When most rocketeers think of the state of Florida, their mind immediately goes to Cape Canaveral, the launching point used by NASA to compete in the great space race during the 50's and 60's.  Certainly that is a very good conclusion to jump to.  But Florida is also known for a lot of other things, like being the lightning capital of the world, and Tampa and the surrounding area has become known as the lightning capital of the state!

All of that activity makes for fertile opportunity for someone who chases hurricanes for kicks.  Apparently Susan DeBerg, of New Port Richey, Florida, has been enjoying more than the Florida sun for years, and in her words, enjoys getting to serve as "a part time lightning rod."

Danged, if this just ain't the cutest darned thing!

DeBerg is a member of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and affiliated with the Tampa-Hillsborough Organization of Rocketry (THOR), NAR Section #598, serving the Tampa, Florida and Hillsborough county area. Occasionally, Sue gets the urge to reach a little higher, so she loads up her fleet and treks 3.5 hours away to Bunnell, Florida, where she flies with the Northeast Florida Association of Rocketry (NEFAR), NAR Section #563 and Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) Tripoli North Florida Prefecture #35. They currently hold low, mid, and high power rocket launches (A - M impulse motors) at the Clegg sod farm.  This is the field Sue certified L1, at the Bunnell Blast last year.

Sue dabbled a little with Estes models years ago, but the bug never bit.  As such, she's not a BAR because she can't be reBARn!  The plain vanilla Estes birds just didn't light her fire.  Probably too much exposure to 50,000 degree Farenheit lighting strikes.  But that's not to say the Estes models don't have an influence on her, because she confessed that they make awesome upscales. But what does move DeBerg is larger rockets, with most of her time spent in the mid-power range.  The rest of her time, she is either flying high power or clustering model rockets.

Sue knows CATOs. 1.7x upscale Viper blowing up on Estes E9-4 during a flight test program.

When asked what her favorite real rocket was, Sue stated: "The Spectacular Saturn V. Watching the culmination of the Apollo program was what gave me the first spark that later turned into a blazing, passionate fire for rocketry, space, and sci-fi."  See what Florida does to a person?  Although not much of a kit builder, Sue did say that she'd have to call her favorite kit a tie between "the rugged AeroTech Mustang" and "the magnificent Fliskits Deuce."

Apparently Sue has the scratch-building bug.  Like many others in the hobby, she built just enough kits to get the feel of it, which led to modifying the designs, and before long she found herself a full-fledged scratch builder.  "I turned into a scratch builder scavenging thru the garage and rummaging thru the kitchen for stuff," Sue stated, "I find designing and building from scratch more challenging and rewarding, it also helps me getting more skilled so I can attack even more challenging projects and get more skilled. Vicious cycle, ey?"

Her site, Dr. Sue's Rocket Works, is a pleasing, graphically stimulating experience.  She believes in the power of the picture, letting it state its thousand words and then some.  You will find great coverage of her building sessions, lots of flight photos as well as impressive on-board video from her rockets.

Among her fleet, she states that her favorites are three: Her Crayon-X modular series, because it is mechanically and technically the most advanced she has come up with to date, her XB-06 design, a 5-motor scratch built asymmetrical cluster which required a good deal of in-depth thought and application, and her Red Squadron, four 1.7x semi-upscale Vipers.  Speaking of her Crayon series, she has a wonderful video of her X3 taking flight on an Animal Motor Works I315 Skidmark.  Sue remarked: "That load is just one awesome animal. Check out the on-board video clip on the 'Videos' page but crank up the sound. It rocks!"

Sue attributes the creation of her web site as "yet another manifestation of my inherent mental instability running amok, but at least the voices in my head reached a consensus to it rather quickly."  It seems to be a pattern for anyone involved with running an Internet web site.  Her site's message? "If I can do it - anyone can do it," Sue said. "Challenge your mind, develop new skills, and never be afraid to learn and try new things. Think!"

Dr. Sue does rocketry good, taking it to the kids. These 3rd graders were completely under her spell.  David Frizalone of James Marlow Elementary School discussed with his classmates the water bottle rocket he built at a THOR launch.

DeBerg, assisted by student Starla Carmack, set up an Estes Outlaw equipped with a B6-4 in preparation for a school demo launch.

When queried about where visitors should stop while touring her web site, she replied that there is something there fore everyone.  "Well, since there's a lot of different stuff from 6oz C-power rockets to 10 lbs J-power one, traditional designs to oddrocks, stagers and clusters to drop-off boosters, demo launches, upscales, kit bashes, videos, scratch builds," Sue stated. "They should look at whatever they fancy. Or look at everything and maybe get some new ideas."  Personally, I liked the "School Demo" section, documenting where Sue volunteered to do a hobby rocketry show-and-tell and demo launch for the 3rd grade class of the James Marlow Elementary School.  Children are our future, and Sue gets it.

Future plans for the site call for sustaining the alternate life form, which like all successful sites, has taken a life completely of its own.  "It's more of a living, breathing thing constantly in motion and evolving into something else.  The idea where it'll be going and what form it'll be taking in the future is far beyond me."  DeBerg added, "I seem to be a rather impulsive creature and seldom know what will spark my curiosity next, launching me on yet another helter skelter building spree. So its rather safe to say that I expect it to keep on growing."  And, she promises, "No rap videos - ever..."

Like everyone affiliated with the sport today, the crush of regulatory oversight is a concern for Sue as well.  Her hope for the future for resources to be delivered by the Internet is the availability of hassle-free access to rocket motors and reloads for fliers that are certified by a recognized hobby organization.  Sue said, "When a hobby becomes a major hassle, like a bad job, it kills all the fun and either drives people away or limits their abilities. Rocketry has a solid foundation on science, math, and engineering, and looking from a global point of view right now America needs all the science and engineering she can create, not only to compete globally but to survive in the future."  How right you are, Dr. DeBerg.

Never forgetting her early influences by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Sue added in closing: "Thank you NASA for a lifetime of inspiration and guidance, and a special thanks for approving the 'save the Hubble' mission. God Bless America!"  Spoken like a true American.

Dr. Sue's Rocket Works: http://www.drsuesrocketworks.com/

11-02-2006 08:14 PM  #1
crontab Certified Level Three   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 204	Man, I need to get me some of those Crayons! Where do you get them from?

11-03-2006 01:06 AM  #2
brianc Rivet Counter   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 28	Toys-R-Us. Less than $10 (usually closer to $5).

11-05-2006 12:35 PM  #3
Verna Certified Level One   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 23	YEA SUE! Darrell found another great ladie's website to feature. It's nice to see the girls are getting some credit and appreciation. Verna

11-05-2006 03:56 PM  #4
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2540	Quote: It's nice to see the girls are getting some credit and appreciation. Credit where credit's due! Both of you are out there getting your hands dirty. You deserve credit!

11-05-2006 06:46 PM  #5
J.R.   Joined: Dec 1969 Posts:	Features on Verna, Sheri and Sue, I see a pattern here. Maybe Darrell is planning to do a calendar.

11-05-2006 08:37 PM  #6
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2540	Quote: Features on Verna, Sheri and Sue, I see a pattern here. Maybe Darrell is planning to do a calendar. A man's got to have his priorities...

11-06-2006 10:33 PM  #7
roadkill Definitely Certifiable...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 23	So far it looks like a rather Polish calendar, with only three months in it....

11-07-2006 01:16 PM  #8
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2540	Okay, SOMEBODY's got to do multiple months!

11-08-2006 10:10 AM  #9
roadkill Definitely Certifiable...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 23	After the holidays I'm usually fat enough to cover three months with one shot...

11-12-2006 06:41 PM  #10
Sheri Certified Level Two   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 32	Quote: After the holidays I'm usually fat enough to cover three months with one shot... HAHAHA I know that feeling!!!me too!

11-12-2006 09:19 PM  #11
Verna Certified Level One   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 23	For years I did not eat from Labor Day until Thanksgiving. Then I got smart and solved the holiday weight problem forever. I bought one of those trick mirrors they have at the State Fair that make you look skinny no matter which way you look at it.

11-12-2006 10:43 PM  #12
roadkill Definitely Certifiable...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 23	Quote: For years I did not eat from Labor Day until Thanksgiving. Then I got smart and solved the holiday weight problem forever. I bought one of those trick mirrors they have at the State Fair that make you look skinny no matter which way you look at it. Yea It also helps hanging out with people who are even fatter...