The normal Challenger 498 launch window is scheduled for the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10AM until interest wanes or 5PM. Occasionally launch windows are extended for night flights or moved to the following Sunday.

Launches are held at Jeff Robert's cattle ranch just outside Needville TX in the Southeast field. The address for the ranch is:

16703 Hubenak Road
Needville, TX 77461

The entrance is located on the south side of the field.

A FAA waiver is filed for each launch which allows us to reach 7,000 ft of altitude with our rockets. We usually follow an informal launch plan with several pads set up and no RSO/SCO check-in required. New fliers and/or infrequent fliers will be informally checked to ensure proper safety regulations and protocols are followed.

We try to maintain a crosswind launch pad configuration so that all flights follow a trajectory parallel to the flight line to minimize our risk exposure from any ballistic trajectories. For larger crowds and formal competitions, a standardized check-in procedure must be followed with all flights under the discretion of the RSO(s).