MODEL ROCKETRY: Future Missilemen - Their Indocrination

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

MODEL ROCKETRY: Future Missilemen - Their Indoctrination

Friday, August 8th was this SteelSoldier's 57th Birthday. (Yes, that was a prideful plug!) My son who lives in Tulsa, OK and his two sons were going to be "passing through" San Angelo this weekend, so they conspired with "Grandma". Dianna planned the weekend, including a dinner Friday evening at an undisclosed location. When we arrived and the Mexican Food Restaurant, I was surprised to find it was not just dinner for the two of us, but a nice little surprise party with local relatives and friends, AND the boys from Oklahoma!!! That in itself was probably the BEST birthday gift possible.

The dessert theme was CAMO, even down to the camo cake topped with a (TRANSFORMER) TANK!!!


Left to right:
John III, Eddy (Edison, age 10), Link (Lincoln), age 3 - soon to be 4), and me (John Jr., aka: Grandpa)

Their gift to Grandpa (besides their surprise presence for the weekend) was an ESTES Rocket:



John III explained that Eddy had expressed an interest in Model Rocketry. Since I had dabbled in the hobby in my youth and with my son when he was about Eddy's age, it was the perfect gift for Grandpa to help the Grandsons to be indoctrinated as MISSILEMEN as well.

Realizing we were on a short timetable until a reasonable launch window, I handled most of the primary assembly that would required any glue drying time, so that only the final touches, decal application and Launchpad and Controller tasked remained. This also allow the youngsters to fast-forward to the more EXCITING launch, flight, and recovery activities. (A sure-fire way to create an addiction that just might seed a future military career or at least their rocketry interest.)



The ROCKET BOYS have their final Pre-Launch SAFETY BRIEFING:


... and now the VIDEO....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63ldpyxb9Pg&feature=youtu.be
CREDITS:
Lovingly filmed by: GRANDMA DIANNA


The OFFICIAL POST FLIGHT portrait of THE ROCKET BOYS:

 

[Flyingvan911]

Happy birthday. Very cool. I have a little rocket but haven't launched it in a long time.

 

[jasonjc]

I remember those from when I was a kid. Dad had a buddy that work for Estes (big wig) and he would send us cases of the small ones, Dad worked in schools with kids (Officer Friendly) so most went there. That was the Sunday football half time thing was to lunch a bunch of rockets.

Oh yea Happy B-day and many more

 

[papabear]

Outstanding!!! Pardon me for saying so...but have you noticed you're getting...well...ah...er...older?? Congrats on a good time with the family!!

 

[swbradley1]

Happy Birthday old man.







(I'm fifty eight)

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES....

Having to upload VIDEO... A G A I N ... to YouTube.

Will insert the link ASAP.

<SIGH>

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

VIDEO LINK has been added to Post #1.

Thank you for all the well wishes, "loving" comments about AGING, and for just viewing this thread.

 

[Warthog]

Happy B-day. I still have the toolbox full of rocket parts that I collected when my kids where young. Maybe one day they will get used again with future grand kids. When I was a kid i would build all my own launch pads and what not. Many rockets went missing.

 

[marchplumber]

Happiest of Birthdays John!! Congrats on being able to spend it with family, and thanks for sharing it with us here on S.S. With all the troubles amd turmoil in the world, it is good to be reminded that the VERY best of things are often the simplest and those that are shared with another!

God bless and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Tony

 

[shenkmen]

I guess this is the perfect thread to share the launch control panel I made for my son.

The gauges, additional lights and a buzzer go off as you hit the two switches then press the two buttons to launch.



Two 12 volt batteries and the buzzer go in the can.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

These two pictures recovering the rocket after its third and final flight of the day, were taken from across the parking area we were using for our ops area. It reminds me of the classic ANDY GRIFFITH show intro where Andy and Opie (Ron Howard) are walking along with their fishing poles. Kinda strummed my heartstrings.

And this is the scene inside MISSION CONTROL as we await the countdown to commence...


Grandma Dianna and the Littlest Rocketeer...



I should also mention that although the rocket was a physical birthday present given to me, I sent it along with the boys to Oklahoma so that the hobby will live on with the younger generation. As I told my son, I was really given a most priceless gift in their surprise presence and the memories we created and lived together, and the seeds planted in these future missilemen. Sometimes, it is indeed the intangibles that are most valuable in the long run.

I thank God for photography and videography, as well as the technology to preserve and share the images of these experiences as our record of the memories made.

 

[M813rc]

Happy Birthday John!

Cheers

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Thanks again for all the Birthday Greetings.
I am indeed blessed by this SS Family.

 

[M813rc]

And we by you!

Cheers

 

[armytruck63]

Happy birthday!

Mandatory MV content: when I was a kid, my dad would take us up in the hills, or at least to the neighborhood school in his M422 Mighty Mite. We had quick launches on 24 Volts!

My last rocket took 3 C engines and sometimes they wouldn't all light off. I fixed things by adapting the biggest D size engine I could get my hands on and launching the rocket with one big engine. Much better!