June Launch cancelled
After being out here all last night and today we have found that the ground cover is extremely dry and crispy. In fact it’s drier than I’ve ever seen it out here.
Considering the wildfire that just broke out west of Utah Lake and how quickly it is spreading I believe it would be irresponsible of us to risk a fire.
As president and name holder on the land agreement I am not comfortable holding the launch. The launch today and tomorrow is officially canceled.
We are sorry for the disappointing news but feel it’s our only prudent choice.
A RED FLAG WARNING was issued this morning for our launch site and surrounding areas.
View Red Flag Alert
Here is how this will be going down...
Currently, the Red Flag warning is in effect for Saturday we will most likely not be flying. The schedule is that the weather and Red Flag will lift at 9:00pm Saturday night. If this holds true, we will be flying on Sunday.
A group of us will be out at the launch site tomorrow (Saturday) anyway to slowly set things up and to monitor the weather and to talk. Additionally, we will have two vendors on-site to buy motors and kits from! So, come out, even if you can't fly, there is good stuff to be had.
Both Das Rocket (Tim Boschert) and Fusion Rocket (Scott Binder) will be at the launch site.
Stop by, say hi to everyone, camp if you like, and buy stuff. Support the folks that support us.
Keep fingers crossed for Sunday, there are lots of flights to happen!
This launch will be held under the Tripoli Research rules. Only members of UROC are allowed to participate in the launch. If you are not a member you can sign up online or at the launch.This launch is planned to be held as a two-day event. We have permission from the BLM for overnight camping at the launch site. We invite members to camp out Saturday evening and take advantage of the great weather early on Sunday as well. Fire Danger is VERY HIGH so no camp fires are allowed.
We will begin set up on Saturday early, around 8:00 a.m., and will commence flying as soon as we are ready. So, the faster we set up, the sooner you can fly.
There will be a porta-potty on-site, please make sure to add a little to the "Dotty Potty Fund" at the registration table if you can.
The weather should be partly cloudy, temperatures in the mid to upper 70s with winds in the 10mph - 13mph range throughout the days.
Because of the conditions imposed by the state and county health departments, we will have some special rules and procedures to avoid transmitting the Covid-19 virus from one person to another. Please read below:
Important Notes Regarding COVID-19 READ
Everyone: This one is pretty simple if you don't feel well, fever, nausea, cough, sore throat, anything that feels like a cold, STAY HOME!
Everyone: We will have a form for you to complete. If you are not comfortable providing your name, address, and phone number, please don't come to the launch. This form will be filled out by everyone, not just flyers.
Everyone: A 6-foot distance must be maintained between household groups at all times, including while seated, which means EZ Ups will need to be at least 6 feet from each other. All attendees will stay at their prep/camp areas and maintain safe, social distancing.
Everyone: Please be sure to bring hand sanitizer, wipes to use before and after handling the items at the launch site. Everyone in your party should also have a mask with them at all times. It's not necessary to wear it unless a safe social distance is not able to be maintained. For those people that are being awesome by helping us set up and tear down the range, make sure that you have a mask, work gloves, and sanitize when completed.
Everyone: If you use the potty, please wipe or spray any contact surfaces. When you finish, leave the door open to allow the air movement to disperse the air within the potty.
Range Safety Officer: The RSO check line will maintain a distance of 6ft between people waiting. Flight cards will be filled out by the RSO during check-in. No flight cards or clipboards allowed to allow for contactless flying. Check-in is Q&A while maintaining a 6ft distance. The RSO will direct flyers to the Pad Manager, one at a time, to load rockets. A parent with a child will be considered one flyer for purposes of setting up and launch.
Pad Manager: The Pad Manager will allow flyers to load their rocket. The Pad Manager may ask the flyer to load it for them. In case of contact, the Pad Manager will use hand sanitizer between the loading of each rocket. Only the Pad Manager will touch the launch controller to check continuity and Arm/Safe the controller.
Launch Control Officer: The LCO will not contact flyers or rockets, and 6ft distance will be maintained. Only the LCO will launch rockets so that no one else will touch the launch console.
Please understand that we are working under strict guidelines provided to us, you can expect the launch times and queues to be longer than they usually are. Be patient with everyone. Anyone complaining, arguing, or not abiding about our processes may be invited to leave the launch.
Additional Launch Information
Frank Hunt Field (formerly Pony Express Test Range) is the name of the location that the Utah Rocket Club uses for its primary launch site. The range is huge, treeless, and really a great place to fly rockets.We are lucky enough to have a 10,000 ft. AGL waiver at this site. We maintain a special permit on the location provided to us by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and an Airspace Waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The elevation of the launch site is 5300 feet above sea level and is very susceptible to thermals. It is therefore a great location for duration contest events. Frank Hunt Field is used with the permission of the US. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We have a waiver in place at these launches from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that allows our members to fly high-powered rockets to altitudes as high as 10,000ft AGL.
Because of the constant danger of range fires at this launch site "Sparkie" motors are not allowed to be flown at this site. They are welcomed at the Bonneville Salt Flats during HellFire however.
Frank Hunt Field launch events are insured by the National Association of Rocketry and/or the Tripoli Rocketry Association.
Frank Hunt Field is a high desert environment. This means that the temperatures can vary from month to month, and even from hour to hour. Remember that during the day, the site can be very hot and at night, very cold. Always make sure to wear your sunscreen (We recommend SPF 45) even when it is not hot and bring LOTS of WATER.
We try to have at least one porta-potty unit onsite for each launch at the field but cannot always guarantee it. If expected turnout is going to be very small or questionable due to weather or other circumstance it may be decided to forgo the cost of renting the porta-potty. It's important to remember that the nearest restroom facilities are at least a 15 minute drive away.
You can contact us a day or two prior to the launch to find out if a Porta-Potty will be available or not.
The GPS Coordinates for the Pony Express Test Range are: North 40.21879 degrees, west 112.24618 degrees.
(Click here for map to launch site)
As always, we will need help running the launch, RSO, LCO, pad managers and lots of help setting up and tearing down the range. We do have a Porta-Potty ordered for this launch. Set up is expected to begin around 8:00 am and we will fly in to the early afternoon or until the wind gets to be too strong.
If the weather conditions for the upcoming launch deteriorate or if the fire hazard becomes too high, we will try to notify everyone via our normal modes including the website, Facebook, and twitter.