Briefing. Jack returned with a schedule that listed us as a "Rocket Demo" at 11:30, which was then only minutes away. We rushed through the crowded tarmac and out onto the runway. Excitement built as we laid out cable and the Air Show announcer began reading Jack's colorful introduction of the club. Next he read a description of the first rocket to be launched -- Larry's Initiacam. We all stood back, cameras ready to record the rocket's blastoff into the still, blue sky. But the Rocket Demo was not meant to be that day. Around 11:45, just as Warren began that first countdown, we got the word to "break down and clear the runway IMMEDIATELY." Fog in the Central Valley had delayed takeoff of three air show P-51s and a Hawker Sea Fury; now they were inbound asking for clearance to land at Livermore.

Fun at the Booth

Down but not out, we quickly rolled up wire, and returned to the LUNAR booth behind the grandstand. And that's when the joy of volunteering really began -- The new LUNAR banner and Lynn Kissel's big 7-foot high, 1/2-scale D-Region Tomahawk drew crowds from across the tarmac. Once close up, the spectators were treated to displays of various sport-scale and yet-to-be-fired high-power rockets. A steady stream of visitors stopped by, relating their favorite rocket stories, snatching up dozens of neatly prepared club brochures, and pelting us with all kinds of questions.

How high does this one go? What do the engines look like? What are they made of? How do you ignite them? Look, Ma, I'm on a rocket camera (referring to Lynn's Sky H'eye video which was transmitted to a TV on the next table.) Where and when does your club launch? How do I join? Kids "of all ages" related to our exhibit. Does this one really fly (referring to my Star Trek Enterprise)? Younger visitors could barely keep their hands off the displays. Is that the rocket that took man to the moon? Dad, can I buy one of those? The afternoon zipped by as hundreds stopped by to look and chat. Clearly the club exhibit was a giant success.

Photo 1. The LUNAR tents at the Wings for Charity, September 9-10, 1995. (Digital photo by Lynn Kissel 58 KB)

Not-Another-False-Start Sunday

With four rockets to fly, we racked 'em up on Warren's launch truck, and rolled out to the runway gate shortly after 11 on Sunday morning. This time we were ready early. Setup would only take minutes -- Maybe we'd just have to tilt the rods a bit if the wind picked up. The signal came from the Air Show and we moved out on to the runway and quickly set up. But before we knew it, we were suddenly on hold -- the whole airport had been shut down by the FAA. Later we were to find out that a helicopter ride from the Air Show had tragically crashed nearby. Again we rolled up our wire, but this time we left the runway feeling optimistic as we were told that maybe we'd have a launch window around 2 p.m.

At Last the Launch!

Again the afternoon brought loads of visitors by the booth. We enjoyed talking rockets but anxiously kept an eye on our watches. Shortly before 2 p.m., Warren and Travis Massey got the word and rolled out the truck again. After a short wait for a C-130 flyby we were on for real. But frustration returned as Larry's camera rocket thermalite ignitor refused to fire his Aerotech G reload. Bob Parks was up next and produced a perfect crowd-pleasing flight and center-stage runway landing of his Phoenix glider. Meanwhile Warren installed one of his special ignitors into Larry's Initiacam, but again no joy. On to Eric's Patriot -- a fine flight but the ejection only pushed off the nose cone and no 'chute -- fortunately the landing in the plowed dirt between the runways produced only a slightly crunched body tube. Meanwhile Warren installed yet another igniter into Larry's Initiacam, but apparently nothing was going to burn through what later turned out to be an oxidized inner coating. So Bob again showed great skill in performing aerobatics with a second launch of his glider. For a finale Eric pushed the button on his Phantom 4000 with an "I" motor. Necks turned skyward and the crowd clapped with approval. This time a welcome parachute popped at apogee bringing the rocket back with an impressive spot landing near the truck. Travis Massey collected up both rockets and the demo was done within 15 minutes.

Photo 2. A view of Bob Parks' Phoenix passing over our truck. (15 KB)

It'll be Better Next Year!

Being a pre-show demo was a bit trying, but our patience paid off. We showed we could quickly set up, fly, and take down in between Air Show events. We came back with many ideas how we might better deal with Air Show logistics. Many thoroughly enjoyed communicating our fun with rockets to the public. The volunteerism was rewarding and the exposure was great. Next year we look forward to producing more smoke, noise, and power!

Thanks to Lynn Kissel, Warren Massey, Louis Fico, Jack Hagerty, and Dave Redell for contributing to this article.

Information date: Oct. 14, 1995 lk