Rocketry Planet

The young man to the below right is Paul Gray, a 15 year old high school student from outside Denver, Colorado.

Paul is a member of the Colorado Rocketry Association of Space Hobbyists (CRASH), and has been involved in rocketry for eight years.

Considering that would make Paul seven when he got started in model rocketry, he has never fit into the "BAR" category, instead enjoying all the fun his first time around.

He's put together a pretty good website too, sharing the basics he's learned with anyone else who cares to dive in.

Still, eight years puts him ahead of some of the so-called veterans of the hobby in the measurement of "time served." You can gain a lot of experience in eight years, and he's put it to good use. When asked about his fondest memories to date, he said:

"My favorite memories of hobby rocketry are for one, the time when I flew my first model rocket, an Estes Alpha III which was when I was seven years old. I will also always remember the first flight of my AeroTech Initiator, which was the first rocket flight in which I used a motor larger then a D. And of course I will always remember my Big Bertha being the first model rocket I built by myself.

I asked Paul what his expectations were for his website as well as what made his site unique:

"My web page was written to give beginning rocketeers some of the most important background knowledge they'll need to get started. I expect my web page's information to be helpful to them from the time they get started building to the time they go out and launch. I also expect my page to be entertaining to look at with all of the pictures and future expansions I add to it."

"My web page is one of the most informative model rocketry web pages there is. It is one of the very few rocketry web pages where someone new to model rocketry can stop right in and get all of their questions answered instantly. It also allows people to get involved by posting launch reports and kit reviews. For the expert rocketeer who is just looking for some entertaining stuff on the web, my page has a lot of nice pictures to look at."

And he's right, too. Paul's site has extensive help right at your fingertips. The first section, "The Basics", features information on:

Introduction
Selecting a Rocket
Building Supplies
Building Tips
Flying Equipment
All About Rocket Motors
Flying Sites
Preflight Check, and
The Launch

There is also another section entitled "More General Information", which covers such useful information as: 

• Safety and Recovery Tips
• Common Mistakes While Building
• Launch Reports
• Kit Reports
• Where to Buy Model Rocket Kits and Accessories
• Putting on Decals
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How to Save Money Buying Rocket Motors

Paul also has quite a few enhancements planned for his site as well. In the near future, he will be adding information about E through G motored mid-powered rocketry, with plans to make it just as informative as the rest of the page is currently. He is also working on additional photographs and plans to add AVI videos of rocket launches. Paul also has a couple of ideas that could benefit rocketry vendors as well:

"I would like to see the rocket manufacturers take advantage of all of the great online opportunities that could greatly benefit them. There are tons of model rocketeers on the internet, but the rocket manufacturers don't seem to put a lot of work into their web sites. There are many rocketeers who have access to the internet, but who don't have access to catalogs. If I owned a rocket manufacturing company, I would allow people to order products directly from the company web site. I would put the full catalog online too."

Let's hope they all take the advice, as it would certainly benefit a lot of people.