This coming Saturday, July 2nd, we will have our second low power launch of the year at Garden Home park! Come fly with us from 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Garden Home is ideal for B and lower models. If we need to scrub the launch due to rain or wind, fire danger, park department issues or what ever, it will be posted here, so check back before you head out in the morning.

NXRS will be held at the Brothers launch site on June 9-12. Hours of operation will be 8 AM – 6PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 8 AM – 1 PM on Sunday. Our standard FAA waiver of 20,500’ AGL will be in place for the launch, with call-in windows to 50,000’ AGL. We are planning for all flights to be launched from north of the flight line. We have not yet cleared the proposed “far away” cell in the NW corner of the property, so all flights exceeding the standard waiver must be launched from the regular away cell in the center of the range, and will be restricted to M impulse.  A decision will be made at the launch whether conditions are appropriate for N-motor launches from the hilltop away cell.  Contact the board prior to Thursday if you anticipate needing the call-in waiver.  Those fliers using the high waiver at this launch will be required to show calculations that the flight will not cross Highway 20 to the north of the site due to winds aloft. 

Flier meetings will be held at 9am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the LCO table.  Please come to the LCO table for one of these if you are new or if you have questions.  Flier meeting announcements will be made over the PA.  A final decision on sparky motors will be announced at the launch.
The weather forecast looks pretty favorable, mostly to partly cloudy on Thursday and Friday, mostly sunny on Saturday and Sunday.  Every day is forecasted for highs in the upper 70’s to low 80’s, and lows in the mid to upper 40’s.  Surface level winds in the teens are expected in the afternoons, so fly early if you can, especially for low thrust-to-weight flights.

Campfires will be permitted only in the two fire rings on the flight line if open fires are allowed by the county. Right now conditions appear favorable. A final decision will be announced at the launch. Camping in tents, RVs, and trailers is permitted along the flight line. We expect a large crowd at this launch, so please be considerate and park as close together as possible to allow as many people along the flight line as possible.  There will be port-a-potties at several locations along the flight line that will be serviced prior to the launch. Water is not available at the site, so please bring as much as you think you will need for the duration of the launch. Sunscreen is highly recommended. At 4500’elevation the sun is stronger than you might expect. Some sort of shade (canopy or easy-up) is also recommended.  Also please note that non-member spectators pay a launch fee at NXRS of $20 for the weekend whether they intend to fly rockets or not. 

From Gary’s previous launch announcements:

We will be parking and camping along the same road as for last year’s launches for the launches this year. The north side of the road is mostly clear of sage from past use, but if you will be camping or parking on the far west end of the existing flight line, please plan to clear any sage around your parking and/or camping spot. We will be strongly discouraging parking on sage this year due to the increasingly dry conditions at the launch site. Sage should be cut a few inches below ground level, but not pulled out, so that the existing root structure remains in place to prevent soil erosion. The club trailer has several Pulaskis that can be used to clear sage.

Volunteer sign-ups can be found online.

Please sign up for a shift or two if you can.  For this launch we will have one LCO and one FSO on duty for Thursday and Sunday.  For Friday and Saturday we will have two LCO’s, two FSO’s, and a pad manager.  I will also be looking for a little help at registration from 8am to 10am on Thursday and Friday.  Please remember, LCO duty requires some familiarity with the range and launch equipment. FSO duty requires a Tripoli L2 certification, since this will be a Tripoli high power launch.  If you are able to stay until the end of the launch on Sunday, we would appreciate your help in tearing down and packing away launch equipment.

Looking forward to a safe and fun weekend!
Brian Clark

After an hour and a half of flying the weather took a turn for the worse and we closed up the launch early. We saw several great flights, and some new fliers got their first launch in. Back next month!

This coming Saturday, June 4th, we will try again for our first low power launch of the year at Garden Home park! Come fly with us from 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Garden Home is ideal for B and lower models. If we need to scrub the launch, again, due to rain or wind, it will be posted here, so check back before you head out in the morning.

The Spring Thunder launch will be held at the Brothers launch site on May 13-15. The launch schedule will be 8 AM – 6 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 8 AM – 1 PM on Sunday. Our standard FAA waiver of 20,500’ AGL will be in place for the launch, with call-in windows to 50,000’ AGL. We will not be using the hilltop away cell this year, so all flights will be launched from north of the flight line. We have not yet cleared the proposed “far away” cell in the NW corner of this property, so all flights exceeding the standard waiver must be launched from the regular away cell in the center of the range, and will be restricted to M impulse. All sparky motors will also need to be launched from this pad area. It is likely that sparky motors will be permitted due to the recent rainfall in central Oregon, but a final determination will be made by the RSO on site.

Weather the prior weekend in Brothers is not at all conducive to launches: 70% chance of rain/snow on Friday, and 60% chance of snow on Saturday and Sunday. At the time of this announcement current forecasts only extend through Thursday the 12th, conditions should gradually improve though next week. Nights will almost certainly be cold for the launch (mid-20’s) so be sure to bring plenty of warm clothing. You will also need sunscreen during the day since the sun at high altitude (4500’) can be very bright. There was an ample amount of firewood still at the Brothers launch site for the April launch, but you may want to bring some wood for the May launch if temperatures are forecast to be low.
We will be parking and camping along the same road as for last year’s launches this year. The north side of the road is mostly clear of sage from past use, but if you will be camping or parking on the far west end of the existing flight line, please plan to clear any sage around your parking and/or camping spot. We will be strongly discouraging parking on sage this year due to the increasingly dry conditions at the launch site. Sage should be cut a few inches below ground level, but not pulled out, so that the existing root structure remains in place to prevent soil erosion. The club trailer has several Pulaskis that can be used to clear sage, if you have any doubts about the need to remove sage, or the process to do so, please consult with a board member, several of whom will be present… just ask at the RSO/LCO/Registration tables if you need assistance identifying one of us.

Please check in at the registration tent when you arrive at the launch (starting at noon on Friday) to sign waivers and get a wrist band. Only fliers who are club members or have paid launch fees and signed the waiver form will be permitted to fly at the launch.

In order to improve range safety at this year’s launches, we will be requiring that an LCO and FSO be on duty for all launches. If launch personnel are not available, the range will be shut down until there are people on duty. For launches on Saturday, we will require that two people staff the LCO desk during the day. One will be responsible for checking range safety and launching rockets, and the other will be responsible for checking in rockets and gathering flight cards. We hope that this arrangement will result in no launches where rockets are launched under unsafe conditions when people are present on parts of the range that they should not be. You can sign up for LCO or FSO duty here. Current Tripoli L2 or higher certification is required to be an FSO.

We will also be conducting LCO and FSO training on both Friday and Saturday afternoons in order to make sure that everyone who volunteers for these duties has the appropriate knowledge to carry them out safely. Sign-ups will be available at the registration tent on both Friday and Saturday. If you would like to be an instructor for either LCO or FSO training at the launch, please reply to the announcement email with your name and times that you will be available to participate, or contact Gary. Training materials will be provided to all who  participate.

We will have two vendors for rockets and supplies: Bob Grossfeld (Sunriver Nature Center), and Scott Binder (Fusion Rocketry). Both Bob and Scott should be on site on Friday and Saturday.

Port-a-potties will be serviced for the launch, and unimproved camping is permitted on the flight line. Please note that there is no water on site, so please bring whatever you will use. Open fires will be permitted only in the two fire ring on the flight line.

Covid note: Mask mandates are no longer in place in Oregon, and masks will not be required at the launch. That does not mean that the virus cannot still spread. Please respect those who chose to wear masks, and keep appropriate distancing at the LCO table and pads.

Due to marshy conditions on the field today’s launch is scrubbed.

This coming Saturday, May 7th is our first low power launch of the year at Garden Home park! Come fly with us from 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Garden Home is ideal for B and lower models. If we need to scrub the launch due to rain or wind, it will be posted here, so check back before you head out in the morning.

We are a go for this weekend’s launch in Brothers, April 8 – 10. The range will be set up by early Friday morning, and port-a-potties will be put into useable shape by then. Sunriver Nature Center should be at the launch both Friday and Saturday for rocketry supplies. Weather conditions are forecast to be quite cold: Friday will be in the mid-60’s with partly cloudy skies and winds of 6-11 mph in the morning and 13-18 mph in the afternoon. Saturday is forecast to be mostly sunny, but with a high of only 42 degrees. Please bring warm clothing to the launch as temperatures will likely be in the teens both Friday and Saturday nights.

There is expected to be firewood at the site from last season, but it probably would not hurt to bring some extra if you have room. Warm clothing will be very important for an early season launch, including gloves and a good coat and hat.

Our standard waiver of 20,500’ will be in effect for this launch, with call-in windows up to 50,000’. Launch hours will be 8 AM – 6 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 8 AM – noon on Sunday (depending on weather and interest). Due to the late notice for this launch, there will not be an advance sign-up for LCO and RSO duty at this launch. There will be the usual sign-up sheets posted at the LCO table for 2-hour time slots for these duties. There will be a registration tent set up on the flight line early Saturday morning. Please check in and renew your membership (or pay the weekend launch fee if you are not a member). We also request that everyone sign a waiver for the property owners each year.

Camping is permitted on the flight line as usual. Port-a-potties will be provided along the flight line, but there is no water at the site. Please plan on bringing whatever you will use. Sunriver Nature Center plans to be at the launch on Friday and Saturday to provide rocketry supplies, kits, and motors for the launch.

Please join us for the first launch of 2022 this weekend.

Covid note: Mask mandates are no longer in place in Oregon, and masks will not be required at the launch. That does not mean that the virus cannot still spread. Please respect those who chose to wear masks, and keep appropriate distancing at the LCO table and pads.

The calendar page has been updated, but I will post it here as well for your convenience! Reach out the us at BOD@oregonrocketry.org if you have any questions about joining or attending a launch. Take care!

2022 OregonRocketry Launch Schedule

Here is the launch schedule for 2022.  OROC will continue to follow all federal, state, and local regulations related to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Until further notice (or if more recent rules are announced / enforced at a launch), masks must be warn any time you aren’t in camp and 6-foot distancing should be maintained whenever possible.  These rules are for all attendees; no exceptions for people who have been vaccinated.

If you are not a member, please notify the board at BOD@oregonrocketry.org if you would like to attend a launch.

Brothers High Power Launches:

AP Showers, April 8-10
Spring Thunder, May 13-15
NXRS, June 9-12 (overlaps with LDRS)
Summer Skies, July 8-10 (if fire season  permitting)
Rocketober, Oct. 14-16

Tri-Cities Rocketeers:

Sod Blaster III, Sept. 2-5, Link

Sheridan High Power Launch:

Fillible’s Folly, Sept. 16-18

Garden Home Park Low Power Launches:

We are back on for low power launches at Garden Home Park in SW Portland beginning in May:

May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, October 1, November 5.

A and B motors only (C motors with permission for heavier models).  First Saturday of each month, 10am to 1pm, from May to November. We skip September. Check back here for changes to this schedule.