Details
Quick answers
Is it really free?
Yes. The program is free for every student and always will be. A few host sites ask for a small refundable deposit that is returned when your student completes their sessions; you hear about it before you sign up.
Who can draw a rocket?
Anyone. You do not have to be in a cohort yet: send the drawing and it puts you on the list for the next one with seats. A parent or guardian fills in the contact details and sends it. The drawing can be on paper (snap a photo) or made right here on the site.
Does it have to be rocket-shaped?
No. Cats, sharks, saucers, spools, rockets with arms or with fins near the nose: people fly all of those. I need a back end (something that says "this is the bottom") and room for the flame. If your shape needs a tweak, I make the smallest one I can, tell you first, and keep it looking like your drawing.
What if my drawing can't fly?
Almost every drawing can. When one needs a change it is usually a little more fin at the back or a small weight in the nose, and you cannot see either. If I really need you to redraw a part, I tell you exactly which part and the code stays the same.
Is it safe?
High-power rocketry runs under the NAR and Tripoli safety codes and FAA rules, and the bootcamp follows them to the letter. Kids build and paint; I load and arm every motor and nothing flies until it passes inspection. Families watch from the spectator line, well back from the pads, with a range safety officer running the show.
What's the time commitment?
A build session is a hands-on day of about 5 to 6 hours: design, build and paint with trained volunteers at every table. Launch day is a separate day at a club field (Muncie or Sheridan for the central Indiana cohorts). Parents drive and are welcome to stay for both. The exact dates come with your cohort.
What do Level 1 and Level 2 mean?
High-power motors are lettered, and each letter doubles the power. H and I motors need a Level 1 certification, J and up a Level 2. You cannot hold a card until you are 18 (NAR has a junior Level 1 at 14 to 17), so your rocket flies under my certification as Flyer of Record. You still build it, you still own it, and it is still your design.
How long until my kit is ready?
You get my answer within 2 days. After "flight-ready", fiberglass cutting and motor ordering take a few weeks (the fiberglass shop makes every kit to order). I post a date on your rocket's page so you can check back anytime.
Do I get to keep it?
Yes. You build it, you launch it, you take it home.
What is Scout?
My launch-site evaluation tool: click anywhere on a map and it checks the airspace, the FAA distance rules, live weather, and the nearest rocketry clubs. It is how I scout new locations so the bootcamp can go nationwide. Try it.
