On Sunday the Tribune printed a photo story I did for them about Northern Colorado Rocketry Club. You can see it on the Tribune’s site here.

Have to say it was a lot of fun to shoot and pretty impressive. I’ll post the little copy block I wrote to go with it below the photos.

Written for the Greeley Tribune:

When Ted Apke found a new hobby, his son Colin Apke, found a career path. From a 7-year-old tagging along with his father to an aerospace engineering degree from the University of Colorado, Colin credits amateur rocketry.

Every month a group of individuals from the Northern Colorado Rocketry Club gathers at one of two locations in Weld County to launch home-built rockets to heights approaching 20,000 feet. These are northern Colorado’s amateur rocketeers.

This group ranges from kids with their first Estes rocket to aerospace engineers, such as Colin, with liquid-fueled rockets taller than the average person. For many it’s a family affair, but for others it’s about building bigger and more powerful.

Each year the club hosts a series of competitions ranging from height contests to something known as the ABC competition, which requires rocketeers to ascend in motor classes through the alphabet. The motor classes signify the power of the motor with A being the least powerful.

While some launches go smoothly and some end with broken rockets that are never seen again, the rocketeers keep coming back, time and time again.

Despite the various reasons for being there, the participants all share one thing: a sense of community in what they are doing. Whether a longtime member or someone taking advantage of a free first launch, every person is friendly and happy to be there.

I’d love to hear what anyone thinks, especially about the writing. Its the first thing I’ve ever written for a newspaper that wasn’t meant to be opinion.