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✦✦✦ SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ✦✦✦
                      April 28, 2024
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The Board of Directors is greatly disappointed to announce that RIMRA is no longer able to utilize the Peckham Farm field due to the University of Rhode Island’s expansion of its agricultural facility and programs.  Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to obtain a viable field for our launches this year.  

A secondary field at URI may be viable for low-power launches only, and the club is currently evaluating the logistics.   We have attempted to obtain the use of other fields in Exeter west of Route 2, however launches at these fields are prohibited due to FAA restrictions.  We were also in discussion with a large turf farm adjacent to Chariho School.  However, they were concerned that our use could potentially invite unauthorized use by others. 

In  the meantime, if ANYONE is aware of any potential field locations, please contact us for further discussion and evaluation.  Potential fields should be an approximate minimum size of 3000 ft. by 3000 ft. and may be located anywhere throughout the state. 

We will keep RIMRA members updated as our situation progresses and  other possibilities can be identified and investigated.   As always, your help  and patience is appreciated! 

Best regards,

Daniel DiMase, RIMRA President
Tel: 401-398-2343
Mobile: 401-374-1914

Daniel.DiMase@Aerocyonics.com

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All systems are “Go” for a RIMRA Veterans Day Launch this SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11th!

 


✦✦ Be sure to arrive early for our opening ceremony planned at 9:30a.m. featuring Louis Shriber from the URI Choir singing the National Anthem along with presentation of our nation’s colors by cadet members of the Rhode Island Civil Air Patrol ! ✦✦

Please read this entire message for important information about this weekend’s launch!

RIMRA is giving the green light to our members for this special Veterans Day launch this weekend at the University of Rhode Island’s Peckham Farm!  As always, we welcome spectators to attend and watch for free, so spread the word!

Per our “Launch Protocol“ the final call will be made at 6:00p.m. EST Friday evening.  Please monitor this website or our Facebook page prior to the event for updates (e.g. weather delays/cancellations, poor field conditions, etc).

Be sure to read the updated 2023 RIMRA “Launch Protocol“. All fliers are expected to have read and abide by this protocol.

If you are flying medium-power and/or high-power rockets, you must be a NAR member and bring your current NAR membership card with you on launch days. Either printed or imaged versions are accepted.

Want to know more about RIMRA?? If you haven’t been to a recent RIMRA launch, join us to see what’s new and share in the excitement and fun!  As always, we welcome spectators to attend and watch the launches for free. We hope you’ll join us this weekend for an exciting day of launching rockets!
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✦✦✦ SPECIAL NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS ✦✦✦
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✦✦ THIS WEEKEND!!   Veterans Day Rocket Launch
When: Veteran’s Day, Saturday, November 11, 2023

Set-up time for this event will be 7:00a.m. with Opening Ceremonies beginning at 9:30a.m.

Veterans launch for free on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2023! Just bring your Veteran card. You will have access to the low-power pads (A-D motors) and mid/high-power pads (E motors and above).

Veterans, please note… for access to the mid-power and high-power pads, you will need to be a NAR member and have a current active NAR membership card (https://www.nar.org/join-nar/). 

This event will have a wheelchair-accessible porta-potty on the field for convenience.  Cadets from the Rhode Island Civil Air Patrol will support the Veterans Day Rocket Launch to assist all veterans in loading their rockets on launch pads and retrieving them from the field after they are launched.

 

And… don’t miss the Veterans Day Launch Raffle, with prizes valued at over $400.00 !  Prizes donated by Hoffman Engineering, Inc. and Aerocyonics, Inc. include…
  – 1st Prize – Boyce Aerospace Honest John kit 
  – 2nd Prize – Tank Buster Missile kit
  – 3rd Prize – Estes Patriot Missile kit
  – Bonus Prize – a $50.00 Gift Card to Hobby Lobby
  – Bonus Prize – “The History of the Space Shuttle” book

One hundred percent 0f all proceeds will be used to benefit future Veterans R.O.C.K.E.T.S. Building Workshops. 
Tickets for this highly beneficial cause are $10.00 each or 3 for $25.00.

Please see notes below for Parking and Field Access, and early start times for this special event!

For more information, click here to visit our new Special Events page.
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✦✦ CONTINUED ✦✦ The Peckham Farm field has not been mowed in quite some time.  It is highly recommended that you use chirpers, bright parachutes, and even a GPS in an attempt to recover rockets in the field.
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✦✦ CONTINUED ✦✦  Rockets weighing over 12 lbs. should be launched on the 1515 rail for safety and stability of your launch.  The club has 1515 rail buttons that we can provide for free to retrofit your rocket.
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✦✦ CONTINUED ✦✦  Several club members are planning to attend LDRS 2024 June 6-9, 2024 at Potter, NY.  We will utilize the club trailer to transport rockets to the event.  Interested individuals should reach out to Bob Hoffman (hlr02852@aol.com) if you would like to attend LDRS with the club and would like to transport your rockets in the club trailer.
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✦✦ CONTINUED ✦✦ The American Rocketry Challenge 2024 is here!
The American Rocketry Challenge 2024 program has begun! Registration is open from now until December 1, 2023. Click the link below to register… https://rocketcontest.smapply.io/prog/2024_american_rocketry
_challenge/

The full rules are posted at https://rocketcontest.org/wp-content/uploads/American-Rocketry-Challenge-2024-rules-version.pdf. 
Teams competing in the American Rocketry Challenge have the chance to win a part of over $100,000 in prizes! If you are interested, please speak with Daniel DiMase at the launch on Saturday or contact him via email or a phone call (Dan’s contact information is listed at the bottom of this posting).
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Due to the anticipated high-number of attendees, we will have individuals directing traffic into designated parking areas. Please note the layout planned on the image above for designated parking areas on the field. There will also be dedicated handicap parking areas on the field. Individuals parking on the field do so at their own risk! West Kingston Elementary School has given RIMRA permission to utilize their parking lot for our event on Saturday. Their address is 3119 Ministerial Rd, West Kingston, RI 02892

Please note the following changes to the field access and entrance!

The entrance to the field from Peckham Farm now has an ELECTRIFIED FENCE.  Please access the field through the back entrance located on Ministerial Road.  This is through an unpaved road before the entrance to the West Kingston School (3119 Ministerial Rd, West Kingston, RI  02892) located near the field.  “Rocket Launch” signs will be posted marking the entrance.  The attached map provides a description.

DO NOT enter the field from the Peckham Farm road entrance!  Be aware that there is a paved bike path that is on the edge of the field… IT IS NOT A ROAD TO BE DRIVEN ON! 

When you cross the bike path from the Ministerial Road entrance, please be aware of bikers, runners, and walkers that are using the path.

Individuals are allowed to park on the field (at your own risk).  We work closely with the university administration to keep this arrangement, so please be careful and courteous.

Click here >> “Launch Information” for Launch Site Information and Travel Directions.


LAUNCH DAY SCHEDULE
We will begin setting up at 7:00 AM, with our opening ceremony planned at 9:30a.m. and continue until we run out of motors (~ 3:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.).  We request (and appreciate!) club members assistance in launch equipment setup, breakdown, and manning the grill at lunch-time.

 

We will be grilling hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches around 12:00 noon. and will have water, soda, and chips for sale.  All food concession sales help to support club expenses!

 

The club has only a limited number of canopies and chairs that are reserved for staff use. So, please be prepared to be outdoors (chairs, canopies, ground blankets, water, sunscreen, insect spray, jackets, etc.).  

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL POLICIES FOR LAUNCHES AT URI PECKHAM FARM    
All RIMRA launches are held at Peckham Farm and are coordinated with the permission of the landowner (URI) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Over the past few years, RIMRA has developed a set of standard protocols that respect the crops and on-going work at Peckham Farm.

If you plan to attempt a certification flight, please contact Daniel DiMase prior to the launch. Once we begin launching, a Range Safety Officer (RSO) will check your rocket at the member table prior to clearing you to launch. The Launch Control Officer (LCO) will let you know which pad to load your rocket.

We now have capacity for 16 low-power pads (A-D motors), 8 mid/medium-power pads (E-G motors), and 4+ high-power pads (>G motors).  Please contact us in advance if you plan on flying a rocket with cluster motors or greater than/equal to a K motor, so that we can plan accordingly and set up the launch pads on the field in accordance with the NAR Safety Protocol. 

All launch activities, including adherence to the aforementioned policies, will be coordinated by Brenton DeBoef, Dean of the URI Graduate School:  bdeboef@uri.edu.

 

THE RIMRA VISION & MISSION
Our Vision: to promote the enjoyment and excitement of amateur rocketry, with the intent to utilize the hobby as a tool for teaching science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEM/STEAM) through engaging with the physical sciences.

Our Mission: to provide a safe venue for launching amateur rockets, and bring all ages of people together that are interested in rocketry and hands-on STEM/STEAM experiences.

RIMRA is a chartered and insured section of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR # 755).  Safety is our number one priority, and is managed through a range safety protocol by experienced rocketeers in accordance with the NAR Safety Codes.

2023 REGISTRATION RENEWALS & FEE SCHEDULE
All members will be required to fill out a new Membership Form to update your information and keep our mailing list current.  You can download the 2023 form on this website, complete it, and bring it with you to this launch or the next scheduled launch. We will also have extra forms you can fill out on the field at the member table for your convenience. When you arrive at the field, please go to the member table to check-in, submit your membership form and pay any required membership fees.  RIMRA accepts cash, checks, Venmo, and PayPal for payments. The 4% transaction fee the club incurs for Venmo and PayPal payments will be charged to you.

If you are flying medium-power and/or high-power rockets, you must be a member of NAR, so please bring your current NAR membership card with you on launch days.

The RIMRA Board of Directors has approved new membership fees to support the needs of the club (see below).  If you have already paid membership, the club will honor your current membership until it expires, and then role you into the new fee structure. The new membership fees are needed to keep up with maintenance and expansion of the club equipment and repairs, registration and insurance of the club trailer, signage, and other club expenses as we grow our membership and serve the community.

Club expenses have exceeded membership dues collected over the past few years, and thanks to the generous donations from several club members, a few corporate sponsors (Novo Nordisk, Hoffman Engineering, and Aerocyonics), and NAR grants, we were able to make necessary repairs to the club trailer and launch equipment, expand the low-power launch pads, medium-power launch pads, high-power launch pads, and expand our wireless launch controller system to accommodate additional launch pads.  We have also updated the wireless controllers with encryption to improve the safety features of the equipment from arbitrarily misfiring due to signals from other devices in the area.  We plan to set aside a portion of the membership funds collected to save for the purchase of a replacement trailer to transport and store the club equipment, hopefully within the next year, depending upon available funds.

 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH ACTIVITY & INVOLVEMENT
RIMRA plans to advance its support of middle-schools, high-schools, and colleges in activities such as the American Rocketry Challenge, NAR high power rocketry certifications, BSA, Girl Scouts, 4H, Civil Air Patrol, and additional outreach activities supporting STEM/STEAM.  For groups planning to launch at one of our events, please contact us in advance to make sure we have enough staff and support to manage your group safely.

Most importantly, we are here to serve you – the members of the club and the local community.  We are looking for your input to improve our club.  Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey.  We appreciate your feedback!

RIMRA is staffed and managed by an entirely volunteer group of individuals.  No one is paid from the membership or launch fees, or any other source.  We need additional volunteers to support the growing needs of the club.  If you are interested in helping our group, please reach out to us, or indicate your willingness to assist when you fill out our survey.

 

LAUNCH SITE ADDRESS & DIRECTIONS
The launch site is located on University of Rhode Island (URI) property. The Launch field is located across Rt. 138 from the URI Ryan Center parking lot at the end of Peckham Farm Road. The entrance to the launch site is the unpaved road prior to the West Kingston School (3119 Ministerial Rd, West Kingston, RI  02892).  Look for the “Rocket Launch” signs for the entrance!

From the South: Take I-95 North to Exit 3A (Route 138 East). Continue east on Route 138 for about 11 miles to the University past the outdoor URI marquee and Boss Ice Arena. Turn left onto Ministerial Road.  Turn left on the dirt road prior to the West Kingston School.

From the North: Take I-95 South to Exit 9 (Route 4 South); follow Route 4 to Route 1 South. Stay on Route 1 until the intersection of Route 138 West. Turn right on Route 138 and travel for about 6 miles. Go straight past  Upper College Road where you see the large University of Rhode Island stone wall entrance. Continue for about 1/3 mile and then turn left onto Ministerial Road.  Turn left on the dirt road prior to the West Kingston School.

From Newport:  Follow Route 138 West over the Newport and Jamestown bridges to Route 1. Take Route 1 South to Route 138 West. Travel on Route 138 west for about 6 miles. Go straight past Upper College Road where you will see the large University of Rhode Island stone wall entrance. Continue for about 1/3 mile and then turn left onto Ministerial Road.  Turn left on the dirt road prior to the West Kingston School.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!

With our best regards,

Daniel DiMase, President
Rhode Island Model Rocket Association

Tel: 401-398-2343
Mobile: 401-374-1914
Daniel.DiMase@Aerocyonics.com