QUITE A FEW tourists were passing through, though not many braved the summer heat to take a look at the old ships. I did my best to avoid their masses, and found myself in the company of some old wrecks. A handful of ships and broken pieces lay scattered, tossed about as if by a giants hand, or some unimaginable storm.

This rocket is a popular LOC kit for people new to composite motors. I liked the looks of the rocket and was in need for a new kit in that power range (D-G). The Graduator came promptly and packed well, however, the shipping company had still managed to kink the body tube. I contacted Barry, the new owner of LOC, and he shipped out another tube without question that also arrived on my doorstep in a timely fashion.

There is nothing quite as thrilling as that first certification flight, unless it is your second or third certification such as when going for your Level 2 or Level 3.  But Level 1, that first rush, is usually the one that gets its hooks in your soul as well as your wallet. Recently, Mark Willett of Texas, a member of the Austin Area Rocketry Group, enjoyed the thrill of certifying Level 1 himself, and was asked to share about his construction and flight for others to enjoy as well.

Verna and Randy DeArman, both 50, live in Pinson, Alabama, just north of Birmingham.  They both work for a local SBA lender where Verna is in charge of servicing and Randy is a sales manager and on-site inspector.  And they both enjoy the thrill of model rocketry and share their excitement with others through the model rocketry web site, VernaRockets.com. To them, model rocketry is a family affair.

Second only to LDRS, the annual Airfest at Argonia, Kansas is, as the Kloudbusters would like to put it, the largest rocket launch of the year. This year's Labor Day weekend launch opened at 8:00 AM on Saturday, Sept. 5th. The weather was outstanding. The sun was shining and the winds were light, about 5 mph. In other words big, beautiful blue Kansas skies.