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Home / Archives / News Archive 2002 / Frank Kosdon replies to TRA suspension notice
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Frank Kosdon replies to TRA suspension notice |
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2002 Archived News by Dr. Frank Kosdon
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Monday, March 11, 2002 |
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WORLD WIDE WEB -- On March 8, 2002, a news item was posted regarding the Tripoli membership suspension of rocket motor manufacturer Dr. Frank Kosdon. Below is a letter from Dr. Kosdon regarding the suspension notice:
On Thursday March 7, 2002, I received a letter from Ken Good of the TRA Board of of directors stating that I have been suspended (whatever that means) as a member of TRA. Then without knowing whether or not I received it, TRA publishes it — a real class act. As I stated in my candidacy statement (http://www.shadowaero.com) my election to the Board would be a vote of 'no confidence' in the Board's policies. It is obvious that Mr. Kelly and Good came to the same conclusion. It is also obvious that they came to the conclusion that I was going to whip their ass in the election, hence the election fraud on their part - "How can we stop Frank from doing this? - Suspend him". This isn't the Central African Empire, Zimbabwe nor Iraq:
THROW THE BUMS OUT.
About 2 weeks ago I called the election man Guy Soucy with some questions such as "Will the ballots be counted fairly?", that one he answered: yes. The other questions he said he would have to contact the Board and get back to me in a few days. He did not and I called him back last weekend, one week later. He said he had not heard and would get back to me — he still has not, so he also knew. This means he is untrustworthy.
This is what motor certification has brought us and why it should be eliminated or made voluntary. Mr. Kelly says 'We got to do it to make the ATF happy'. Well there ain't nothing you're going to do now to make the ATF happy. Mr. Kelly's real reason was that he did not want to lose his gravy train - HPR. Well, he will lose it without any help from me or the ATF. By the way Mr. Kelly, you owe me some money for a bunch of issues I did not get. In my candidacy letter I talk about the Guy Brunda — ATF correspondence and about letting sleeping dogs lay. I think it is time to publish these letters, so here they are (to be posted later today). In short, in 1992 the ATF was not interested in regulating Class B (62.5 gram or greater) motors. So what happened? No street smarts here, just an expensive lawsuit and a 'suspension'. Neither Mr. Kelly nor Mr. Good have the smarts to co-invent reloadable hobby motors like me. But they sure think they are smart enough to control them. That way they can be noticed and, boy, are they being noticed now.
A couple of months ago Mr. Good ran a bad piece on me and my campaign. He published this on the Tripoli Pittsburgh web site. He had absolutely no right to publish this on an official Tripoli site. He had no right to publish political propaganda in this site. In his tome he compared me to Rush Limbaugh, Spiro Agnew, and Adolph Hitler.
Let's look at some of the malarkey TRA is trying to railroad me with: Violating FAA waiver provisions at Lucerne Dry Lake on 1/12/02. I have in MY NAME a blanket waiver valid from 1/1/02 (issued on 1/8/02) to 12/31/02. It must be activated at least 24 hours in advance. This waiver was activated and used on 1/12/02 and 1/13/02. Approximately at 8 A.M. on 1/12/02 the ROC group contacted the FAA to say that I was conducting an illegal launch and they still have not given up. Sorry, Boys, I wasn't using your waiver. I am willing to show the Board my waiver in return for looking at TRA's insurance policy and an audit of HPR.
Of the four charges leveled against me this is the only one, if it had been true, which would be serious. the others are not worth much of a reply.
Regarding point 1, I was making and selling motors long before the present incompetent leadership of Tripoli mucked in the situation. Now we have people using my hardware and/or hardware design to make and sell their own motors. Bet you Tripoli has not said one word about this. My hardware, not Aerotech's, is the hardware of choice for this endeavor. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Regarding publicly provoking TRA members to violate regulations, I consider these regulations the Board's mistakes. If a member thought I was wrong they did not have to vote for me. All that was provoked were the Board members up for re-election. Remember absolute power corrupts absolutely and that is what you have now - corruption.
I have a California Pyro Op Rocket 2 license. I can make and fire my own solid motors. ROC would not honor even this... no R&D nor fun. The hell with them. Now I can have my own launches. Other TRA prefectures are conducting their own launches with their own rules, why not me?
Speaking of ROC and violations of CA. state law, here is one they would like to sweep under the rug. It concerns the ex-esteemed member of the BOD — Scott Bartel. In 1997 Scott Bartel shelled out several thousand dollars to the Fire Marshal so he could have a monopoly selling Aerotech motors in the state. This license expired June 30, 1998. For 2 years thereafter Mr. Bartel told people he had the license even though he did not renew. For what the state wanted I can't blame him. When he got caught in June 2000, he just said he was sorry, he thought he had paid. Mr Bartel committed fraud. Where was the BOD on this?
Right now I do not know where this leaves my candidacy. I AM NOT WITHDRAWING. I urge you not to vote for any of the incumbents — Mr. Good, Kr, Kelly, Mr. Embry, etc. If necessary, I ask all of my supporters to write my name in 3 times. Since this is written about 1 day after receiving my letter I reserve the right to amend this statement.
Sincerely,
Frank |
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