NARAM Returns to Colorado for a Sixth Time!
By Tim Van Milligan
NARAM-2000 Publicity Chairman
It is official, the 42nd annual NARAM will be held in Colorado. The NAR Board of Directors has voted to award the event to the two Colorado clubs of C.R.A.S.H. (Denver) and C.O.S.R.O.C.S. (Colorado Springs). The dates are July 29 through August 4, 2000.
The primary purpose of NARAM is to host a rocketry competition championship to select the best modelers in different age brackets, as well as the best teams and NAR Sections. The events in this contest are:
- Research and Development
- Giant Sport Scale
- D Engine Superroc Altitude
- 4XA Engine Cluster Altitude (no airstarts and no boosted darts allowed)
- C Engine Eggloft Duration
- 1/4A Engine Parachute Duration (Multi-round)
- A Engine Boost Glider Duration
- B Engine Streamer Duration
- 1/2A Engine Helicopter Duration
- D Engine Rocket Glider Duration
The rules to these contest events can be found on this web site by clicking here. The Contest Director is Ken Mizoi. He can be reached at (303)-368-5209 or email: kenmizoi@rmi.net.
The site for NARAM-2000 is a 400 acre field that is owned by Vern Estes, the original founder of Estes Industries. In honor of Vern, the site has been named 'Estesland' by the two host clubs. Estesland is located between the two Colorado cities of Canon City, and Penrose. It is about 38 miles southwest of Colorado Springs.
On rocket range number two at Estesland will be the sport and high power field. The sport launch starts the weekend before the contest and runs the entire seven days of the event. The large field can handle most any size models, and a waiver to 10,000 feet AGL will be in place throughout the week, with windows to even higher altitudes available.
In cooperation with the US Space Foundation and the Civil Air Patrol, NARAM-2000 will also play host to an educational rocketry convention. At this special convention, teachers from all over the US will come in and be taught how model rocketry can be used to motivate students to learn. They will be taught the finer points of rocketry like: how to track a rocket to measure its altitude, using a computer to design a rocket, and how to perform a launch with large groups of students. If you wish to help out with this event, please contact Tim Van Milligan at email address: tvm@apogeerockets.com. If you know a teacher that would like to attend and who needs some extra college credit, please tell them to visit the NARAM-2000 web site.
At this time, the two clubs are setting up a variety of special events to coincide with the NARAM launches. This will include tours of the factories where the real space launch vehicles are assembled. More information on these activities and other exciting events will be forthcoming, and will be posted on the special web site: www.naram2000.org
The web site also contains information on how to register for the event, as well as hotel information and info on local attractions. We urge people that are interested to make hotel reservations by early fall, as summer in Colorado is peak tourist season, and hotel rooms become filled quickly.
This event is open to all modelers, teachers, students, and space enthusiasts. It is not necessary to participate in the contest or even to be a NAR member to enjoy all the activities surrounding this big event. Just be ready to have a lot of fun!