North Star Rocketry Group

The North Star Rocketry Group was an informal group of rocketeers, mainly from from West Yorkshire. We fly model rockets locally and attend events throughout the UK to launch high power rockets.

If you want to find out more about us, read our faq. If you need more information, or would like to join, email us.

News

31st August 2006 - Introducing the gallery

• It's clear that I've become far too lazt to do proper updates, and so, I've added one of those PHP gallery thingies. You can get into it here, or from the menu on the left hand side of the page.

20th December, Hollywood Bowl / Here's Johnny, Kirkstall

• Pete D retained the Three Fingered Challenge Trophy again!
• We ate, drank, and were generally merry.

British World Space Modelling Championship Team news

• 2004 Junior Trials for moved forwards due to a communication mix up. All qualifiying has now to be completed before the end of 2003, so there will only be one qualifier - details here.

Visit to London Science Museum, Autumn 2003

• Pictures of the Black Arrow R4, mainly.

IRW 2003, 18 - 25th August 2003, Largs, Scotland

• Richard successfully passed both his exam and L2 cert flight.
• We flew quite alot of rockets.

9th August 2003, Baildon Moor

• Phew what a scorcher.
• But some bad news about the flying site

Email list crash

• We had a crash and lost some of the names on the mailing list.
• A mail was sent out to the new list on 04/08/03.
• If you didn't get the email, let me know and I'll re-add you.

UKRA 2003, 6th - 8th June, Heckington

• Dave Thomson has successfully certifies level 1.
• Not too much flying and not too many pictures.

12th April 2003, Baildon Moor

• I've no idea what the weather was like.
• Because I wasn't there :-(

UKAC, 15th March 2003, Heckington

• Not a proper NSRG event, but included because Darren, Mike and Josh went along to help out.

February 2003, National Space Centre

• NSRG day out to the National Space Centre in Leicester.
• Pictures of main exhibit hall, the rocket tower & the Soyuz in the lobby.

16th January 2003, Kennedy Space Center

• Not a proper NSRG event, because only Darren went.
• Nevertheless, some nice pictures of the visitor center, the Saturn V exhibit & the ill-fated Columbia Launch.

Copper Knobs, 28th December, Pete's Farm

• The weather was unseasonally clement...
• Dave T attempts L1 cert.

22nd December, Hollywood Bowl / Quincy's, Kirkstall

• Pete D retained the Three Fingered Challenge Trophy!
• Absolutely no-one remebered to bring a camera.

3rd November 2002, Baildon Moor

• Windy but not too windy, thought it got colder & wetter later on.
• More new faces, some familiar from elsewhere.

K-Lob 2002, 28th - 29th September, Heckington, Lincolnshire

• Unbelievable weather at the best K-Lob ever?
• Pete W certifies level 2!
• George, Brian & Richard fly some stuff.
• Saturday night was a night for plotting.

15th September 2002, Baildon Moor

• First Baildon launch for ages.
• The weather was initially overcast, dry and calm. Later, the sun came out.
• Some new faces.
• Richard and Tony do a spot of off-roading.

IRW 2002, 19th - 27th August 2002, Largs, Scotland

• International Rocket Week in good weather shocker.
• Darren spacks AFoS.
• George spacks Terrier, CATOs Enterprise.
• Pete spacks Mars Lander.
• We do quite well in the contests.

UKRA 2002, 7 - 9th June 2002, Heckington, Lincolnshire

• Was this the best UKRA event yet?.
• George's & NSRG's first hybrid flight.
• Darren's first hybrid flight.
• Brian flies four big rockets in same day.
• Mike & Darren put the spack back into spackington.
• Something evil emerges.
• Darren breaks NSRG altitude record.

RMR Descon X

• Mike wins a prize.

BigEARS 2002, 5th May 2002, Elseworth, Cambridgshire

• Some of us went down for the second day to see the swarm record attempt.

30th March 2002, Baildon Moor

• The weather was fine but windy.

16th February 2002, Baildon Moor

• After a week's delay due to the weather, we had an excellent afternoon's flying.

Copper Knobs, 28th December, Pete's Farm

• It was flippin' windy...
• Brian won the wallet altitude event (setting a new NSRG record in the process).
• That's it.

8th December, Hollywood Bowl / Quincy's, Kirkstall

• More people.
• More bowling. New Trophy!
• More food.

18th November 2001, Baildon Moor

• It wasn't as cold as expected.
• Darren flagrently breaks power limit (it says here).

28th October 2001, Baildon Moor

• First Baildon launch since before Foot & Mouth.
• Can't say much about this launch.
• I wasn't there.

Tintinique's Wake

• So, farewell then, Tintinique. You started life as a joke rocket, but ended as a well-liked crowd pleaser

K-Lob 2001, 29th - 30th September, Pete's Farm Heckington, Lincolnshire

• Poor weather, we made the best of it
• Steve Grace certifies L1
• A spack too far - Tintinique bites the dust

IRW 2001, 21st - 27th August, Largs, Scotland

• NSRG fly lots of rockets
• Angela wins glider duration contest
• Shaun wins helicopter duration contest
• Did Pete win British Outline scale contest?
• NSRG win 'drink can' drag race
• George wins first to arrive and last to leave contest
• Pete W goes for G altitude record
• George, Darren and Shaun's first attempts at electronic staging
• Angela's first CPR
• Darren finaly flies that J275 he's had in his ammo box for a year

BigEARS, June, Elseworth, Cambridgshire

• First time NSRG venture this far south
• Richard H certifies UKRA level 1
• Tintinique goes large
• Piglet pokes his head out
• Shaun is "too busy" and misses out on the most spectacular launch yet seen in the UK - ha
• Group Captain Gareth "Ginger" Watkins upstaged by Chunky Chimp

UKRA 2001, 15 - 17th June, Pete's Farm

• First time UKRA event held at Pete's Farm
• George R certifies UKRA level 2
• Pete W's Mars Lander debuts
• First outing of JLCLV, Flare & Rapier

2001, Baildon Moor

• Unbeknownst to us the last launch from Baildon Moor for a very long time

Brass Balls, Jaunuary 2001, Pete's Farm, Heckinton

• It was very foggy, and very cold

Copper Knobs, 29th December, Pete's Farm

• It was flippin' freezin'...
• ...and it got colder as the day went on, and the light faded.
• Brrrr...

9th December 2000, Hollywood Bowl / Quincy's, Kirkstall

• Huge turnout for the NSRG Xmas Party
• Spectators 'bowled' over
• Read lunch report
• Get me an alkaseltzer...

15th October 2000, Baildon Moor

• Another big turn out at our local flying venue.
• Mike in RTF shocker.
• Over 50 flights.

K-Lob, 30th September - 1st October, Pete's Farm

• NSRG attend in force.
• Angela certifies UKRA level 2, and is the first woman to do so.
• Darren certifies UKRA level 2.
• George certifies UKRA level 1.

24th September 2000, Yatesbury

• While a party of NSRGers made a largely fruitless trip to the NRC, Brian struck out on his own to Yatesbury.

IRW 2000, 22nd - 29th August, Largs, Scotland

• NSRG group debut at IRW.
• NSRG take 40th Anniversary Alphas to Scotland to be flown by John Bonsor of STAAR amd Bobby Wark of ScotRoc.
• Mike certifies UKRA level 2.
• Shaun becomes youngest ever to certify UKRA level 1, achievement reported in Glasgow Herald.
• Mike takes UKRA 'G' altitude record.
• Mike and Darren pass UKRA level 2 / RSO exam and become RSOs.
• Pete Davy joins NSRG.

20th July 2000, Baildon Moor

• 40th Anniversary Alphas fly in UK .
• Mike in serial 'no fly' scandal.

16th July 2000, Baildon Moor

• Brian makes first Sprint ABM flight in the UK.
• 'Witnesses' see George fly L'il Nuke.
• Mike in 'no fly' scandal.
• Darren in 'no show' scandal.

2nd July 2000, Baildon Moor

• Rain almost stops play, 40th Anniversary (International) Alpha launch cancelled.
• North Star Rocketry Group temporarily change name to Not Stopped by Rain Group, and carry on regardless.

11th June 2000, somewhere in Bradford

• NSRG team up with the 5th Bradford South Scouts.

UKRA 2000, 2nd - 4th June, Garlands Shooting range

• Large turnout at the annual UKRA flying event.
• Brian Certifies UKRA Level 2, with first flight of Warlock.
• First flight of Angela's Patrinot, Mike's Sudden Rush, Darren's Tinttinique & Pete's MiniMagg.
• Shaun flies his first cluster.

UKRA 2000 Preview

• A glimpse of what we're taking to UKRA2000.

21st May 2000, Baildon Moor

• Not so good weather, but good flying in the end.

16th April 2000, Baildon Moor

• Good weather and new faces, make launch largest yet.

26th March 2000, NSRG Website becomes fully active

• After a brief holding period, the web site goes live. All launch reports before this date are historical recollections.

Thrust, 19th March 2000, Garlands shooting range

• Pete Waddington claims G altitude record at Thrust launch.

26th February 2000, Baildon Moor

• NSRG fly model rockets on Baildon Moor.

Brass Balls, January 2000, Pete's Farm

• Brian Best certifies UKRA & TRA Level 1 at Brass Balls launch.
• Shaun Longhorn launches his first composite single use & reloadable motor.

Thrust, October 1999, Garlands shooting range

• Darren Longhorn certifies UKRA Level 1 at Thrust launch.

K-Lob, October 1999, Pete's Farm

• Miserable weather limits number of flights.
• Darren Longhorn trashes APStrocam rocket, but only after taking some reasonable arial photos.

IRW 99, August 1999, Largs, Scotland

• Mike Crewe certifies UKRA Level 1 at IRW99.

UKRA 99, June 1999, Garlands shooting range

• Pete & Angela Waddington certify UKRA Level 1 at UKRAW99.

IRW 98, August 1998, Largs, Scotland

• West Yorkshire rocketeers sweep the board at IRW98.