ARGONIA, Kansas USA — Scott Klausmeyer hopes to launch a slim, white, two-stage rocket more than 30,000 feet into the air Monday — setting a new Kloudbusters field record at the club's annual Labor Day event near Argonia.

His attempt will come on the final day of the four-day event in Sumner County, which began at 9 a.m. Friday and continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day through Monday. More than 650 rockets are expected be launched.

Steve Klausmeyer with his 10-foot rocket at his house in Wichita. Steve hopes to launch his rocket to 30,000 feet at the Argonia rocket festival over the weekend. Photo: Larry W. Smith.

KLOUDBUSTERS ROCKET FESTIVAL

Where: Seven miles south of Argonia in Sumner County

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday

Admission: Free

Parking: Free

For launch status: 620-456-8323, 24 hours a day

TO GET THERE

From Wichita, take I-35 south U.S. 160 (the turnoff for Wellington). Go west about 13 miles to K-49. Turn south and go about eight miles to K-44. Go west about seven miles to Eden Road, north to 80th Street and east to the rocket site.

For a map, go to the Kloudbusters Web site at www.kloudbusters.org.

The Labor Day event is the club's largest of the year, drawing thousands of rocket enthusiasts and spectators to a 40-acre pasture to watch the homemade missiles soar.

The club has launch control electronics, heavy-duty high-power launch pads and all the other necessary equipment.

The setup can handle 64 launch pads simultaneously.

The club has the official sanction of the Federal Aviation Administration, with clearance to 34,500 feet.

Children make up large share of the rocket builders, with 4-H and Boy Scout groups camping out at the event. The Klausmeyer offspring, William, 11, Emma, 8, Mary, 6, and Abigail, 3, are among this year's excited young rocket scientists. Abigail plans to launch her first rocket today.

"Mine is the pink one," she said, lifting her 10-inch rocket from a selection in a plastic tub in the family dining room. "Daddy's going to help me light it."

Klausmeyer, an aerospace engineer at Cessna Aircraft, will help light many of the rockets over the weekend. As the rocketry project leader for the Achievers 4-H Club, he's helped many other children build the projects they'll launch.

"Kids gain important skills learning to construct rockets," Klausmeyer said. "It beats having them in front of the television or the Xbox."

William said he'll launch one, maybe two rockets. But not the most special one.

The white-and-blue rocket was a purple ribbon winner at the Sedgwick County Fair and is eligible to compete at the Kansas State Fair, which opens Sept. 8.

"I'm not going to shoot it," William said. "I don't want the paint to get scratched up."

Klausmeyer said he rejoined the world of rocketry seven years ago after his wife saw a flier for the Labor Day event and suggested he might enjoy going.

"I built rockets as a kid," he said. "We went down to watch and here's what happened," he said, gesturing to a kitchen full of rockets. "Susie had no idea what her suggestion would start."

The Kloudbusters' rocketeering families hold monthly launches at the Argonia pasture. They suspend launches in May, June and July because of the risk of damaging nearby wheat fields.

Many of the powerful rockets are equipped with altimeters or GPS devices to help record how high they soar and allow the owners to track them down when they land.

Klausmeyer uses a Garmin radio to track his rockets.

He grins ruefully when he talks about the hobby's expense.

"I remember back in 2000, I said I thought $20 was a lot to spend on a motor," he said. "Now... well, they say it's not a real hobby until you've spent $1,000 on it."

Copyright © 2007, The Wichita Eagle.

09-01-2007 03:11 PM  #1
Steve_Shannon When in doubt, ask Keenan   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1988	Sounds like it would be a great place to unwind after the stress of the forums! I hope they have great weather, great flights, and safe journeys to and from the launch.

09-01-2007 07:48 PM  #2
Just Jerry Freeform rockets advocate   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1122	Quote: Sounds like it would be a great place to unwind after the stress of the forums! I hope they have great weather, great flights, and safe journeys to and from the launch. Before there were forums, I went to a rocket launch at a local park where I supervised about 400 cub scouts build and fly, twice, a model rocket. I had two untrained helpers. It went well. In fact many kids actually had rockets survive for a 3rd, 4th and 5th launch. The kids with "spare" motors teamed up with kids with "spare" rockets. It was fun. Just Jerry

09-04-2007 11:21 AM  #3
R2K Certified Level Three   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 215	Good luck on the two stage flight : )

09-04-2007 04:44 PM  #4
Rocketthon TRA L3 TMT   Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 7	Just got back and there were many rockets, great flying conditions, and lots of good rocket folks. Just about ideal. See Y'all at LDRS next year. Rick