There’s one thing better than designing and building and then flying a new rocket: getting a newbie involved in the hobby.

Last night, I helped my nephew, newly 12 years old, build his first rocket (at least, first flyable). Like many of this generation, it’s an Estes Alpha III. We plan to launch next Saturday with LUNAR.

Why did I choose to start him on an Alpha III? It’s a simple kit: no balsa to seal, no fins to glue on, easy to understand, good flights on A, B, and C motors (even ½A if you build it light and have no wind). It’s easy to follow the flight events on an A8-5 or an A6-4. You can build the kit in one sitting (took us a leisurely hour).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Estes had pre-made the parachute: it saved us that minor headache. But, the paper corner reinforcing grommets look like they’ve all dried out, so that ‘chute might not last too long. I was not surprised to find Estes still using a rubber band for a shock cord—disappointed, but not surprised—and we replaced that with some good Kevlar^® cord.

Here’s hoping for clear skies, mild temperatures, and calm winds next Saturday!