Yasothon Rocket Launch

[Sel]

This is a multiple camera angle rocket lauch filmed at Yasothon's rocket festival, known as ban bung fai in Thailand. Made with 120kg of blackpowder. Redneck's Thai style. 2009

[sorensen]

Very cool. Will try to go there next year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Festival

[T_Dog]

That's no toy rocket, wow! What is downrange from there, and how do they keep that area safe? The casing wouldn't weigh as much, but still very dangerous.

[Sel]

The festival orgainiser takes out insurance during the period. I think a few people get killed every year in the northeast region by rocket accidents and sometimes rockets land on cars and houses. They divert airline flights as well around the festival time.

The casing is 6 inch diameter PVC pipe about 12 feet long. It probably weighs several kilos and then several more added with the 20 foot bamboo tail

[bannork]

I went to the Yasothon rocket festival over 12 years ago, it was great fun, morlam music, dancing, drunkeness and owners of rocket failures getting rolled in the mud. It was scary too, at times the crowd scattered because a rocket came straight down at them, another rocket took off horizontally!

The smoke was incredible, couldn't see for a few 100 metres. The organisers kept warning everyone not to get too close. at that time I don't think they had any insurance. I think the year I went was the first time the Japanese sent a rocket and delegation.

I would have loved to have got a photo of the drunken farmer smoking a cig and packing the rocket's gunpowder!