BLAST OFF!!!

This weekend we have my niece Sara visiting us from Montgomery, Alabama. Today after lunch we all went to the park to launch Emily's new rocket for the first time. I decided that model rocketry would be a fun thing for us to try this summer, so I bought a big 2-foot tall rocket and surprised Emily with it. She said she wanted it pink, so I built the kit and painted it hot fluorescent pink. I designed a custom graphics package with her name on it and a picture of her face in the capsule window. I think it came out great and Emily was wery pleased with the result. I set the rocket up in the middle of a soccer field and gave Emily the controls. She did the countdown and pressed the launch button. She was a bit surprised with how suddenly the rocket left the launch pad. It quickly soared up into the sky, and a few seconds after it ran out of thrust the parachute popped out and the rocket started to return to Earth. The wind caught the parachute and it started to drift Eastward. I wanted to see if I could catch it as it came down, so I ran like an outfielder chasing a fly ball and got there just in time to grab it. Yer out! Since I had three rocket engines we decided to launch it twice more. Sara did the second launch and both girls did the third one together. All three launches were picture perfect, and the little Emily in the capsule made it back alive. It has been about 20 years since I launched a model rocket. I think it's more fun now and I would recommend the hobby. All photos are by Allison (with help from Paige).

Emily's rocket on the launch pad.

Clear the area! Emily begins the countdown.

BLAST OFF!!!

Emily recovers her rocket after launch.