What is NARAM?

NARAM stands for the National Association of Rocketry Annual Meet.  This is the annual national competition.  Model rocketeers come from all across the country to compete against each other and get to know each other while having fun with the one thing we all have in common, love for the hobby.  For more background information about NARAM, check out this link.  This year's NARAM, NARAM 58, will be held in Walnut Grove, Missouri from July 23-July 29.  Definitely come check it out if you're in the area.

When my dad asked us to go to NARAM 50, in The Plains, Virginia, we of course agreed.  Dad was so excited to be going to the 50th anniversary and he began to look up information on competition flying and the different events being flown.  Each competition has its own slate of events, and different points associated with each event.  I went into this a little bit in my previous post.

Dad began preparing for some of the events for the first half of the week of competition, which was the only time period we would be there for, and he helped me prepare too.  Before we knew it, it was time to pack up the car with our rockets and bags and head to Virginia.  Dad and I would be competing, and Mom and my little sister, Sarah, would be spectators, for now.

The first day of competition would be a defining moment for both Dad and myself.  After a couple of the regular competitors helped us to find our feet on this new adventure, we jumped in.  That day, the events being flown were Set Duration and D Boost Glider.  Set Duration is an event where you try to get your rocket to stay in the air for a set amount of time, that year it was 50 seconds.  Boost Glider is an event that is challenging to describe.  Basically, you make a glider and a boost pod.  The boost pod contains the motor, in this case a D engine motor (the class of motor), and usually a streamer to help bring it down safely.  When the rocket reaches apogee, the highest point during the flight, the ejection charge goes off and the glider detaches from the rocket and glides, hopefully safely, back down to the ground.  Meanwhile the boost pod comes down separately.

Dad and I both made ourselves known in the competition rocketry community that day.  Dad found three different ways to disqualify his models, which is rather impressive.  Meanwhile, I won first place in my first ever competition event, Set Duration, and had an impressive first flight for my glider and almost hit the president of the NAR during launch with my second flight.  The best part, the design for the boost glider was his, and I got him to sign it later that day.

Throughout the day, Dad and I were able to get to know several people in the rocketry community and were given lots of advice as well.  Most of this advice came from a couple of guys from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  These guys were Rod and Steve or, as many people know them, The Flying I-Beam Kids.  Rod and Steve fly in the Team Division of contest rocketry and know so much about the hobby.  They were, and still are, the first source Dad and I go to when we need help improving.  Rod and Steve welcomed us into their world of rocketry, and later into their club, Pittsburgh Space Command, PSC.  Dad and I were hooked, and later Mom and Sarah would join us in flying competitively and having more crazy adventures, but that's not where my story ends.  It's just the beginning.  Until next time, fly high, stay safe, and have fun!