Rocketry Planet

TUCSON, Arizona USA — The Southern Arizona Rocketry Association (SARA) announces its 6th annual winter rocket launch, Desert Heat 2010, to be held the weekend of March 27-28, 2010 from 9AM until 4PM on Saturday the 27th with a night launch from 6PM until 8PM and from 9AM until 1PM on Sunday the 28th.

One of the 50 rocket mass launches from last year's event.

Desert Heat 2010 is a two-day rocket extravaganza that includes fun, raffles, prizes and events for the whole family, hosted by the SARA, a group of model rocketry hobbyists and enthusiasts dedicated to advancing the model rocketry sport in a safe and responsible manner.

Located on N. Reservation Road, between Manville Road and Mile Wide Road in Tucson at the Tucson International Modelplex Park Association, the launch facility includes a hanger, a paved runway and a permanent ramada with water.  GPS coordinates are +32° 15' 53.06", -111° 16' 25.90.

The club has an FAA waiver allowing high power rockets flying to an altitude of 4500' Above Ground Level (AGL), with call in windows to 6500' AGL.

Two 50 rocket mass launches will take place on Saturday at 11AM and Sunday at 1PM. Rocket rentals are available for $2 per launch and includes a motor!

Food and rocket vendors will be on-site to supply you and your rockets with everything you need. Recreational RV parking is available, but no hookups are available.

Launch fees for Desert Heat 2010 are $10.00 on Saturday, $5 on Sunday. Kids under 18 fly free. Spectators are welcome and always free.

About SARA:

SARA is a National Association of Rocketry (NAR) section formed in 1994. In 2005 SARA also became a Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) prefecture. The club mission is to promote model and high power rocketry, educate themselves and the public, and to have fun. SARA has members with a wide range of interests and skill levels. Some are beginners building their first model rockets and several are participating in high power rocketry.

Our website at http://www.sararocketry.org outlines information about all of our activities including our monthly launches and detailed directions to the launch site. Sean Keane, Club President, can be contacted for further clarification on any details contained in this press release by email at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  or by phone at 520-390-2699.

Attachment: SARA Desert Hear 2010 flyer (352K Adobe PDF)

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Does anyone know which vendor(s) will support this and what kinds of motors they carry? Anyone been to this in the past?

Stealthfixr on 02-10-2010 08:02 PM

#2 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Quote:

Does anyone know which vendor(s) will support this and what kinds of motors they carry? Anyone been to this in the past?

What's up Hobbies might be the vendor.

The attendance was decent in the past. I would say 60-80 people on the Sunday I came to watch. The normal launches for SARA only net about 25 people, but we all have fun.

Knight on 02-10-2010 10:34 PM

#3 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Both What's Up Hobbies and Discount Rocketry are confirmed vendors for Desert Heat 2010. Between the two of them, you can get just about anything you might want for both model and high power rocketry. Motors from 1/2A through M will be available. If you have a special request on the high power motor front, I suggest calling Jack Garibaldi at 209-986-5829 and discussing it with him. I'm sure he could bring anything you need if you give him advanced notice.

It's been a long time since I saw only 25 people at a SARA launch, and I go to every one. With the success of the lawsuit against BATFE and a concerted effort on the part of SARA to advertise ourselves, the attendance has been steadily increasing for the last year. We've had to upgrade our launch systems and procedures to handle the increased crowd, but everything is in place and we're ready for Desert Heat. I expect a crowd of 300-400 this year. The Desert Southwest is a great place to be in March; while most of the rest of the country is shoveling snow, we're launching rockets in T-shirts!

jskeane on 02-11-2010 09:16 PM

#4 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

What will be the altitude waiver for the event?

Thanks for the information.

Knight on 02-11-2010 11:14 PM

#5 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

The club has an FAA waiver allowing high power rockets flying to an altitude of 4500' Above Ground Level (AGL), with call in windows to 6500' AGL.

M motor limit for day launch, K motor limit for night launch (Approval required)

RocketBrew on 02-11-2010 11:48 PM

#6 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Would anyone be interested in demoing Alpha Hybrids motors - I'll cover shipping there, you back and reloads are free.

Edward

edwardw on 03-08-2010 11:22 PM

#7 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Quote:

Would anyone be interested in demoing Alpha Hybrids motors - I'll cover shipping there, you back and reloads are free.
Edward

Are the motors being offered NAR or TRA certified?

What equipment would the club have to consider for setting up the range?

RocketBrew on 03-09-2010 06:10 PM

#8 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

YEs, they are certified. You can check www.nar.org and find them. You don't need any on the pad support because they are prefilled. Please see www.alphahybrids.com for more information including manuals.

Edward

edwardw on 03-09-2010 06:30 PM

#9 Re: Article: SARA to host Desert Heat 2010 launch March 27-28, 2010

Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Desert Heat annual launch a great event! Highlights of the weekend included the Arizona Rocketry Team with their battery of four 1/2 Patriot rockets on K motors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtKpPnDIALU, as well as Eric Burch’s Mongoose rocket on a Cesaroni L3150 V-max from What’s Up Hobbies.

Special thanks go out to our sponsors and vendors, including Aerotech, Belleville Hobby, Discount Rocketry, Madcow Rocketry, Photos by Nadine, Polecat Aerospace, Public Missiles, Rockets Magazine, Rocket Motor Components, Tower Hobbies, uHostMe Internet, and What’s Up Hobbies.

If you were not able to make it out over the weekend, you can get a glimpse in a KOLD News 13 story about the launch and in photos by the Arizona Daily Star .

More photos are also being posted on the SARA Facebook page.

RocketBrew on 03-30-2010 01:44 PM

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