(Jasper, IN) The Rocketry Club based in Holland, Indiana, has been a chartered section of the National Association of Rocketry since July 1990. Tracy Pund joined Laünch Crüe through a passion grown by launching model rockets with her family during childhood. After many years of rocketry competitions, Tracy and her daughter, Madalynn, have found new challenges to embark on in the world of controlled rocket gliders.
A familiarity with rockets provided the mother-daughter duo with a baseline knowledge of aircraft that led to a newly found interest in radio-controlled gliders. The Pund pair reached out to our local aircraft club, the Jasper RC Flyers, and made contact with President Ryan Bratton, who gladly agreed to instruct them to fly gliders.
Tracy and Madalynn Pund traveled to Austin, Texas, in early July to compete in the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) World Championships for the Radio Control Rocket Glider Event. The FAI is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is an organization that serves to increase the availability of flight activities worldwide. They create competitions that give both Holland’s Laünch Crüe and the Jasper RC Flyers a chance to explore their hobbies through competition.
Madalynn Pund earned 1st place in the individual female flyer competition and a third-place finish in the team event. Tracy Pund landed in 2nd place in both team and individual rounds. Both Pund women launched radio-controlled gliders into the air with rocket motors to achieve a specific amount of air time with the chance to earn a bonus by landing their crafts in specified areas. More information about Laünch Crüe is available at www.launchcrue.org and to find out more about Jasper RC Flyers you may visit www.jasperrcflyers.org.
