Posted on 12/20/2003 5:46:52 PM PST by iz55
[from the ARSA news webpage]
ATFE Forces Aerotech To Provide Motors For ATFE Anti-Rocketry Video link
December 20, 2003 - Since the publication by ARSA of the ATFE's attempt to produce an anti-rocketry video on the dangers of hobby rockets to commercial aircraft, vendors and manufacturers have refused to sell to the ATFE. This resulted in a letter from the ATFE to the president of Aerotech, Gary Rosenfield demanding that they deliver 40 G80 motors to the ATFE. The ATFE letter claimed the hobby rocket motors were needed in the interest of national security. The letter claimed Aerotech had no other option under the law and the motors were to be delivered to ATFE agent David Shatzer. Aerotech delivered the motors on December 9th.
--- Did The ATFE Accidently "Torch" Their Van? link
December 20, 2003 - Rumors have been circulating through the rocketry community for over a month that the ATFE accidently "torched" their van when trying to launch a high power rocket out of it. According to the story, the ATFE and their contractor Applied Research Associates were conducting tests on November 3rd to provide proof that high power rockets could be used to shoot down commercial aircraft during landings and takeoffs. (See related story by clicking here.) Apparently, one of the motors failed upon ignition sending a burning gain into a box inside the van. The box contained several propellant grains for further tests that day. The propellant gains inside the box ignited. This resulted in the entire van being destroyed in a roaring inferno as ATFE agents and Applied Research Associate employees stood by and watched. Also, according to the story, video was taken of the test and the resulting fire. To complicate matters further for the ATFE, the van was believed to have been a rental.
ARSA has been trying to confirm or disprove this story, but has not been able to locate anyone with first hand knowledge of the incident. However, Bruce Kelly from the Tripoli Rocketry Association sent out a communication where they state the incident to be true.
=== Tripoli Statement To Members:
1. There is a rumor floating around about ATF "blowing up" a truck during the Utah tests. Most of what is being said is inaccurate. Here is what we know.
ATF, through the USAF, hired an independent contractor to conduct some tests. ATF purchased a number of J350, G80s and other motors for these tests. They also purchased some kits from at least 2 manufacturers. The tests, being conducted here in Utah (off I80, north of mile marker 60) have been taking place most of November through last week.
Supposedly, they affixed a launcher in the back of a van and were launching from the van. As to why, we can only speculate. They also had numerous reloads in the same van while launching. One of the J350s catoed and ignited the rest, burning the van to the ground. (It did not blow up, it just burned up.) So much for hired experts who supposedly should know better.
=== End of Tripoli Statement
- reposted by iz
(Excerpt) Read more at space-rockets.com ...
Like everything they touch, it looks like model rocketry will be destroyed.
--Boris
OMLOID bump!
Excercising freedon and liberty always does.
The ATF and Justice Department really have no clue what they are doing. As usual they go after soft targets...sounds kind of familiar?
I'm sure there are much more effective ways to do what they suspect can be done with model rockets. They need to concentrate on that not law abiding citizens trying to teach their kids rocket science.
Yes, but the experts can't even conduct a test w/o screwing things up big time. Unless the test of course was to determine the intellectual capacity of the jack boots, their spiritual leaders and their hired help.
Results of the testing done sofar:
1.10s of 1000s of kids and maybe their parents had lots of fun, learned and destroyed nothing.
Jack boots and their hired help => Introduced more nanny restrictions on Freedom, bolstered their propaganda corps, blew up their van and failed at their attempt to demonstrate that the hobbyists are dangerous. Reminds me of the 3 Stooges, but also Nazi Germany and every other 2 bit tyranical regime.
The jihadis steal their stuff. They don't make it. What they do use is govm't stuff like RPGs and regular mil ordinance.
They know exactly what they are doing. They are trying to make a fed crime out of it. They want playing with this stuff and thinking about it a heinous crime worthy of decades in prison. They want it ended both, because they fear it and they savor the bogus artificial position it elevates them to.
They're on to them too. Fireworks are a traditional target. Model planes are are a relatively recent target.
What next?
Me too!
We had a little 'listening' place, between the runways of the Bangkok airport and the military, north of town.
I 'terrorized' an old fellow tending goats once, when a three stager managed to get horizontal at a height of about 8 feet above the landscape and zoomed over him and his flock.
I could not understand ALL of whatever he was saying, but he was SURE was excited!!!
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