An Excuse to Post Rocket Photos

The Northwest Herald had an article by Jenn Wiant on rocket launching Sunday.

A group of about 25 Fox Valley Rocketeers were doing it in Woodstock at Raintree Park.

Accompanying the article on the web site is a photograph of people watching the little rockets soar into the sky. In the print edition, which I read at my in-laws in Wonder Lake, there is a small photo of a rocket. I think it is taking off, but the reproduction is so poor that I can’t tell.

Crystal Lake Cub Scout Pack 158’s Den Leader David Rokusek introduced the boys to racketeering last year. First, he provided rocket kits and the Cub Scouts built and decorated their own rockets.

Rokusek runs The Atomic Toy Store in Galena and undoubtedly provided them at a cost much less than retail.

I can tell you that it doesn’t get much better than a Cub Scout leader who owns a toy store.

Then, he helped the kids (including sisters) set them off one sunny night. (These photographs are from May, 2006.)

First you see Rokusek setting up one of the rockets made by a Cub for launch.

Next, it’s ignition time. I caught this red rocket just as the rocket fuel started to burn.

In the third photo, Rokusek has just finished letting a boy launch his rocket.

Next, you can see one of the rockets as it disappears from the view of the camera right after take off.

Below Rokusek can be standing to the left as the black rocket’s tail disappears into the sky.

Then, what may be the most fun the kids had.

Chasing rockets.

There was a fair amount of wind this May day and the parachutes that they had stuffed into the top of the rockets carried most of the descending rockets a good distance.

You can see that this one came down pretty close to the launch area. Otherwise I couldn’t have gotten the boys looking like more than specks.

Pack 158 is sponsored by the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

All of the rocket launching photographs can be enlarged by clicking on them.


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