14AL-2003

View the point standings for 14AL-2003

View the meet champions for 14AL-2003

Kevin Wickart's 14AL-2003 Launch Report

Dan Wolf's 14AL-2003 Launch Report

View photos by Dave Seer

View photos by Walt Evans

View the NAR Pink Book to get info on all of the events listed below.

Competition Events

Schedule

Saturday

8:30 - 9:30         Range Setup
9:45                  Contestant Briefing
10:00 - 5:00       Open Spot Landing, Duration Events (these events open all day)
11:00 - 12:00     Tracking Window One
1:00 - 2:00         Drag Race
3:00 - 4:00         Tracking Window Two
5:00                  Range closed and range tear down
5:00                  Plastic Model Conversion Turn-in at field
8:00                  Plastic Model Conversion Turn-in at Wolf’s house (2225 S. 89th St., West Allis, WI)
8:00 - ???          Pizza and Plastic Model Conversion judging

Sunday

8:30 - 9:30         Range Setup
9:30 - 3:30         Duration Events, PMC Flying (all day)
11:30 - 12:30     Tracking Window Three
3:30                  Range closed and range tear down
5:00                  Awards Ceremony

General Information

The NAR Model Rocket Safety Code, High Power Safety Code and the rules of the current NAR Pink Book will apply. Sport flying will be allowed but contest flights have priority. An FAA waiver to 8000’ MSL will be in effect for the weekend. Sport flying check-in/RSO will be done separately from the contest check-in/RSO. You must be NAR or Tripoli certified to the appropriate level to fly high power. NAR HPR certification flights can be made.

Contest Event Notes:

Open Spot Landing

This event must be your first flight of the day.

C Super-Roc Altitude

Minimum length is 125 cm, maximum length is 250 cm. Score is calculated as the length (in cm) multiplied by the altitude (in meters).  The rocket may not bend or “crimp” prior to ejection. The rocket may separate into two or more pieces after ejection as long as all pieces land safely. No return is required. Two flights allowed. Score is the single best flight.

Drag Race

Drag Race is flown in “heats” of two entries per heat. The winner is the one who scores the most points in the heat. The scoring is as follows:

One point for the entry to achieve first motion.

One point for the entry achieving the lower altitude.

One point for the entry that touches the ground last. If the entry separates into two or more pieces, the first piece to touch the ground is counted.

The winner advances to the next round. The winner of the final heat will be awarded 1st place, the loser awarded 2nd. The losers of the two semi-final heats will fly-off to determine 3rd and 4th place.

B Parachute Duration (MR)

Score is the sum of three flights. No returns are required but only two models may be used. Thus at least one model must be returned to make the 3rd flight. The maximum time is 240 seconds per flight. If more than one contestant scores a “max” in every round there will be a fly-off round.

Plastic Model Conversion

Entries must be non-flying (not designed to fly) plastic model kits of rockets, missiles, spacecraft, or jets whose engines are in the rear or spaced near the rear of the fuselage. Plastic Model Judging will be at the Contest Director’s house on Saturday night. You are invited to come to view the models and participate in an evening of fun-filled rocket talk and pizza.

Tracking Procedure

There are three one hour tracking windows scheduled. These may be moved and/or additional shifts added due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. To facilitate the tracking, we will notify contestants 15 to 20 minutes prior to when the tracking window(s) will be open. Trackers will not be sent to the tracking stations for that window until at least six contestants or one half of the contestants (whichever is fewer) planning to fly the event have checked in their rockets. Tracking will be to ejection. Please use tracking powder.

Range Duty

All contestants are expected to serve at least 3 hours of total range duty during the weekend. A range duty roster signup sheet will be at the check-in table. Your name must be written on the roster for at least three one hour shifts before you will be allowed to fly. Sport flight RSO or other range duty related to sport flying or HPR activity conducted concurrently with the contest will not count towards your range shift obligation. Range shifts will be in one hour increments. Assisting in setup and/or tear down will count towards a maximum of 1 hour of your range duty obligation.

Note that at WYWH 2003 we had a total of 13 contest flyers (1 A, 1 B, 6 C, and 2 teams with 5 total people). That provides for around 30-32 hours of range duty (accounting for some only serving two hours due to setup/teardown replacing one hour).  Note that the RSO/LCO and Check-in/timer 1 positions should be filled first and Timer 2 position last. Check-In and Timer positions will also be used to measure spot landing and judge drag race flights.

Awards Ceremony

Flight scores for Saturday’s flying will be processed Saturday night and flight scores from Sunday will be tallied as early as possible so that the final point totals and awards can be made as soon after the flying as possible. Our goal is to total the points and hand out the ribbons as close to 5:00 PM as possible. Once the range has been torn down, we may adjourn to a local eating establishment for the awards presentation. The time and place for the awards ceremony will be announced on the field Sunday afternoon.

14AL Background and History

By Dan Wolf

NAR Sanctioned competition returns to Bong Recreation area the weekend of June 21-22.  This year's contest is an historic event as it marks the 24th anniversary of the first time NAR competition was held at the Wisconsin recreation area.  Back in 1979, on Memorial Day weekend, MWRC was moved to Bong for Sunday's flying.  This was probably the first organized rocket launch ever held at Bong.  Things have changed significantly since then at both Bong and in the hobby we call sport rocketry.  Now, rocket launches at Bong occur as frequently as the weather changes in Wisconsin.

Around the same time that NAR competition began at Bong, a new NAR section was formed in Tomah, Wisconsin.  Scott Zingler, a young teenage rocketeer, was able to catch the interest of his dad, Jim and his grandfather, Al Nienast in model rocketry and in particular in NAR competition.  The Western Wisconsin Association of Rocketry (WWAR, pronounced war) appeared on the scene and helped establish the Midwest as a competition hotbed.  In the 70s, NAR competition was primarily dominated by the east cost sections.  WWAR helped change that trend and started a tradition of competitive NAR sections in the Midwest.  This torch would later be picked up by NIRA and more recently Launch Crue.  Even though Scott got them involved, Jim and Al jumped right in and started making noise at contests throughout the Midwest. By outward appearance, Al was a quiet, gentlemanly grandfather type.  You would have never picked him out of a crowd as an ace NAR competitor.  But, that's just what he became.  Al was most famous for his love of swing wing gliders and he designed, built and flew them to perfection from 1/4A engine size through F engine size.  Al was C Division National Champion twice, in 1979 and 1983.  WWAR was the Section Champion in 1979 as well.

At the time I met "Uncle Al", I was barely 20 years old.  It often frustrated me that this man old enough to be my grandfather was such a formidable competitor.  But, I also came to respect and appreciate his approach to competition.  Now as I look back, I see things from a different perspective.  As I reflect on those Tomah contests, I recall Jim's wife (Al's daughter) running the range at the two regional meets that WWAR hosted annually.  I also recall not only Scott, but Chris King (who was B Division champion in 1982), another of Al's grandsons competing.  The thing that impresses me most about that now is that I was witnessing three generations of a family all participating together in NAR competition.  There was no generation gap in that family, at least where rockets are concerned.  I only hope that in the future, I can see three generations of my family participating at an NAR contest in Wisconsin.

It was a sad day a few years ago, when I saw NAR President Mark Bundick post a message on Modelnet that "Uncle Al" had passed away in his sleep.  By that point, Chris and Scott were both grown up and gone from the rocketry scene and both Al and Jim had mostly dropped out of NAR competition (although Jim served the NAR as Midwest contest board chair).  But Bunny's post brought back a lot of good memories of hard fought contests that both Al and I had been part of.  That's why, when Steve Koszuta suggested the name 14AL (one for Al) for the first WOOSH contest held at Bong five years ago, it just seemed to make a lot of sense.  What better name than 14AL?  A tribute to the classiest NAR competitor from Wisconsin.  I'm sure Uncle Al will be smiling down on us when competitors gather on June 21st at 14AL-2003.