Eponymously Yours, W. Skeffington Higgins

You may recall that I attended the Rocketbelt Convention last year, had a wonderful time, met old rocket belt hands and new inventors, and (twice) watched GoFast rocket belt flights.

On 11 and 12 August-- the weekend after next-- a second Rocketbelt Convention will be held in Niagara Falls, New York. It will be part of the Thunder of Niagara Air Show that weekend, at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

I understand there will be talks in a building on the airbase. Once again, former Bell Aerospace rocket belt pilots will be speaking. These guys were involved not only in the rocket belt, but in X-planes, Rogallo wings, VTOLs, and the Apollo program. Their stories are well worth hearing.

Even more next-generation belt builders will be on hand, along with some of their hardware. And there will again be rocket belt flights by the Jetpack International folks, sponsored by GoFast energy drink, still my favorite energy drink (though I've never tasted any).

If you like, while you're nearby, you can visit the Niagara Aerospace Museum in downtown Niagara Falls, which is mighty good.

This is your chance to see a man fly. Along with a bunch of more conventional aircraft. And to meet some peroxide-powered legends. Tell 'em I sent you. And spread the word.

By popular demand, Harold Graham performing "My Rocketbelt Daze" on the baritone ukulele. Video by John B. Carnett, who was covering the conference for Popular Science.

(Thanks to whl, streettech.com, and smithmag.net for pointers.)

My Rocket Belt Daze
by Harold Graham
Copyright 2006 by Harold Graham


I am getting old and feeble now
and I cannot work no more
They put the old rocket belt away
No more demonstrations in front of JFK
No more flights at the U.S. Pentagon

Oh, my rocket belt days are over
My fame is fleeting fast
The task before you people
Is to improve upon the past

Wendell, Ed, and Ernie are up there looking down
Their spirits now are roaming with the blessed
Their efforts on the project
Brought them great renown
I tip my hat up to them
I wish they'd come back down

Oh, my fame is fleeting fast
Reporters never call
Haven't had a press release
in years
But sometimes in the springtime
More often, in the fall
I remember certain details
After tossing back some beers...

Here are a few of my photos from Day One. ( Rocketbelt Convention )

Am in Niagara Falls at the Rocketbelt Convention, a gathering of former Bell Rocket Belt pilots and engineers, new-generation RB builders, and enthusiasts. At one point I thought I was gonna be the only guy here who doesn't have an Agena engine in his garage.

I have posted some of my photos to Flickr. I'll work on captions when I get some time.

Met first pilot to fly a rocketbelt, Hal Graham. Quizzed John Spencer, test pilot for X-22 ducted-fan VTOL (which is here in the museum). Sat in rocket chair. Saw three Bell belts and a couple of others. Visited vast Bell plant, where they turned out about one P-39 fighter per hour during WWII. Stood in the pit where the X-1 and her sister rocketplanes were slung beneath B-29s. Met daughters and wife of Bell's chief photographer, Thomas Lennon. Met Hugh Neeson, former VP of Bell Aerospace, trustee of the Niagara Aerospace Museum, and walking encyclopedia on Bell history.

Saturday should be fun.