We're pleased to announce our first METRA ½ Mile contest at the May 3-4 launch. Anyone can enter. Here are the rules:

- There will be a $5 fee to enter per flight, as many flights/rockets/combinations as you choose.

- Flights will only be tallied up until 4PM each day (Sat and Sun). The winner will be announced on Sunday at the end of the launch. You do NOT have to be present to win (saaaay, you could only be present on Saturday).

- Weather dictates our ability to fly.

- Closest to the +/- ½ Mile, i.e. 20' over is closer to ½ Mile than 100' under.

- The winner will take the pot (the accumulated entrant fees).

- In the event of a tie, the pot will be split equally between finalists.

- You can fly anything you choose: commercial motors (AP or BP) or EX.

- Multi-stage is OK.

- You will need to have some sort of electronic device on board that will indicate max altitude (audible/visual/data download). In the case of altimeters that offload data, you must provide your own notebook/laptop and appropriate software.

- When using more than one electronic device, the altitude will be determined by an average of the two devices.

- The altitude must be witnessed by at least one assignee to the contest, to be named launch weekend.

- Your device must be "live" for an assignee to witness it, i.e., dead/disconnected batteries, incidental/accidental device shutdown, your laptop exploded, sunspots, the magnetic field of Upper Slobovia, etc., etc., etc. will result in a DQ.

- The flight must be vertical and have an as-expected recovery. Airframe failures, ballistic recovery, no-deployment and any other similar anomaly are DQs.

That seems to cover it. If you'd like to participate, you can sign up at the launch.

Questions? Email me: http://president.metrarocketclub.org