Flight Cards

Starting in 2004, AERO-PAC is moving to three different forms of flight cards. The "Normal" cards for a mid- and high-power rockets with no special circumstances. The "special" cards are for certification and heads-up flights (or anything else that requires special attention from the LCO). We're also introducing a simpler "Model" card for simple model rocket flights (rockets under 3.3# using E motors and smaller).

Normal Flight Card	Special Flight Card
Back of Flight Card	Model Flight Card

The Normal cards look much like the previous flight cards, but the post-flight analysis has moved to the back of the card, along with a pre-flight checklist for the RSO. We have added a space at the bottom for the flier to note any additional information that they would like announced. Normal cards are white. Note that the igniter type and resistance have been removed since we never really made use of them.

The stuff on this card should be self-explanatory (and the same as the previous flight cards). The addition is that the motor area is expanded and reorganized so that the flier can indicate more details about the motors and clustering/staring/air starts. The line for Auxiliary Motors is longer and there is a set of check boxes for motor ignition types.

Also, we have added a box at the bottom for Addition Information the flyer feels is interesting about his rocket and this flight. This information will be announced by the LCO before the flight.

Special cards are similar to Normal cards, but are yellow in color with black stripes around the edges. Instead of the area for additional information, they have the certification check boxes that were removed from the Normal card and a box for details of a heads-up flight. Like Normal cards, the back of Special cards have an RSO checklist and the LCO post-flight analysis.

If you are doing a certification attempt, please use one of these Special cards so the LCO knows that something special needs to be done on this flight. Indicate the level of your certification attempt and the name of the prefect who is watching the flight in the box on the bottom left.

If you think your rocket has a good chance of having a motor failure or an in-flight failure, please use one of these Special cards and indicate the reasons for the heads-up call in the box on the bottom right. If the RSO feels that the flight should be a heads-up flight, you will be required to fill out a Special flight card. So if you have any doubts, come up to the RSO table with the Special flight card already filled out.

For this call, as in all others related to rocket safety, the word of the RSO is final.

The Normal and Special flight cards now have spaces on the back for use by the launch personnel. At the top is the RSO checklist for evaluating the safety of a rocket pre-flight. These are the minimum things that an RSO should keep in mind when a rocket comes to the table. The LCO post-flight analysis has also moved to the back of the card in the bottom box.

In order to help the RSO remember what to check when a rocket shows up as his table, we have added a simple checklist to the flight cards. When a flier comes up to you with a rocket, please check that all information on the front is completed appropriately, then turn the card over and use the checklist for the basic safety verification.

The RSO will often be unable to be sure of the actual design and construction, but he can use the checklist to remind the flier of things he may have forgotten. The more complex a rocket is, the less the RSO will be able to personally verify, but the more important it is for him to make sure the flier understands the requirements and has addressed them.

If the RSO feels uncomfortable with the construction of the rocket or the flier's understanding of how the electronics or recovery system work, he will deny the flight or ask for help from the Launch Director. As always, the decision of the RSO is final.

Model cards have much less information since they are meant for simple model rocket flights only. They are modeled after the LUNAR Low-power flight cards. Model cards have no extra information on the back and are colored green.

The Model card is simple and should be self-explanatory. If your rocket does not conform to a FAR-101 flight (heavier than 3.3# loaded, flying a motor larger than "E" class), please use a Normal flight card. Also, if you want to indicate information that doesn't fit on the Model card, please feel free to use a Normal card, even if your flight is FAR-101 compliant. (Of course, you should use a Special card if you think the flight should be heads-up.)