WESTMORELAND, Pennsylvania USA — Tuesday morning got off to an explosive start as at least 20 4-H members launched rockets at the Westmoreland Fair.

Children and adults looked to the sky, shouting, "It's a wiggler!" and "Was that supposed to do that?" during the 4-H Model Rocket Flight Test at the Horse Arena.

Rockets of all sizes, colors and names (like U.S. Navy, Outlaw and Shuttle Express), soared to the crowd's delight. Some, like 10-year-old Tyler Piper's, never returned.

Piper, from Derry, joined the Salem Saddle 4-H Club this year largely because of the horse programs, but he decided to enter a rocket in the flight test, too. Last in line, he waited nervously against a fence.

"I like how (the rockets) fly," he said.

Nathan Schomer, who turns 12 Friday, also stood near the end of the line.

"This is the first year I've been in 4-H, but I've shot off rockets before," he said.

John Smerkar, 12, of Greensburg, stood waiting with his tackle box of supplies before the event. His mother, Denise, said John came prepared after having to borrow glue to repair his rocket at a previous event.

"Everybody helps each other," Denise Smerkar said.

Rocket superintendent George Sproat, 69, agreed.

"Even though they're in competition, they help each other out," he said.

Before the event, Sproat warned onlookers to keep their eyes to the sky.

"Most of (the rockets) go where they're supposed to, but every now and then, you get a crazy one," he said.

Siblings Mara and Jacob LeJeune, of the Greater Greensburg Community 4-H Club, were the first to launch their rockets.

Mara, 9, launched her rocket, named Sport, first. When Jacob, 12, launched his rocket, Mara yelled, "Jacob, it flew! Jacob! It actually flew!"

Sproat said the contest began at least 15 years ago, and any 4-H member may participate. In the original competition, each participant received a dollar instead of the green participation ribbon.

"Everybody came back because they got a buck," Sproat said with a laugh. "We had more people in rocketry than anything."

In the rocket flight test, entrants may compete in two categories -- accuracy, determined by how close their rocket lands to a barrel, and greatest altitude.

In accuracy, ages 8 through 11, Reed Hayes placed first, Garrett Cockeran came in second, Matthew Slater took third, Nathan Kim was fourth and Jacob LeJeune was awarded fifth.

In accuracy, ages 12 and older, Jacob Wright placed first, James Knouse, second; Billy Schachte, third; and Krystal Iman, fourth.

In Greatest Altitude for A.B. Engines, Nathan Schomer placed first; Brittany Gray, second; Bradley Gray, third; Tyler Piper, fourth; and Garrett Cockeran, fifth. For Greatest Altitude C.D. Engines, Isaac Schindler placed first, Chris Ament, second; Michael Sheffler, third; Heath Coles, fourth; and Matthew Slater, fifth.

Rockets also were awarded based on appearance.

After the rocket competition, five 4-H members wore helmets and launched bottle rockets -- winged two-liters colored with duct tape and with such names as Funky Flamingo, Rocket of Many Colors and X-Wing. Entrants were judged by how long their bottle rockets stayed in the air.

In the bottle rockets event, Bradley Gray placed first; Garrett Cockeran, second; Brittany Gray, third; Chris Ament, fourth; and Jacob Wright, fifth. All were members of Hop of Faith, in North Huntingdon.

Other 4-H groups active in the event included the Alwine Community, Brush Creek and Sunshine 4-H clubs.