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Flight of the Hindrocket

October 23, 2004 Posted by John at 9:25 AM

We've always said that our readers are smart, and it turns out that some of them are actually rocket scientists. One such is Rick Vatsaas, whose hobby is building rockets--not the little ones you get at the hobby store, but big ones that fly, in some cases, a mile or more high.

An important event for rocket builders is the G. Harry Stine Memorial Launch, which takes place in Arizona this weekend. We are honored to record that Rocket Team Vatsaas has entered the Hindrocket--an actual, flying rocket modeled on my icon--in this year's competition. You can read all about it here and, especially, here.

The Hindrocket stands around 4 1/2 feet high and will soar a half-mile into the sky; click to enlarge:

We are truly honored to have this high-performance rocket named after us. It's another indication, I think, of how far the blogosphere has come. I'll bet no one enters a rocket named after Dan Rather in the the G. Harry Stine competition. As the event is going on this weekend, we expect to see photos of the Hindrocket's launching and flight on Rick's site, and we'll pass them on when Rick posts them.

Thanks a lot, Rick.

UPDATE: Emails are coming in from more rocket scientists who are Power Line readers. And our buddy Captain Ed sends this correction:

John is incorrect on one point. I believe that there was a rocket named the Dan Rather, but it had the unfortunate tendency to pull hard to the left and blow up in the faces of its owners.