Well, boys and girls,
This post pretty much completes the series on the NAR 60th Year Rocketeer Reunion. I had nearly as much fun writing and putting together this material as I had attending the reunion. I hope you all found it informative and entertaining.
There were at least 200 NAR model rocketeers present at this event.
Many old-timers and many newcomers. Past NAR presidents. NARAM contest directors. NARAM champions. Model Rocketry Royalty. Hobby innovators. Rocketeers who wrote many articles or were otherwise featured in the pages of Model Rocketry Magazine and the Model Rocketeer during the roaring heyday of the hobby when the Apollo program was the going thing in the late 60s-early 70s. Model Rocket Manufacturers from companies defunct to new ones to ones that have been in existence from near the very beginning. Fliers of LPR...MPR...HPR. Sport fliers. Competition Fliers. Glider Fliers. Scale Nuts. Oddroc Fans (won't mention any names, Randall).
Attendee NAR numbers ranged from 18, (Bob Kaplow) to 105584, (Dave Hutchinson).
A tremendous cross section of people who at some point in their lives got bit really hard by the 'Model Rocketry Bug', and never looked in the rearview mirror.
The core of the hobby.
As NAR President John Hochheimer pointed out, "This is the last time this same group of people will all be together in the same room representing our great hobby!"
I felt extremely privileged to be there and somewhat in awe of the whole affair.
One last anecdote:
Nearing the closing moments of this highly enjoyable and inspiring event, I caught up with fellow blogger, Hans Chris Michielssen.
"Man, this was great! It's just like being a kid in a candy store!", I said.
"Yep", replied Chris, "I feel like I'm 13 again!"
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
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