My Certification Flights
So it's a Certification flight, what's the bid deal? You've more than likely already flown many rockets and learned the flight process, it's all the same thing just upscaled a little bit.
Well it should be, but for some reason I've been cursed with certification flights. Before my cert flights, low and mid power flights went off without a hitch better than 95% of the time.
After my certification flights, my low, mid, and high power flights go off without a hitch 95% of the time, I'm just cursed for some reason on Cert flights.
It's strange especially when they get two or three times the fore-thought and preparation of a normal flight so how on earth could things always go wrong?
Well let's look these over.
First Level 1 Attempt
My first Level one certification attempt was in the spring of 2003 with my BSD Sprint. I prepped the rocket and loaded everything up, then built my first high power motor, an AT H238T 29mm motor.
The rocket was loaded up on the pad and the first noticeable difference of a high power cert flight happened, the LCO announces to everyone in attendance over the PA system that this is a Certification Attempt, and who's trying to certify. Hence now you have almost everyone's eyes on your rocket and your attempt, tends to raise the tension just a little bit.
That on top of the time and preparation involved in the rocket, the increased expense, these high power birds are just a little more expensive, from the rockets, to the motors, and everything in between, the heart rate tends to quicken.
The rocket lifted off fine and was on it's way when all of a sudden mid way through the motor burn the ejection charge fired, basically tearing the rocket apart. Being the first high power motor that I had built it could have been an error on my part building the motor. Or it could have been the typical problem with the older AT high power loads, a delay blowby.
So just a simple flight, yet no certification. Nearly everyone at the launch just watched your failure as your rocket comes down in pieces.
The rocket came down in parts with significant damage, and has since been rebuilt and flown multiple times on high power loads without any problems, of course these weren't certification flights.
Second Level 1 Attempt
Having had a little trouble at the previous attempt acquiring 29mm high power loads, they were in short supply from the AT fire, I was back a month later with a new rocket able to handle 29 or 38mm motors giving me a wider choice of motors, and more availability.
My BSD 4" Horizon was used for my next attempt. Feeling foolish after my last attempt I planned and thought out everything for this attempt, taking my time with the motor build and having it gone over by the Tripoli prefect to make sure that I had everything done correctly.
After the rocket is prepped, motor built, and everything double checked it's time to take it back out to the pad for attempt number 2.
Again, it's announced this flight is a Tripoli Level 1 certification attempt, the nerves get bundled up, as with rockets everything happens very quickly, I sure don't want to look foolish again a second time.
Allot of time and effort is already invested in this rocket, everything is double checked and I'm sure it's going to be a good flight, of course everyone present has a little fun with you knowing it's your cert attempt and the comments fly, all good natured, but they do help to increase the nerves.
The LCO starts the countdown, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and a chuff of smoke and the rocket lifts off, this time on an AT H123, it rips off the pad and partway through the motor burn it fires the ejection charge????? AGAIN!!!!
This time I was a bit mad, knowing I had done everything correctly and now assuming I had done everything correctly the first time also, down came the pieces and I went out and collected them up.
Fortunately the BSD Horizon is one tough bird and only suffered minimal damage.
Third Level 1 Attempt
Well being a little furious at this point the nervousness is gone, upon inspection I see that the rocket could go right back up again. Luckily another motor was available so refusing to give up, everything is loaded up for another attempt.
Shock cords are now doubled up to insure no separation regardless of what the motor does, and a new brand of motor is chosen. A Pro 38 H153 is prepped and loaded into the rocket.
Back out to the pad almost exactly an hour later and attempt number 3 is ready. Again it's announced, and you get the feeling people are starting to wonder if you know what you are doing.
The LCO counts down again, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and this time no chuffing, and quick ignition and the rocket rips up off the pad quickly for a nice boost, YES finally I've got it!!!!
Well not so fast, you still have to have the parachute deploy and have everything come down undamaged, so a few seconds later just past apogee and the parachute IS deployed, fully inflates and the rocket starts to descend nicely under parachute, now I'm confident I have it.
After inspection by the Tripoli prefect and finding no damage from the flight I'm good to go and certified.
In hindsight it doesn't appear that I did anything wrong on the first two flights, but still everyone that watched them come apart didn't get to inspect the remains to see that, so it's still not the preferred feeling you want to have.
Level 2 Cert Flights
Well having a hell of a time with the Level 1 cert, I've decided this time to start plenty early on my Level 2 rocket and be as prepared as possible when the time comes for the Level 2 cert flight.
A rocket is chosen for this endeavor, the BSD THOR
I started construction in December 2003 and finished it just before Christmas. I then spent the next several months going over everything I wanted to do with this certification flight, the main thing being a successful attempt on the first try to redeem myself in front of my flying buddies.
I even upped the ante slightly by deciding to go with electronics and dual deployment, typically this just gives you more things to go wrong but having plenty of time to prepare I felt confident. The months following construction found me researching and acquiring an Altimeter, the Missile Works RRC2. I then spent several afternoons familiarizing myself with the altimeter and ground testing it over and over to make sure that ejection charges, shear pins, altimeter settings, etc were all adequate and ready to go.
AT had figured out their delay blowby problems with the new loads coming with the RMS delay systems, but even with that I was bypassing the motor's ejection charge and letting the dependable RRC2 handle all deployments.
I spent hours going over every aspect of the flight and recovery, sought out many opinions from other rocketeers and how to do various things and by the time I was ready for my Level 2 attempt I felt very good and confident. I knew it was going to go off without a hitch the first time.
First Level 2 Attempt
I arrived in Nebraska for my attempt in March 2004, confident and ready to redeem myself with a beautifully built and finished rocket and an impressive dual deployment fight. I'd even had a matching custom made Rocketman R7C parachute built for the main.
First order of business was to take my Level 2 written test, I completed it and scored 100%, my confidence was boosted, and I was ready to go.
The rocket was prepped, the altimeter was prepped and setup, and the motor was built, I was ready to go as you can see the preparations here.
It was a little bit windy, and I remember discussing with the prefect that I knew I had everything covered and the ONLY possible glitch could be a stripping of the drogue shoot at apogee if it were a little late in these winds, but even that wouldn't be a problem knowing the rocket could recovery drogueless anyway.
I was confident, I knew I had this one nailed before I even took it to the pad. I'd even caught a potentially disastrous problem while prepping the Altimeter, I'd noticed the bare wire on the ematches was too long and the main match could possible short from the bare wires touching, so I'd separated them with some masking tape to insure they couldn't touch.
The rocket was loaded on the pad and I received many comments on what a nice job I'd done finishing the rocket, it was ready to go.
Nothing could go wrong I had this one in the bag. The difference with High Power rocketry is that it only takes a very minor problem with a high power bird to cause disaster.
The LCO made the announcement of a Level 2 flight and all eyes were on the flight, with many wishing me luck. Surprisingly my nerves weren't bad at all with this flight I was that confident.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, the motor lit and chaos followed, like I said it only takes a small detail to go wrong to spell disaster and a small detail went wrong.
The J350 lit and hammered upward, the rocket did what it was supposed to, the motor did what it was supposed to, unfortunately the one little thing I didn't over build for this flight was the motor adapter, a very important part, and the thrust ring on the adapter let go, allowing the J350 to soar up the inside of the rocket, slamming into the Electronics bay, knocking the top of the rocket up off the pad and then the J350 flew out the top of the booster section on it's own slamming into the ground near the LCO table.
My first attempt had gone bad, very bad, dangerously bad. Details on the flight page here.
I wasn't so much mad like I was after my second level 1 attempt, but more awe shocked, not believing it didn't go right when I was so confident.
Second Level 2 Attempt
The original THOR had been severely damaged, and now coming to understand the power of the J350 I'd decided for my second attempt I wanted to build another THOR from the ground up.
Everything was redone, the same as the first attempt, to include the same type and brand motor adapter, however this time I insured that it was highly overbuilt and would be able to take the thrust of the J350.
In April 2004, we made our way out to Virginia Beach, VA to my brother's house for a TRF launch in Whitakers, NC. He too would be attempting to certify Level 2 at this launch, and I would be making my second attempt.
We spent the day before the launch going over our rockets and preparing for the upcoming flights. I was confident once again, but this time a little reserved.
The next morning we traveled the couple hours to Whitakers, NC and arrived early to give ourselves time to prepare for our flights.
My brother went first with his THOR on an AT J420 Redline motor, a nice boost, and a perfect dual deployment recovery, and on his first attempt he made his Level 2 certification.
I was up next, I'd been rushing the preparation just a little bit trying to get out to the pad at the same time my brother did but was just a little behind having to build a motor that morning, Matt had built his the night before. So after his flight I finished my preparation and took my THOR out to the pad.
The nerves really started to kick in, I was sure I had everything done correctly, but then I was the first time with the THOR also, this time the nerves were going nuts, and once again at a big launch the LCO made the announcement that the next flight was a Level 2 cert flight.
I was very sure that the adapter would hold, but as I learned last time it only takes one little thing to ruin the flight. The LCO started the countdown, everyone started joking with me and the nerves soared.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and the rocket roared to life for a beautiful straight boost and an awesome flight, I was feeling good the adapter held. The rocket arched over at apogee and the apogee charge fired, I was really feeling good and getting very confident. The rocket began it's decent, coming down nicely, the main was set to fire at 800' and it was getting close, it kept falling, and kept falling, and people started asking what the main altitude was supposed to be, and it kept falling, until it was finally obvious that the main deployment wasn't coming and the rocket slammed down into the ground.
The rocket was recovered with repairable damage, but one fin on the booster section had been knocked loose so it couldn't be flown again until that was repaired.
This time, like my second Level 1 attempt I was mad, after recovering the rocket and going over it the problem was found, now I was even more mad. The problem I'd caught on the first Level 2 attempt,the long exposed wires on the Ematch, I had missed on this attempt, the boost of the motor caused them to shift down onto themselves and shorted out the main match, hence the main ejection charge didn't fire.
At least I knew the cause and understood it, and I guarantee it won't happen again, and now with many dual deploy flights under my belt, it hasn't happened again, at least I learned something.
Third Level 2 Attempt
Well having another J350 available, we started looking over options, there was a little bit of wind so I didn't want to try an apogee deployment flight, so my Horizon was out.
We did notice that the upper payload and electronics bay sections of the Thor were intact and fine, being that they were BSD components, we realized that they would fit onto the top of the Horizon booster section.
My brother asked me if I wanted to go for it, and remembering my successful level 1 attempt directly following my second level 1 attempt it seemed very familiar.
So I said yes, and with my brothers help I began prepping the new "Thorizon" for another Level 2 attempt. I setup and hooked up the ejection charges for a drogueless main and the R7C for main deployment, this time trimming down the exposed wires on the main ematch to insure it wouldn't short out again.
Another J350 was built and an hour or so later I was back at the pad ready to try once again, the third time for my Level 2 certification flight.
The nerves were really jacked up, I'd just looked foolish in front of everyone there and was about ready to throw another flight up, again hoping to redeem myself in front of everyone.
That, on top of all the preparations I'd made trying to get this cert flight accomplished, the 24 hour drive I'd made here to attempt it, the money involved, a $100 rocket, a $100 worth of electronics, about a $100 worth of motor hardware, the nerves were soaring.
Again it's announced a Tripoli Level 2 certification flight, everyone's wishing me well and I'm just hoping that the minor damage on the upper sections of the Thor is as minimal as I thought it was, if it just gets through the motor boost I'm pretty sure I'll be ok.
Everyone's watching, throwing out jokes, and playfully harassing me and the countdown begins, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and the motor roars to life.
The rocket screams upward and makes it through the motor burn, at apogee it arches over and the RRC2 does it's job and fires the apogee charge separating the rocket perfectly, then it starts the free fall down, again everyone starts asking, what altitude is the main supposed to come out at, I tell them 500' and they start joking isn't it 500' yet..??
But this time, right about 500' without the main match shorted out this time, the RRC2 does it's job and fires the main charge deploying the main parachute for a nice soft touchdown.
REDEMPTION, I've done it, Level 2 certified.
Details, flight pics, and video of Level 2 flights here.
In Closing
Certification flights are a different animal, you're venturing into the realm of more power than you've ever dealt with before, the littlest of things can cause real problems now.
You've invested significantly more time and effort into your flight, and significantly more money.
You're the center of everyone's attention at the launch, with all eyes on your attempt.
You're nerves have your stomach bundled up and feeling like it's in your throat, and you hear that high power motor roar to life, like an afterburner on a jet fighter.
It's a very exhilarating feeling, and after all the time and effort, the thrill is immense and very satisfying when it all comes together as planned, this is the thrill of High Power Rocketry.
Big toys, for the big boys.
Some day maybe I'll figure out why I've been cursed with Certification flights, LEVEL 3 anyone...??