unfair cartoon in October 2004 issue of KITPLANES

"Vince" wrote in message news:AlaXc.2984$2F.1734@trnddc05...
All that over a cartoon? Taking things a bit too serious aren't you?
snip
p.s. try and attend an organized launch in your area some weekend - they're
about the most intelligent, amiable and fun-loving folks you'll ever meet, and
I guarantee you'll have a blast.





No pun intended, I'm sure...

"Vince" wrote in message
news:AlaXc.2984$2F.1734@trnddc05...

Well, yeah, it's just a cartoon, but...

I ran across a bunch of Estes rockets at a garage sale and bought them all
for $7. I gave them to the pre-teens who live nest door, 'cuz they're really
into model rocketry.

Cartoons like the object of this posting are out of line and hurtful to a
whole generation of budding aerospace enthusiasts.

There should be a retraction and apology. These are our brothers.

Rich S.

In article AlaXc.2984$2F.1734@trnddc05, "Vince" writes:
All that over a cartoon? Taking things a bit too serious aren't you?

Well, yeah, it's just a cartoon, but...

How serious would folks on r.a.h. take it, if a cartoon was run somewhere
showing some terrorists using a homebuilt aircraft for some illicit purpose?

We'd all be "safest", at home and locked indoors by the police. There are
enough threats to our freedom from within, thanks to needless paranoia
and ensuing government overregulation, without having to stir up even more
unnecessary fears. I for one like living in a country where folks are still
free to do things (responsibly) that other people might consider "risky".
Things like flying homebuilt aircraft, and flying model rockets.

I'm glad some folks understand.

Unfortunately, there are people - within our borders - more than willing to
take away a little freedom here, a little liberty there, all so the trembling
ninnies can have a little more "safety". I feel more threatened by them, than
by any terrorist. Pretty soon, there won't be any more freedom and liberty
left to take away.

But we'll all be "safe".

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin

Folks like Ashcroft and Reno before him are turning this country into
exactly what my father fought against in WWII. We don't yet have jack booted
government thugs on every street corner demanding "PAPEERZ PLEEZE" but we've
got them in our airports and "public" buildings. One by one the nanny state
is stealing our rights from us. By the tome some folks realize it, it will
be too late. Maybe it already is.

p.s. try and attend an organized launch in your area some weekend - they're
about the most intelligent, amiable and fun-loving folks you'll ever meet, and
I guarantee you'll have a blast.

Check out http://nar.org/NARcalend.shtml to find one in your area.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD"
To reply, remove the TRABoD!
Kaplow Klips & Baffle: http://nira-rocketry.org/LeadingEdge/Phantom4000.pdf
www.encompasserve.org/~kaplow_r/ www.nira-rocketry.org www.nar.org

Save Model Rocketry from the HSA! http://www.space-rockets.com/congress.html

"Bob Kaplow" wrote in message To infer that model rocketeers would
endanger pilots or aircraft is absurd.

NASA's safety database has at least one report of chaperoned school kids in
Alabama firing a model rocket and narrowly missing a light twin at 300' AGL
on final approach to the neighboring airport.

In your group and in our group, image is important. Most of us are
responsible beings. However, there is always one idiot in every group. Isn't
that 'absurd'?

D.

In article , "Capt.Doug" writes:
"Bob Kaplow" wrote in message To infer that model rocketeers would
endanger pilots or aircraft is absurd.

NASA's safety database has at least one report of chaperoned school kids in
Alabama firing a model rocket and narrowly missing a light twin at 300' AGL
on final approach to the neighboring airport.

Yes, and I got a similar report here in the Chicago area from my contact at
the ORD TRACON.

********** NEVER TRUST ANYTHING EXCEPT A FIRST HAND REPORT! **********

The report from the FAA was that someone was shooting rockets at an
airliner. As usual it wasn't forst hand, but one airline pilot heard the
story form another who heard it from another...

What really happened: We had a launch scheduled on a nice sunny day. We had
contacted the FSS and they issued a NOTAM 48 hours in advance. A couple AA
pilots saw the HOTAM, and brought their lawn chairs and a cooler out to the
launch. The watched us for several hours and had a nice afternoon.

Monday they go to work, and mention to some colleagues that they saw a
rocket launch over the weekend. Then those folks tell their friends that
"Joe saw some rockets over the weekend". Before you know it the story is
that we're shooting the rockets past their cockpit window as they come in
for a landing.

I'm sure you've got similar stories where reports get all bent out of shape.
Even reports that end up in some official database.

BTW, while driving to work today I had a truck "narrowly miss" my car, by
only a couple feet. Of course that happens every day in traffic.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD"
To reply, remove the TRABoD!
Kaplow Klips & Baffle: http://nira-rocketry.org/LeadingEdge/Phantom4000.pdf
www.encompasserve.org/~kaplow_r/ www.nira-rocketry.org www.nar.org

Save Model Rocketry from the HSA! http://www.space-rockets.com/congress.html

"Bob Kaplow" wrote in message I'm sure you've got similar stories where
reports get all bent out of shape.
Even reports that end up in some official database.

I know about the incident in Alabama because I was there, at 300' AGL. There
weren't any NOTAMs. The ADULT chaperones weren't even aware that the green
field with the long strip of pavement surrounded by airplanes was an
airport.

Your organization provides excellent education to rocketeers, but it missed
these folks. Don't worry though- I educated them. However, being it was
Alabama, they didn't learn any new words from me.

As for the cartoon, well.....
I laughed at it. After reading your post, I realize I was ignorant. Please
forgive me. I have already contacted the Society Against the Tilted
Inexcusable Ridicule of Everyman and urged them to help others refrain from
spreading malicious rocketeer cartoons. Such cartoons only serve to give
license and comfort to those who pre-judge others on usenet posting
characteristics.

D.

Capt.Doug wrote:

"Bob Kaplow" wrote in message I'm sure you've got similar stories where
reports get all bent out of shape.
Even reports that end up in some official database.


I know about the incident in Alabama because I was there, at 300' AGL. There
weren't any NOTAMs. The ADULT chaperones weren't even aware that the green
field with the long strip of pavement surrounded by airplanes was an
airport.

Your organization provides excellent education to rocketeers, but it missed
these folks. Don't worry though- I educated them. However, being it was
Alabama, they didn't learn any new words from me.

As for the cartoon, well.....
I laughed at it. After reading your post, I realize I was ignorant. Please
forgive me. I have already contacted the Society Against the Tilted
Inexcusable Ridicule of Everyman and urged them to help others refrain from
spreading malicious rocketeer cartoons. Such cartoons only serve to give
license and comfort to those who pre-judge others on usenet posting
characteristics.

You're BAD, Capt. Doug! What is your expansion of SARCASM? :-)

Matt

oD (Bob Kaplow) wrote in message ...
From: EISNER::KAPLOW_R "Bob Kaplow" 25-AUG-2004 11:26:50.98
To:
CC: ,KAPLOW_R
Subj: October cartoon

As a model rocketeer with 40 years of experience in the hobby, I strongly
object to the cartoon I just saw on page 77 of your October issue of
Kitplanes. To infer that model rocketeers would endanger pilots or aircraft
is absurd.

Just as your hobby has grown over the past 4 decades, so has mine. When we
fly our large models that are capable of reaching altitudes of 5000' and
more, we notify the FAA of our operations and have the local FSS issue a
NOTAM. We fill out the same form used for an airshow. We always check for
aircraft in the flight area before launching ANY rocket. We are VERY safety
conscious in our operations, and have a safety record unmatched by any sport
or hobby.

Pilots are SUPPOSED to check the NOTAMs for their area before taking off. Of
course, we all know that they don't always do so. That's why we always look
for aircraft in the area before we fly. But we've encountered problems where
our NOTAMs actually attract aircraft. Someone comes flying around our
launch, and hangs around in our airspace, hoping to see something "cool". Of
course we then have to sit there and wait for the intruder to leave before
we can fly.

Frankly we've grown tired of our hobby being under attack by everyone
from the BATFE to SBC and now to Kitplanes. It is totally unjustified. Where
do you think the people who will build and fly the first manned Mars mission
will come from? They won't be Nintendo pilots, that's for sure.

[Hint: what was Bert Rutan doing when he was a kid? Building and flying
model airplanes!]

You can learn more about our hobby, our safety rules, and our organization
by visiting our web site at www.nar.org

Bob Kaplow
Northern Illinois Rocketry Association - Range Safety Officer
National Association of Rocketry - lifetime member #18L

cc: Mark Bundick NAR president
cc: rec.models.rockets

I got the impression that the cartoonist was just acknowledging that
rockets go above 5000ft. I'm not a rocketeer but I would like to know
if that's some kind of rocket extreme. I just thought he was
acknowledging some new height achieved by rocketering