ROY TYSON

Sept 17- Born again Rocketeer

Spring of '18- L1, 2.6" Madcow DX3

Fall of '18- L2, 4" Loc Goblin

Spring of '22- L3 8" CW, Formula 200

In 2017, while walking Hobby Lobby with the wife, the kids and I came across rockets in the store.  I told the kids "I flew rockets when I your age".  Well, a pack of Estes Generics and a launch stand later and had the bug, and got it bad.  As I do with most things in my life, I researched everything endlessly to learn everything I could about the hobby.  I found there was a local club and started attending monthly meetings.  I was pretty actively involved in the club by the next spring where I started my certification journey.  The problem was, the club was all but defunct.  During 2018, there were several launches I was the only person that showed up.  At the end of 2018 current board members announced they were stepping aside, and I was chosen to lead the club going forward, a role I have held since then.  Since then we have become a very active club in the rocketry community again with over 25 active fliers and have become a launch sight that draws fliers from 3 neighboring states.  

Since becoming our club president, I have focused on three aspects of the club.  

• Safety
• Growth
• Community outreach/mentoring new and young members.

Safety has been the most important thing that we have focused on in the months after becoming the club president.  I have lead many rule changes within the club, some tough, some long over due.  Teaching myself the safety code, becoming an proficient RSO and leading nearly every launch since becoming president, I have been heavily involved in safety aspect of landowners and the club, providing a safe environment for everyone involved.  Nothing happens at our events without safety being the first consideration and coming from an heavy industrial background, I feel that I have stressed and lead the safety culture to all our members in the club. 

About 4 years ago we put together several educational programs at a local stem center, introducing model rocketry to the community, with the goal of growing the sport.  These classes continued over the next three years adding mid-power and high power classes to the courses.  The first several years I was the main teacher of the courses before brining more help on to the courses.  Last year, with a grant with the company I work for, I applied for and received some real funds to step up our game.  We had our first annual family fun day where we had 100 kids and adults that built and flew over 200 rockets and had a cookout for all attendees. We also have put in place a scholarship program where new members can fly all the way up to L1, where the club supplies all the rockets and first flight motors for all flights.  This type of involvement in the community has really put us on the map for a 200 mile radius around the greater Omaha area, that extends almost all the way to the South Dakota boarder.  Something that under my leadership I am very proud to be a part of.  

Community outreach and mentoring is where my real passion is.  I have learned that I almost enjoy teaching/mentoring as much as I do building and flying my own stuff.  Watching the kids learn and grow in the hobby has been an exciting part of my journey in rocketry.  More recently helping several members achieve their L3 has also brought me so much joy and excitement.  I feel like I have become a trusted mentor in the community trying to offer sound advice through our club.  Here is a video highlighting our work on outreach and the grant we received.  https://vimeo.com/898603082

I feel as I need to list my flying experience, but this is secondary to what I feel I can offer as an L3CC.  Mentoring and safety is where I would really put my position (if approved) to the best use to support NAR and the rocketry community.  I have built probably 100 low power rockets, several dozens L1 size rockets with over 50 flights of L1 motors, L2 motors are in excess of 100 (J motors are my flight of choice!), and 4 L3 M motors.  While not a ton of M motors, I do have an N I will fly this fall, but M size rockets are really the same as smaller ones, just bigger bodies.  I started 3d printing rocket parts, to the point I started RoysRockets.com and started a small side business selling to the rocket community, and am an authorized dealer of Estes to help supply all the outreach we do within the community.  

Dear,  I am pleased to provide a letter of recommendation for Roy Tyson as he seeks to join the L3 certification committee.  I have known and flown with Roy for more than 5 years and feel qualified to comment on his candidacy.

The words that come to mind when I think of Roy are; mentoring, safety, leadership, and innovation.  Roy has mentored hundreds of rocket flyers from the novice stage to high power certified rocketeer.  Whether he is helping 8 year olds to build and fly paper rockets to advising experienced rocketeer about a new piece of technology, Roy is there to offer advice and help.  He has positively influenced many young people to look into our hobby.

While he runs his multiple events, the safety of the flyers and observers is his main concern.  When there is a potential hazard during an event, Roy gently corrects or prevents the hazard, making sure the flyer learns from the episode.

Roy took the helm of a rocket group which had become somewhat anemic and has transformed the group into a vibrant team which not only flies low, mid, and high power rockets, but also reaches out to more than a dozen community groups to conduct youth rocket workshops and launches.

Roy is experienced in high power rocketry and has produced several innovative products which he designs and produces with his 3D printer.  Roy's rockets and equipment are always incredibly well designed and very efficient and functional.

In short, I believe Roy is more than qualified to become an L3 certifier and he will use his position to further our hobby.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have, thank you for this opportunity to comment on Roy's candidacy.

Sincerely,

Paul Paulman, MD

NAR # 45014

L3 certified