Team RUMP minus one. Mark Palmer, Scott Miller and Jim Russell with Rumpty Dumpty. Art Upton, driving an RV, had already left the playa when this photo was taken.

Team RUMP, made up of Jim Russell, Art Upton, Scott Miller and Mark Palmer, made their way out to XPRS in the Black Rock desert of Nevada with aspirations of two altitude attempts. They had planned to re-fly a rocket they flew last year called the Blackjack which was a 3-inch, 2-stage composite rocket on an M1882 to an M1000 motor hoping to reach an altitude over 50,000 feet as well as what was to be the piece de la resistance this year, a 4-inch, 2-stage composite rocket named Rumpty Dumpty on an N2500 to an N1100 motor which was intended to reach approximately 95,000 feet. Unfortunately, their endeavor was only met with one minor set back after another.

It all began on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 as Scott, Jim, Scott's wife Jo-Anne, and their friend Tony all began the 3 day, 30 hour drive to Nevada in order to transport the two trailers packed with everyone's supplies. It wasn't even 8 hours into the drive when Jim and Jo-Anne in the lead vehicle received a call over their radio that Scott's trailer had blown its right tire and sent its respective fender reeling into the highway. After Jim and Jo-Anne turned around and successfully retrieved the runaway fender and Tony and Scott had put the spare tire on the trailer, the four travelers decided to call it a night and pulled into a hotel in Stuart, Iowa with the intentions of finding a replacement fender.

When the wind cooperated, Team RUMP set up their camp site on the desert floor.

The next morning, after searching the Internet and local phone books to no avail, and after closer inspection of the fender, the foursome decided to simply beat the misshapen fender back into submission and reattach it to the trailer. So, after an hour or so of early field repairs, the pit crew was back on their way.

They weren't very far into their second day's travels when the gang received a call from fellow RUMPsman, Mark Palmer and kids Zach and Emily, with the news of the next twist of events. It turned out that the Palmer's connection flight to Reno, Nevada from Los Angeles, California had been grounded due to mechanical complications. After not being refunded for the grounded flight, the Palmer's then had to make arrangements with a different airline and were only able to fly as far as San Francisco, and therefore forced to rent a car and drive the remaining 6 hours to Fernley, Nevada in order to meet the other members of RUMP and the JMRC (Jackson Model Rocketry Club).

Setting up the brand new rail launcher built by Fred Ziegler of Fade To Black.

Late Sunday afternoon on the playa.

Shortly after the disheartening call from the Palmers, Jim and Jo-Anne received the call from Scott and Tony that their trailer's left tire and fender had now met the same demise as the right. This time after again retrieving a thrown fender from the busy highway, the gang realized that all it would be good for was an oversized paperweight and would have to be replaced. Being that the radial spare tire (designed to flex) from Scott's trailer was already attached, the only viable solution was to use the bias ply spare tire (designed not to flex) from Jim's trailer, which in turn made the trailer ride a little squirrelly down the highway.

Though, as luck would have it, while the group was plugging away down the Nebraska highways looking for any sign of hope, a God-sent store in Ogallala, Nebraska called The Mercantile appeared just off the horizon. The store supplied them with two new radial tires, a new fender, other various goodies and superior customer service. They were so ecstatic; it was as if they were kids in a candy store.

With new tires and a restored confidence, the crew arrived safely at the Super 8 Motel in Fernley late the 3rd evening meeting up with other members of the JMRC, the Palmers included, excited for the following 4 days of XPRS in the desert. Little did they know that the rocket Gods were not yet done messing with their adventure.

The eager members of JMRC (Dan Griswold, Tony Haga, Dale Hodgson, Jo-Anne Miller, and Emily and Zach Palmer), and team RUMP (excluding Art Upton who was meeting the troop on the playa and staying in a rented motor home), were up and raring to go the next morning. But, as they encroached upon the desert, they were met with an immense dust storm. They decided to venture forth using only their GPS's and shear excitement to guide them until, unfortunately, the visibility became like seeing through swirling brown sugar and they were forced to turn back.

Late Sunday, Aero-Pac was able to launch a few rockets.

Not letting it get them down, the team grabbed a quick breakfast at local eatery Bruno's and set up shop in the parking lot prepping rockets and motors and waiting for the dust to clear. Late that afternoon, the team was finally able to cautiously make it out onto the playa to drop off the trailers and meet up with 4th RUMPster Art who had been holed up alone all day in his motor home through the desert's storm.

Later that afternoon as the dust began to settle, a few rockets finally began to fly while team RUMP began arrangements for the next day's preparation of both the Blackjack and Rumpty Dumpty rockets.

Day 2 of XPRS held beautiful weather and an eye-catching night launch as members of JMRC were finally able to get some of their rockets into the air while team RUMP got plans for their babies under way to fly on day 3.

Unfortunately, this was about as close as Rumpty Dumpty got to flying all weekend.

Sadly, as previously stated, the rocket Gods really were having a good time at team RUMP's expense and met them on the playa on day 3 with yet another dust storm. This time the team was able to make it to the XPRS site, but was stuck in Jim's trailer prepping the rockets and trying to stay out of the storm. As the day progressed, more and more of the rocketeers and visitors to the Black Rock desert began leaving giving up hope until only the dedicated members of Aero-Pac (the hosting group), the JMRC, team RUMP, and a handful of other rocket enthusiasts were left.

With only 2 hours left to the waiver, the dust cleared, and the wind finally calmed, but alas, team RUMP's dreams of this year's altitude records were shattered as a result of too few people left to help track the rockets and recovery time running way too low. With Monday's experimental launch being scrubbed due to the departure of most of the visitors, the other members of JMRC and Aero-Pac took the time to launch a few last minute rockets which really helped raise the spirits of all involved.

The wonderful Aero-Pac crew offered to help team RUMP fly their works of art on Monday regardless, but as the situation was, Mark, Art and other members of the JMRC had early flights on Monday and the team decided that it would be best to simply chalk up this year's XPRS as a great time to meet new friends and spend quality time with irreplaceable old one's doing what they love and already making plans for next year.

For Jo-Anne's contribution of this article, she will receive a free one year subscription to LAUNCH Magazine or a free Rocketry Planet T-shirt. This sponsorship is made possible by our friends at MM Publishing, Inc., the producers of LAUNCH Magazine and Graphix & Stuff, producers of high quality hobby apparel and vinyl signage. Want your own free gifts? Read the program details page for complete information.