It all started a year ago.
Gary had spoken to some guys from New Zealand Rocketry while
in Auckland, who'd told him of their participation at a full
size display at Wanneka. Not sure that we'd be able to do
this over here, we instead contacted our local model flying
club, Woodspring Wings, who hold one of the biggest model and
full size displays in the south of England. After some
trepidation from the committee, a few demo flights and an
intense discussion of the safety procedures, (during which
the UKRA safety code was minutely scrutinised) we were given
the go-ahead and two slots a day to perform. Pete Davy agreed
to attend and oversee our efforts so we were all set.
The pressure intensified nearer to the day, as the local
press heard about us taking part and a camera crew from the
local HTV station appeared on press day, taking a couple of
hours and a few launches in the "G" and
"H" range to get the shots they wanted. This
resulted in Woodspring Wings getting both an early and late
evening news slot two days before the event. We were
agreeably surprised that the TV people took on board, and
reiterated on air, the safety aspects we took time to
explain. Coupled with Evening Post newspaper coverage, we
hoped this would boost attendance figures considerably.
On the Saturday, we found the Airshow subject to a visit from
a Flight Standards Officer of the CAA Operations and
Inspections Division. Coupled with the show being performed
directly under the approach to Bristol International Airport,
the pressure to get it right suddenly became yet more
intense. We were quizzed as to safety distances and
procedures etc, but, luckily, Gary had passed his Level 2
exam just 2 weeks previously, so had all the answers down
pat! We then made doubly sure all the distances and safety
checks were as specified, even to the point of us taking over
from the Airshow Flight Director and making our own calls to
Bristol Air Traffic Control (as we'd previously arranged and
with whom we'd agreed had the power to postpone or cancel any
launch outright to maintain aircraft safety) for permission
to launch immediately prior to each rocket flight.
We held a faultless display with outstanding weather over the
weekend, with morning and evening slots between the model and
full size aircraft displays, showing a range of rockets and
motors from 'B' to 'J' with a mix of Estes, Aerotech and
Pro-38s. A commentator with a roving microphone was with us,
letting everyone know what we were doing and giving them
details of the rockets, motors, UKRA safety procedures etc,
from a script "we'd prepared earlier". We also had
a raffle, for WW funds, for a kid from the audience to come
out to the runway, do the countdown and (supervised) press
the button to launch the largest rocket in that slot! A real
crowd pleaser!!
www.petesrockets.co.uk
We couldn't have done without Pete Davy of Pete's
Rockets, who we'd particularly asked to attend to back us up.
In gratitude, we helped with his shop between our slots and
managed to sell out ALL of his Estes and Micromax starter
sets - Gary doing a good imitation of "Dell Boy"
down the market!! Pete was superb, not only raising the
profile of the sport with his patient answering of many
questions from the spectators, but helping with our
preparation - even taking some ribbing from other UKRA
members ("Pete Davy wants to know something from
US"?) when he rang one of them to ask the correct jumper
settings for a G-Wiz flight computer, after Gary forgot his
manuals!!! We really couldn't have performed nearly so well
without him! Also, Amanda's Mum and Dad, Fenella and Ray and
her brother Peter and his fiancée Sue very ably assisted us
all weekend by helping with the prepping and being the
"recovery crew", disappearing for long periods of
time as they walked the fields to recover the rockets. Thanks
to them we were able to concentrate on getting everything
just right.
For the first of our displays each day we wanted to
show how one would usually begin and then progress through
the sport of Rocketry. So we started with a "Silver
Streak Starter Set" on a "B" from its Estes
launcher. It did look a little dwarfed next to the other two
on their pads waiting to go, but each day the crowd saw it
perform it produced a little flurry of activity at Pete's
stand with kids (big and small) wanting "one of those
starter kits"! Next we went to an Aerotech
"Warthog" on an "F", which was our own
first mid power kit and looked most impressive with a long
plume of black exhaust.
 
SA-10 SAM engine ignition and leaving the
launchpad. |
Then onto a beautiful
semi-scale scratch built 3" x 5' SA-10
"Grumble" Surface-to-Air Missile on an
"I". To "Ahhs" from the spectators, a
very excited 6 year old raffle winner could hardly contain
himself as he was escorted by the flight marshal to take
control of the lift-off. He mixed up his numbers up a little
from 10, but got the "3,2,1,Zero" right and pressed
the button! This rocket we'd sim'd as having a maximum
velocity of 450 mph! It performed as planned with a throaty
roar - witness the comments of various photographers "I
missed that - did you get it"? "Naw, too bloomin'
quick!" Sorry guys...
We'd earlier asked if any of the model pilots wanted to have
their F-15 or -16s up there to add to the realism of the
SA-10 SAM launch, but there were no takers - funny that...
Hot Plasma leaves the pad on it's way to the
sound barrier. |
Then, on the Saturday
afternoon, mainly because the TV news had misunderstood and
promised a "Supersonic Rocket", we managed to get
our own design "Hot Plasma" through the sound
barrier and to 6300 feet on a 'J'. Loud "crack" and
two puffs of vapour as it went through about 200 feet up!
Loads of people crowded round as we recovered the airframe
asking to hold something that "had gone
supersonic".
Not sure the name of this one. |
First off, was the Warthog,
just to give a contrast and whet the appetite, on an
"F" in a cloud of black smoke, up to around 800
feet, good "pop" as the chute deployed at apogee
and, with the location warbler sounding away, dropped almost
back on to the pad to a nice round of applause.
The highlight of the show had to be our last launch of the
weekend, where we sent up a 2 stage "Thunder &
Lightning" for a 2 stage flight with an 'I' mated to an
'H'.
This big yellow bird had sat on the flight apron all day, on
its Quad-pod launch pad. "Remove Before Flight"
safety key ribbons fluttering, adding to the anticipation of
everybody wanting to see it. Even causing a coach party from
Cardiff to almost lynch their driver to get him to delay
their departure to wait for the launch. The commentator read
out the specifications as we made ready out on the runway - 2
flight computers on board, G-Wiz LC in the tail to light the
second stage and deploy the first stage chute, the G-Wiz MC
in the main body to detect altitude, velocity etc and deploy
the drogue at apogee, then deploy the main at 400 feet (We
must take a moment to voice our appreciation, those G-Wiz's
worked flawlessly, and on low power (single battery)
configuration too!).
 
Ignition then lift-off just a few hundredths
of a second apart. |
Then out came the lucky lad
who had won the last raffle, to have the honour of calling
the countdown over the PA and pressing the button. Good to
hear the crowd joining in the count with him too...
Big ROAR as it lifted off dead straight, together with a loud
"WOW" from the crowd!
Great sight as the second motor lit at around 1000 feet and
the first stage detached, peeling off trailing smoke! The
main body tore through the cloud base at 4000 feet (we'd been
cleared to launch through cloud by ATC radar), slight
"POP" as the first stage deployed its small chute
and floated down a few hundred feet away...
Then the wait for the first sighting of the airframe and
drogue, dropping through the cloud... We looked around and
virtually all of the crowd were pointing up - a real
"Rocket Boys" moment - a cheer as it was sighted,
and then a couple of minutes as it drifted down, waiting for
the main to open, to great applause as it deployed to set
down gently in an adjoining field!
But we weren't done yet!
For the final touch - The pilot in a full size Bell Jet
Ranger, giving pleasure flights from a field next to us,
received permission, flew over and retrieved both of the high
flying rockets on both days!! Our own personal helicopter
recovery crew brought it right back to the centre of the
runway to another round of applause!!! Only NASA gets it THIS
good!
We were especially pleased with the comments
of the CAA inspector, who expressed how she very impressed with our preparation,
adherence to the rules and also the co-ordination and "obvious dedication
to safety" between Bristol ATC and ourselves. Big thanks should go to
these guys who were attempting to cope with their busiest weekend of the year,
while allowing us to perform our display seamlessly with the rest of the aircraft
and model displays.
A great weekend, the Woodspring Wings people were extremely pleased with our
display. What an excellent Airshow they run, superb displays and professional
attention to the minutest detail, with meticulous adherence to rigorous safety
procedures that would not disgrace any full size airfield display. Just goes
to show how well some otherwise very different parts of the BMFA can get together,
work well together and show the public some of the best and most exciting
parts of our two sports. If they want us back again next year - WE'LL BE THERE!!
Amanda, Gary and Pete
