Tampa Bay Rocketry Association
TBRA
When the upper stage motor lit, it immediately ejected the forward closure and the entire upper stage propellent grain was off on it's own. Amazingly, the only damage was a broken fin. The rocket was flown again the next month.
Original photos courtesy of Chris Nilsen
TBRA
BEAT THE HEAT BOWLING EVENT
The Annual Bowling event provided us with the opportunity to meet and hang out in a cool environment and to have a good time together.
May thanks go out to Rick and Candice for setting everything up.
Photos are courtesy of Bron Grorecki, and can be seen here: 2024 Bowling Event.
Scale Nike-Hercules, with unexpectedly realistic flight and function. Scratch-built, based loosely on the Launch Pad Plan-Pak version. Larger tubing, battery, LED, safety switch in upper stage.
4 - Estes E12 motors in booster stage, 1 Estes E12 in sustainer stage.
Unexpected, but spectacular flight conclusion. Note the captions in each photo.
TOM'S ROCKET GEAR
Tom's Rocket Gear is in the process of closing up completely. Tom has been a supporter of TBRA and many other rocket clubs for many years. All remaining merchandise is at reduced prices. If anyone would like to take over, and become a rocketry vendor, see Tom at one of our next launch events, or contact him at info@tomsrocketgear.com
OUTHOUSE SUPPORT
We need to thank Jim and Debra West for their contributions to ensure we have a working facility. As the prior "custodian", I know how involved it gets to keep the facility clean and supplied with water.
Launch Site Volunteers
We need members to set up and help out. The same 6 or 8 members keep showing up early and staying late to perform all the setup and takedown each month.
We have a dedicated member who performs as LCO each month, but we need a standby LCO to fill in as needed during the day in order to give him a break.
We need L-2/3 members to serve in the RSO/Check-in function. With all the L-2 and L-3 members we have, only 2 volunteered for the June launch. The RSO duty is set up in 2-hour blocks, and everyone seems to think that someone else will take over. This is unfair to the few volunteers we have, so starting in July, if we do not have a volunteer in the RSO position at a given time, we will stop all launch operations until someone comes up to help out. We will no longer just keep launching with the same individual serving another shift. If we have to sit around for 2 or more hours without launching, then that is what we will do.
See the Volunteers page for more information.
PLEASE NOTE
We have a brand new "out house" facility, thanks to the hard work of Rick, Dan, Jim, Dakota, and a few others.
It features an actual, working toilet with a water supply.
Please help us keep it clean and in good shape.
We have a problem with member email addresses. The last couple of times we have tried to send out notices to members, a lot of them came back as un-deliverable. At the next launch event, all members need to see Mike Nipper and verify that their contact information is correct.
The Tampa Bay Rocketry Association honors all current and former members of the United States Military Services. And most of all our fallen members, and the families they leave behind. We owe them a debt that can never be paid.
2025 Launch Schedule
Subject to Change
We conduct low, mid, and high power rocket launch activities near Plant City FL. We are a dual affiliated group, operating as the Tripoli Rocketry Association Prefecture 17, and as Section 934 of the National Rocketry Association.
***********NOTICE***********
TBRA Membership dues are suspended until such time as we have a new launch site and resume regular launch activities.
**********NOTICE***********
We are currently searching for a new launch site. In order to further this process, we ask all TBRA members to assist in the search. We would prefer a large open area of several hundred acres overall.
We need a site that has at least 1500 ft distance from the launch area to the nearest road with traffic of 10 or more cars per hour, and to the nearest inhabited buildings.
If anyone has any ideas or locations they think might work, please submit them here.
January 18 | Cancelled | |
| February 15 | Cancelled | |
| March 15 - 16 | Cancelled | |
| April 19 | Cancelled | |
| May 17 | Cancelled | |
| June 21 | Cancelled | |
| July 19 | No Launch | |
| August 16 | Cancelled | |
| September 20 | Cancelled | |
| October 18 | Cancelled | |
| November 15 | Cancelled | |
| December 20 | Cancelled |