Written by Tim Van Milligan

If you build and fly a lot of rockets, by using the Apogee Flight Record, you'll save both time and money by not having to repair or replace damaged, destroyed or lost models. In fact, I'll back this up with a guarantee. If you use this Flight Record on one flight, and the same model crashes (excluding Motor CATOs) on the next one, I'll refund your money of the Flight Record! You don't risk any money by buying this product! It is going to save you money, and make you a better modeler by teaching you a lot about how rocketry really works.

If you're like me, you feel GREAT when you come home from a launch with all your rockets intact and able to fly again some other day. It is a lot better than having to repair a broken model or having to build a brand new one because you crashed or lost one. I have found that the best strategy for getting more flights from each of our rockets is to make sure that each flight is successful. A successful flight can be described as one that easily ignites, lifts off and flies in a stable -- predictable trajectory, deploys its recovery device at the proper time, and lands in a location where it can be easily retrieved. And just as important to all these -- the rocket must be recovered without any damage.

How can you improve the odds of a successful flight? That's easy. Make sure that you learn from your past successes and from any failures you might have experienced.

If a model has a tendency to weathercock into the wind, you'll want to compensate by angling it better before you launch it. I've found that recording the characteristics of the launch can help plan for the next launch of that model, so I don't forget anything that could cause a malfunction. And a rocket data sheet is extremely helpful in this process.

The problem with most of the data sheets that are available is that they don't record the useful information that can be used to make the next flight more successful. What good does recording how long the rocket stayed in the air when the fins stripped off? You didn't really record the information that could be used to prevent the model from being damaged on the next launch.

To make our flights more successful so that we can fly our rockets more often, I've created a nifty rocket data sheet called the Apogee Flight Record, that can quickly record any of 170 different events that might happen during a rocket's flight. This data sheet is very comprehensive -- recording USEFUL information, such as when the recovery device deployed during the trajectory, and what angle the model was positioned at when launched.

I think it is so useful, that I want you to download a sample portion of the Flight Record. Click the link below for a pdf version of this useful form, and try it out yourself. Here is an image of what the sample form looks like:

lick here to download a free sample of the Apogee Flight Record (pdf document)

Besides being able to record so many parameters, what makes this data sheet so useful is that it can be filled out very quickly, so it is not a chore to use; if fact, it is actually fun. The key to filling out this form is that it is a "check-off" form; so you simply watch the flight, and then go down the form and make a check-mark the box to indicate each event that occurred. When you are done, you'll have a nearly complete description of the model's flight. So complete is this information, that you could actually give it to another person -- and they could write a narrative description of your flight -- without even seeing the launch itself. As a side note, this could be a great benefit to club reporters in writing up newsletter articles about the club's launch.

Taking the form back home, you can analyze the data and plan a strategy for future flights of the model. Developing a launch checklist from this data is the best strategy; because it will not only make the chances of another successful flight much greater, it will also make your launches much safer. From the information on the flight sheet, you can also modify the rocket if necessary to make the next flight better. For example: if it weathercocked, you might want to remove some fin area.

The data is also useful to people who might be doing a science fair project on model rocketry. By collecting the data quickly after the launch, you won't forget it by the time you get home to write your report. It will also explain data that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the launches. The judges of the science fair will look favorably on your data collection methods, increasing your chances of winning.

For those who are new to rocketry and might not understand the terminology of the form, or "how" to interpret the results, I've written Technical Publications #9, which fully describes each item on the form, and how to use it to make your next flight an even greater success. And best yet, if you buy Technical Publication #9, it contains a complete copy of the Apogee Flight Record, so you don't have to buy it two separate items.

I believe that the price of this flight record is a bargain! And I think you'll agree.