RE: AIS this Saturday

 

 

From: Raghavan, Raj
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 11:31 PM
To: Raghavan, Raj
Subject: AIS this Saturday

 

ROCKET Launching Day

 

At  Montgomery County Fairgrounds

 

Please get there by about 8:45 to 9:00 AM.

 

Please find below information from Richard Steiner, the NIST coordinator, who gives out engines.

 

Please explain that probably the only open entrance is on the east side off Chestnut St. AIS launch is on the fields on the west side near Perry Pkwy. Also, explain to parents that we have limited areas and platforms to launch from, so lines will be inevitable, especially at the start.

 

Let's try to stagger the arrivals. It isn't staggered enough, but it might help the initial congestion. (Next year we might consider launching longer, but having more staggered times, and expecting the early arriving sites to leave early.) LM at 9:00 NIH, Urbana, LHU at 9:15 NIST 9:30

 

There will be a notification by 8:00 AM on Bob's telephone 301-975-6035 in the event of bad weather, and a notice on the web site.

 

Every assistant and site manager should show up between 8:00 and by 8:30 at the latest. We need to get the launch platforms set up, distribute engines, tissues and powder, have people positioned to guide parking cars, and instruct helpers as to what needs to be done to prepare each rocket for launch. We will start closing down around 11:15, so the kids should have time for at least three launches or so. Everyone is also expected to stay for clean up of the area. If parents are helping at the launch platforms, and they decide to leave early, they need to find a new parent to run the platform, rather than bring the launch site back to me and go home. (Hopefully, a few parents will stay to the bitter end, but there have not been many recently.)

 

To site managers, please inform your parents that we will put safety of the kids above all wishes to "have fun with the toys". We have had several close calls in the past couple of years, with rockets going off prematurely, badly built rockets twisting around to head into a crowd, burned fingers as the kids run to pick up a failure before the back-blast goes off, or the kids try to pull the spent engine out themselves. Even in the distant past, one child had burn spots on his jacket because a homemade rocket flew at him while he was too close.

 

These rocket engines are NOT TOYS. If their kids bring a poorly built rocket, especially a home-made one that cannot hold the engine tightly or is totally unsuitable for flight, then they will not be given an engine. Unfortunately, last year several kids and parents also brought kit rockets that had not been glued correctly or were missing parts. We will not have sufficient tools or supplies on hand for the kids or parents to repair a faulty rocket at the site. We give out one engine per child per visit to the engine main distribution positions. No engines will be given for future launches.

 

We will only use my launch platforms, unless new ones made by someone else conform to the safety restrictions for launching rockets.

(Generally that means a stable platform and 3 foot guide-wire with the rocket at the bottom of the wire.) If the emails you send out are asking for volunteers to man the launch platforms, then explain some safety precautions, so I don't have to repeat them several times before we begin launching. (I prefer helpers who already know what they are doing and intend to follow the safety guidelines.) The rocket is not to be launched until there are no people within 30 feet of the rocket.

Clip leads are not to be left connected to the battery when positioning the rocket.

In an effort to speed the launch times, the adults should attach the clip leads to the rocket instead of waiting for the younger kids to do so. The kids can do the last connection to fire the engine.

In the event of a rocket that twists out of control to land nearby, the adult should be watching to make sure the kids do not run to get the rocket, since there will be another back-blast about 3-4 seconds after the main engine cuts out.

The engines are hot, so the children should not try to pull the spent engines out themselves.

(With my Assistants or a trusted adult attending each launch site, we will consider putting a box of spare engines at each site in the event of a fuse failure. Then the engine could be immediately replaced instead of having the kid go back to get an engine and then get back in line.

The spares would have to be strictly controlled at all times and not given out to circumvent the main distribution checks on rocket quality!)

 

Please follow these safety rules, rather than tell your parents to ignore the cranky guy. If everyone is safe, then we all have fun.

The children's safety comes first!