LDRS Day Two saw the day begin with bright skies, high temperatures and interesting flights. For example, this display of modern ingenuity found a rocketeer with a rocket named Purple Haze -- an interesting concept with sixty (that's right, 60!) canted "D" motors mounted in ten banks of six around the periphery of this rocket.

As the termperatures climbed back up into the upper 90's again today, so did the rockets. Rack after rack of high impulse rockets pounded the Utah skies while the fumes of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant filled our nostrils.

I got into the manufacturer's demonstration act by demonstrating one of the new AeroTech J570W's. This 38mm Easy Access™ motor uses the new nine grain 1080 Ns casing and packs a considerable punch.

It flew in a 2.15" rocket which was constructed of LOC craft cardboard tubing laminated with fiberglass and three G-10 fins.

Featuring dual deployment using an Adept ALTS-2 altimeter, it deploys a 10 foot nylon streamer at apogee and a 36 inch SkyAngle parachute at 250 feet above the ground.

The J570 pounded the little screamer, which is shown here recovered on the salt with the altimeter beeping out 9114 feet!

Upon return from recovery of the rocket, Frank Kosdon and Paul Robinson demanded equal time and produced a Kosdon J630 motor which would slam the little rocket even harder! This high impulse, quick burn motor powered the rocket to 6968 feet.

Later that day, as the heat index climbed, hallucenations began to set in for many people. Unusual sightings were the order of the day as more than one person swore to have seen a 10 foot tall Alpha!

As can be the case on large expanses of flat, hot real estate, weather conditons can change rapidly.

By four o'clock, significant rain clouds had developed on the horizon and were threatening the rangehead. When lightning strikes were witnessed across the salt, the launch organizers quickly called a halt to activities to avoid any danger from electrocution.

As it turned out, this was a good move indeed -- large particles of the phenomenon called St. Elmo's Fire were seen dancing on the tips of the launch rods while automobile antennas crackled when you walked by. It could only spell danger, and rocketeers fled the scene.

Not to fear, Friday night was the joint CompuServe/Rocketry Online annual LDRS dinner.

Held each year at the national LDRS launch, online personalities meet, some for the first time face-to-face, to see the individuals behind the screen names.

Users often interact with others for extended periods and it's always interesting to meet the individuals in person.

This year's feast was held in the Bonneville Buffet inside the Stateline Hotel & Casino. The theme was seafood, and if the truth were known, we probably put the hurt on their profits this night. Plate after plate of crab legs, mussels, boiled shrimp and other seafood was carted from buffet to table then properly disposed of.

The guests numbered about forty and featured a good mix of flyers and manufacturers. Rocketman, AeroTech, Dr. Rocket, Vaughn Brothers and Black Rock Technology were represented at the event by members of their teams, and special guests of honor were Tripoli Motor Testing's Sue McMurray and Ed Hackett.

Later that night, a drawing produced winners for numerous prizes including Pratt Hobbies' Nomex and Kevlar products, Vaughn Brothers rocket kits, several Rocketman parachutes and videos and dozens and dozens of manufacturer's T-shirts.

All and all, a perfect end to a perfect day.