On the NAR website the location was listed as Orlando, but the flying field was actually in Kissimmee on East Highway 192.
I had just moved to Orlando a few months before and was entertaining at the Sea World Florida Festival complex. In walks Jeff Flygare and Bob DelPrincipe of Centuri. Jeff was the "Consumer Relations Manager", Bob was a designer and artist for Centuri. While I didn't fly anything at this NARAM, I stopped by the field to visit.
From left to right: Jeff Flygare, Bob DelPrincipe, Al Porzio and me.
I knew there were big changes going on with the Damon owned companies. While catching up with Bob he said under his breath: "You probably made the right choice by going with music over a rocketry career."
Around this time, Centuri operations were downsizing and may have already moved to Estes. If you mailed an order to Phoenix AZ, the box may have been sent from Penrose!
Cool! Naram 24 was what year?
ReplyDeleteHi Leo,
DeleteThat would be 1982!
The NARAM-24 issue of Model Rocketeer was the first issue I ever got from NAR. I had joined the month before. It is a pity the national flying events are done either West of the Mississippi River (like New Mexico) or on the US/Canada border. Very few members ever see a National event.
ReplyDeleteHi NJROC,
DeleteI grew up in California and thought the same thing when reading about the locations of the locations of the competitions and NARAMs. I flew to my first NARAM in 1975, held in Orlando. The next year I went to Pennsylvania! Most all the meets were pretty far away.