Latest Updates

Updated March 3, 2020

Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab Tours

A few reminders before  the mirror lab tour on March 6th, 2020:

  1. Closed-toe flat shoes are required for the tour.  Sneakers are highly recommended for ease, safety, and comfort. The mirror tour will deny entry to attendees without closed-toe shoes.
  2. The mirror lab does not allow food or drink inside the facility.
  3. The mirror lab asks that oversized or large bags and tripods are not brought on the tour.
  4. The mirror lab asks groups to arrive about 10 minutes in advance of the tour time to ensure a prompt start.
Online registration is now closed. You may still register in person at the host hotel.

Directions to Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab Tours

Allow at least 20 minutes:

From the Sheraton Tucson Hotel
5151 E Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85712

Head northwest toward N Rosemont Blvd, 138 ft
Turn left toward N Rosemont Blvd, 148 ft
Turn left onto N Rosemont Blvd, 348 ft
     Pass by IHOP (on the left)
Turn right onto E Grant Rd, 2.5 mi
     Pass by Smashburger (on the right in 0.4 mi)
Turn left onto N Country Club Rd, 1.5 mi
Turn right onto E 6th St, 1.2 mi
Turn right onto N National Championship Dr
Destination will be on the left, 305 ft

Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory
527 N National Championship Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85719

The laboratory is located on the east side of UA Football Stadium. Please look for Gate 4 of the football stadium, follow the sidewalk south to the Mirror Lab entrance.  Look for two blue benches.

Note:  the Mirror Lab parking lot is restricted to UA permit parking, so please use parking meters or the Cherry Ave (north of stadium) or South Stadium Garages.  All parking is self-pay.

Sport Rocketry

Our Sport Rocketry editor, Tom Beach, would like articles on the NARCON experience.  If you would like first “dibs” on a NARCON article subject please respond to Steve Lubliner at stephenlubliner@compuserve.com.  I will also have a sign-up sheet at the NARCON registration table.   The following are some pointers for your NARCON articles:
  1.  Keep articles to around 500 to 700 words but if the topic and speaker were very engaging then longer articles will be considered.
  2. If there were important take aways from the presentation include them in your article.   You are not expected to relate everything from the whole talk but concentrate on explaining a few of the more useful or interesting things from the talk.
  3. It’s nice if photos can show the presenter holding some prop, rather than just standing behind a podium (or maybe closeups of some items that were discussed, if there’s something to show off).  In some cases, the author may be able to provide some important diagram from one of his or her presentation slides.
  4. If individuals have shorter contributions, like tour summaries, manufacturers’ forum, or “my First NARCON pieces” they will be welcomed and can be incorporated into the NARCON overview article.
  5. NARCON coverage goes into the July/August issue.  To allow time for article compilation please have all submissions to Stephen Lubliner at the following address: stephenlubliner@compuserve.com.  The submission deadline is 12 April 2020.
  6. Photos should be high resolution, low compression, uncropped originals. It helps a lot if submitters supply captions for the ones you feel are best and definitely should be used… but it isn’t necessary to provide captions for ALL of them (but if Tom Beach decides he likes one of the uncaptioned ones he will need a quick response via email since that happens in the proofing stage and requires fast turnaround). Any photos that submitters think might make good cover pictures (allowing for placement of magazine title, other text, and address label) should be pointed out.  The photos and other images should NOT be embedded in the Word files of the articles — they should be separate files.  Usually, this many high resolution photos are best submitted on disc or placed online where Tom Beach can access them (such as on an FTP server or DropBox).
  7. One of the main points of the NARCON coverage is to relate to members how much fun a NARCON is.

Pima Air Museum

The Pima Air Museum is willing to accept updates to our number of group attendees until the close of business on March 3 (the earlier February 1 deadline no longer applies).  The plan for the Pima Air Museum access is to meet at the museum and check in at 10:00 am (if this causes problems for anybody already registered for the museum tour please contact Steve Lubliner).  Steve Lubliner will actually be at the museum between 9:30 am and 9:45 to make the final arrangements and payment (Museum rules say that the group rate has to be made in one payment and on one receipt.). The admittance is good all day so individuals who need to leave for the midday mirror tour or Boneyard tours can go and then return to the museum.  The museum tram tours are NOT included in the group rate.

Mirror Lab Tour

It was pointed out that the Mirror Lab tours will occur before registration is open.  For those folks attending the early (11:00 AM) Mirror Lab tour I will either be at the laboratory to confirm your registration with the Mirror Lab folks or, if they are willing, I will leave a list with the admittance folks stating who has registered for the tour and paid.  I am attending the afternoon (2:30 PM) Mirror Lab tour so I will be there with a list of who has registered for the tour and paid.—Steve Lubliner

Share