The Hobby That Won't Die
Born-again rocketeers turn back to model
launch pads
Reported by Brian Fisher Johnson
Produced by Anna Heller Sebok
Every summer, the warm weather brings the usual entourage of catch players and grill users to Maryland’s Old National Pike Park. But every third Saturday of the month, the back of the park is reserved for a group of adults and children who take advantage of the clear skies for a completely different reason.
Listen Now
In the distance, their open-wall tents and stand-up umbrellas might suggest a family reunion. Suddenly, something blasts upward from among the tarpaulin covers, rising so fast the eye can hardly track it. Poof! The object emits a parachute at its maximum altitude and sails gently back down.
This is a reunion — but not of relatives. This is a meeting of the National Association of Rocketry Headquarters Astro-Modeling Section.
Born-Again Rocketeers
Christened “The Walrus,” “Big Bertha,” and “Stubby,” this meeting’s model rockets range from a lean four feet to a squatty 10 inches. “Rocketeers” prepare their creations by packing a black powder engine between base fins and folding a plastic parachute into the nose cone. A quick set-up at the launch pad—then it’s 5 … 4 … 3 …
Founded by a group of high school students in 1965, the National Association of Rocketry Headquarters Astro-Modeling Section (NARHAMS for short) is the country’s oldest continuously operating model rocket club. That the club’s first year coincides with the Space Race is no coincidence.
“I’ve always been a space nut,” 40-year rocketeer John McCoy said. “Starting from when [the United States] was flying rockets in the early 60s.”
NARHAMS wasn’t alone in its ascent. By the 1970s, U.S. membership in model rocket clubs had swelled to more than 50,000. But national interest in the hobby cooled with the finish of the Space Race. A chat among participants reveals that most of NARHAMS’ current members are “born-again rocketeers” — grown-ups who’ve rekindled their childhood interest in the hobby.
“A lot of the younger people of my own generation are drawn away from the kind of labor-intensive outdoor stuff,” said Chris Ha, vice-president of the club. At 17, Ha is one of the club’s only non-adult members.
“We have to build all these rockets ourselves, and it’s just a lot easier to switch on your X-Box 360 or your PS3 and play something instead of actually coming out here.”
Amateurs and Experts
Despite flattening attendance, current NARHAMS members remain as proud as ever. “It is a lot more enjoyable to come out here,” said Ha, after watching his rocket take off. “You get to feel the pride of something actually working in real life instead of in a video game.”
And even if a rocket launch doesn’t work, rocketeers say they aren’t fazed. Member Tom Henderson summarized his goals for the day with one word. “Fun—that’s all we’re trying to do," he said.
Other attendees had more serious motives. Mechanical engineer Rosy Pool said she was pleased that her nine-year-old daughter, Lauren, had taken interest in the hobby. “I want her to not be so afraid of tools. So many women act like there’s something to be afraid of.”
Like Pool, the air and space industry is looking to attract youngsters. Faced with an aging workforce, companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin are sponsoring high school rocket competitions for feats like altitude goals and carrying loads of raw eggs safely through a launch.
Regardless of the rocket industry, McCoy said he’s not concerned with the future of model rocketry. “This is one of the hobbies from the 70s that won’t die,” he insisted.
