The 2018 Geezer TARC season begins...

Now that the rules have been released for the 2018 TARC competition, we can start the annual Geezer TARC contest. Here are the rules for 2018:

The rules are the same as those for the 2018 TARC challenge with the following exceptions:

• Geezer TARC begins with the announcement of the 2018 rules in May (which happened today) and ends with the contestants’ rockets being launched at a single event (date TBD, probably on a Saturday on or near the start of the college football season).
• The rockets must launch off standard rails; the use of launchers with rods will not be permitted (as per the 2018 Nationals).
• Each contestant may enter up to two rockets. These rockets may not fly before the official launch date, and the score shall be determined by the first flight of each on that date. The contestant's score shall be the better of the two flights, or the score of one flight if only one rocket is entered.
• Breaking with previous Geezer TARC contests, contestants must use one of the regulation TARC altimeters (APRA, PNUT, or Firefly) as the "official" measure of altitude. A re-flight will be allowed in the event of an altimeter malfunction, provided the flyer can demonstrate it was not his or her fault (i.e., did not forget to turn it on or provide vent holes to the outside). As per the 2018 rules, the altimeter used to record altitude may be used for no other purpose, though the use of a Jolly Logic Chute Release or other altimeter type is permitted for flight control.
• There is only one rocket per design, and there are no test or sub-scale flights permitted for the design. Its merit will be judged solely by the rocket’s performance at the contest launch. If two rockets are entered, they must be of substantially different design - different number of motors, fins, or something major - an inch shorter or taller does not constitute a substantial difference, nor does the same design at a different scale (which will be very hard to do this year with the restrictions on the body tube diameters).

And so it begins... May the odds ever be in your favor!