#launchoperations

[rocketwonk]

One Pad (or LCO flow control ctd)

My dad and I were talking about range flow control again (thrilling, yes?) and he brought up a good point about this launch:

 A lot of flights for just one pad. Makes me wonder if launching would be more efficient at ROC if they had fewer pads....

Is the critical issue for throughput the number of pads, or the competency of the range boss in utilizing them? I would tend to think the latter. MDRA usually sets up 28 pads for Red Glare in three banks of eight, plus four away cells, yet they manage to launch 600+ rockets over the weekend. CMASS does 350 rockets in a day with 14 pads. ROC sets up 60+ pads for ROCStock, but at its peak only launched 800 or so.

Setting up fewer pads also has the benefit of reducing workload on the volunteers. Maybe the active number of pads should be constrained to the number that the LCO can mentally manage.

Related: Interstate 5 in south Orange County has 9+ lanes in each direction, yet still gets blocked up during rush hour. It's not a capacity problem—it's a control one.

[rocketwonk]

Making a good LCO

Found this one in a message I sent to the ROC Chat in May 2012:

It's really critical—especially at high-volume launches—for the LCO to be able to crank through the racks at a good pace to minimize lines while simultaneously providing the correct amount of safety information and banter to keep the crowd entertained. In addition to range management, LCO usually ends up being a "catch-all" position for questions (e.g., "is the range open?" "can I rack my rocket?" "when is the next raffle? I need to buy tickets" etc.), and should be sufficiently empowered to answer them with confidence.

Good LCOs can keep all these plates spinning at once - it's not a job for everyone. There's a reason Wildman reserves most of the LCO spots at Midwest Power for himself, or Neil ends up LCOing most of Red Glare, or Greg and Wayne end up LCOing most of NERRF, or Terry ends up LCOing most of AIRFest - they can pull it off with ease. I've been frustrated at times with flow issues at ROCStock, and feel strongly that staffing LCO with well-trained and empowered individuals will help the situation.

[rocketwonk]

LCO flow control (ctd)

From a flow perspective, I like a trick I learned from Neil at MDRA: the LCO should launch in the reverse order of current S.O.P.; i.e., start with the back row and work your way to the front. This helps in several ways:

allows electronics-based projects/rockets with cameras to get off the ground without worry of power or memory limitations;

allows back row pads to be cycled more rapidly and loaded while the LCO returns to the front row;

allows the front row flyers to immediately recover after their flights—such flights tend to return within the range, vs. back row flights which tend drift out of the operations area—allowing them to recover immediately helps keep them from running onto a closed range;

forces the rate-limiting step to be the back row pads, vs. the front row pads. The front row can be launched almost any time -- the back row, only when the range is clear.

provides the "appearance" to the high power flyers that their needs are being met quickly

I know this goes against everyone's "grand finale" instincts, but I've seen this approach employed on several ranges, and though it may not speed up things, it definitely gives the appearance of such.

[rocketwonk]

Making a good LCO, ctd

One thought on the "LCO getting yelled at for being 'inexperienced'" problem -- potentially move the LCO desk away from the crowd mass at the RSO/PM area, or move the RSO desk away from the LCO/PM area. This would reduce the information overload on the LCO, and allow him/her to focus on keeping the range operating smoothly. This does require the LCO to be more demonstrative over the PA w.r.t. which side is open to load, but it would solve the biggest headache of this position: being air traffic control for not just rockets, but also hundreds of people. Several large clubs (AHPRA, MDRA, Kloudbusters, QCRS) employ this approach with great success. (It also helps keep people's random conversations out of the PA system.)

[rocketwonk]

Making a good LCO

I've been to a lot of different launches and heard lots of excellent LCOs (Neil, Ted, Greg, Terry, and yes, even you Tim) and lots of poor ones, too (no names here). a priori, the difference between “excellent” and “terrible” is often imperceptible. But when you're on the flight line waiting for your rocket to fly, the difference between smooth operation and torture rack (to borrow a term from the inimitable JI) is tremendous.

I've got a few ideas, but I'll also leave this post open with an ask at the bottom.

Here's what I think are the four most important attributes of the LCO job.

Safety

Timing

Knowledge

Assistance

I'll expand on these as time and research allows. This has been simmering for a while—it'll be nice to get it all in one spot.

What else can we do to make flow happen at the launch control table, while also maximizing safety and spectator enjoyment?