Rhode Island Model Rocket Association

Per our launch protocols, The Rhode Island Model Rocketry Association (RIMRA) is postponing Saturday’s 10/10 rocket launch due to tomorrow’s high-wind forecast.

Winds are currently forecast to be over 15 MPH at 9 AM and rising to 20 to 30 MPH in the afternoon.

Therefore, we need to scrub tomorrow’s launch and will reschedule until Saturday, October 24^th.   (CMASS currently has a launch scheduled for 17 Oct. – www.cmass.org)

Please look to the RIMRA website for additional updates for next week’s launch.

Set up will begin at 9:30. And we will launch until approximately noon.Same launch protocols as last month: Please sign up and tell us what you will be flying using this form: https://docs.google.com/…/1sWpZdxfHaT…/You will not be able to launch without pre-registering your flights using the above form. You will also need to complete URI’s health assessment before coming to the field: https://web.uri.edu/coronavirus/daily-health-assessment/In order to keep with social distancing policies, we may limit the number of people who can launch. Masks must be worn at all times on URI property.

Set-up at Peckham Farm will begin at 9:30 (note the new time), and we will launch until shortly after lunch. Check www.rimra.org for launch protocols.

Please sign up and tell us what you will be flying using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKJwPzw1IgvYgcdJnCoRgbPBiC2CX6KMmNBlKOzUZ3W3ZwTg/viewform?usp=sf_link

You will not be able to launch without pre-registering your flights using the above form. You will also need to complete URI’s health assessment before coming to the field: https://web.uri.edu/coronavirus/daily-health-assessment/

In order to keep with social distancing policies, we may limit the number of people who can launch. Masks must be worn at all times on URI property.

Unfortunately there are issues with access to Peckham Farm this weekend. We have to delay the launch until September 26.
Esther and I (Brenton) will launch a few low and mid-power rockets from the URI athletic fields near the Flagg Road Lot. Feel free to join us around 10:30. If you join us, please follow the same protocols described in the previous post (complete URI’s health assessment and wear a mask.)

Link to Flagg Road Lot: https://goo.gl/maps/HCxpj1TEMm2KYzas5

URI has granted us limited access to Peckham Farm for our first launch of the year on 9/12 (finally!) Set-up will begin at 9:00, and we will launch until shortly after lunch. In order to keep with social distancing policies, we may limit the number of people who can launch. Masks must be worn at all times on URI property.

To celebrate the return of RIMRA launches, we will not charge any launch fees for this launch, but there are a few important protocols that we will need to enforce in order to use the URI field:

1. Please sign up and tell us what you will be flying using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKJwPzw1IgvYgcdJnCoRgbPBiC2CX6KMmNBlKOzUZ3W3ZwTg/viewform. You will not be able to launch without pre-registering your flights using the above form.
2. You will also need to complete URI’s health assessment before coming to the field: https://web.uri.edu/coronavirus/daily-health-assessment/

New On-Site Vendor: Esther’s Engines

Esther, a long-time RIMRA member, has become an official on-site vendor for Aerotech/Quest. She will be selling motors (and possibly cookies and lemonade) at upcoming RIMRA and CMASS launches. She already has an inventory of single-use A-H motors. Feel free to reserve motors or place orders directly with her via email: esthersengines@gmail.com. She will accept payment via cash, PayPal, or Venmo.

Unfortunately, URI is still limiting access to our field for the summer, but they just announced that campus will be open for in-person classes in the fall. That should allow access to Peckham farm for us too. I’ll keep working the back-channels at URI, but in the mean time, please tell us if you have any other places to fly–even if it is just LPR. We are all itching to launch. https://web.uri.edu/coronavirus/2020/06/24/plans-for-fall-2020-return/

URI has suspended nearly all on-campus activities. Unfortunately, that includes our launch this weekend. Let’s use the time at home to build more rockets!

This suspension is due to the University’s responses to the coronavirus. We should be allowed to launch from Peckham Farm later this year. We’ll keep you posted about future launches here and on our Facebook page.

It’s time to get those winter projects in the air! We are still waiting on confirmation from URI, but tentatively plan on launching on March 14 at Peckham Farm.

Weather and launch site permitting, we will launch on the second Saturday of each month until November.

From all of us at RIMRA…Happy Holidays. We hope the winter brings lots of time to build rockets. See you in the spring.

If you want to launch some big rockets this winter, check out the new club that launches from frozen Lake Winnipesaukee. They have applied for the highest FAA waiver on the East Coast.https://www.facebook.com/groups/262486714668833/

Or if you prefer to launch low and mid-power rockets, our friends in Massachusetts will host their annual winter follies launch in January.  http://cmass.org

Launch this Saturday, 11/9, at Peckham Farm. Set-up at 9:00. We’ll keep warm by burning lots of rocket motors!

If temperatures continue to drop, this may be the last launch of the year. Don’t let those motors hibernate! Put them to good use!

See the launch protocol, above, for launch procedures and logistics. All are welcome to attend, participate and/or watch the launches.