It was mid-morning, with mostly clear skies and light winds in rural Viking, Alberta. The temperature was sitting at -27°C. Just what you might expect at an event called “Fire & Ice 2023”!
Members of the Edmonton Rocketry Club gathered to launch their high-power rockets. These rockets are classified according to the performance rating of the rocket motors used, and a person must be certified by the Canadian Association of Rocketry to fly these rockets. I was one of several ready to attempt the L1 certification.
It was a very busy and hectic event, and I didn’t have any time to take photos. I took my Aerotech Mega-Initiator, and my BT80-based rocket as backup. Both of these rockets have been described previously and were ready to fly, although not painted.
The Mega-Initiator flew perfectly on an “H” motor to an altitude of about 1269-ft, passing the L1 certification. I flew it a second time on an “I” motor to about 2007-ft, attempting my L2 certification. Although the flight was perfect, the airframe suffered some minor damage from “zippering” and was disqualified. By then, it was too late in the day to try again with the backup rocket. Both flights used Aerotech 29mm DMS motors.
I repaired the Mega-Initiator at home the next day. The weather finally warmed up enough for me to paint both rockets, and I look forward to my next L2 attempt!