Sunday, March 30, 2025 – 9AM-2PM

The plan was to do all our qualifying flights today in the better weather. We were back at Silver Lake field because the wind is less here between the two mountains.

• Silver Lake Field
• A few clouds, mostly sunny. Better weather than Thursday
• 3mph South (toward parking lot) wind at 9:00, it continued to gradually pick up until about 12 but stayed a little higher. Bigger gusts but we tried to launch at the calmest times.
• A lot more people were at the park today than last time we were here but they were all fine with us launching.
• 44°F when we arrived but picked up throughout the day to a high of about 62.
• 28.97" inHG pressure.
• Eggs: both about 57.06 & 57.6g (same ones as Thursday)
• Flight 1: 599g – heavy transition, same setup as the last two launches.
• Flight 2: we stiched to the lighter transition
• Flight 3: 579g – we kept the lighter transition but added two dimes, for 4.8 extra grams, covered in electrical tape in the bottom of the hole in the transition for the altimeter.
• Flight 4: We switched from two dimes to one so we'd go just a little bit higher
• Flight 5: After feeling good with the 780 feet last flight we did a qualifying flight with the same setup
• Flight 6 was the same setup as 5
• Flight 7: we removed the dime and also added some blue tape around the top of the transition because it seemed a little loose

Results (qualifying flights in bold):

• The ejection charge didn't always deploy at the same time but it was always close enough to apogee we doubt it made a significant difference


• Flight 1: 730'
• Flight 1: 41.8 seconds
• Flight 1: 15-13.pf2


• Flight 2: 811'
• Flight 2: 47 seconds
• Flight 2: 16-14.pf2


• Flight 3: 773'
• Flight 3: 40 seconds
• Flight 3: 17-15.pf2


• Flight 4: 780'
• Flight 4: 42 seconds
• Flight 4: 18-16.pf2


• Flight 5: the rocket arced over a lot, just like the second flight last time at Silver Lake, into the wind (maybe not quite as bad or immediate though). Dave said he thought it was weather cocking.
• Flight 5: 729'
• Flight 5: 40.64 seconds
• Flight 5: 19-17.pf2


• Flight 6: the rocket curved a little bit, but not as bad as the first qualifying flight
• Flight 6: 757'
• Flight 6: 48 seconds (we don't know why it came down extra slow
• Flight 6: 20-18.pf2


• Flight 7: the rocket went as straight up as possible but it somehow didn't even help even though we also took out the dime
• Flight 7: 759'
• Flight 7: 41.92 seconds
• Flight 7: 21-19.pf2
• The eggs always survived of course.

We had some great flights but unfortunately the qualifying flights were just worse for whatever reason.