Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Tuesday 21 November 2017
Self-taught rocket scientist plans to launch over ghost town

By PAT GRAHAM launch pad is attached to ing fans — safety issues —
AP Sports Writer a motor home he bought but it will be televised on his
The countdown to launch for $1,500. YouTube channel . He said
creeps closer and there’s “I want to inspire others — he’s been in contact with
still plenty for self-taught and you have to do some- the Federal Aviation Ad-
rocket scientist Mad Mike thing incredible to get any- ministration and the Bureau
Hughes to do: Last-second body’s attention,” he said. of Land Management.
modifications to his vessel. The location of the jump will Following his jump, he said
Pick up his flight suit. Leave be Amboy, a ghost town he’s going to announce his
out enough food for his four located in the Mojave Des- plans to leap into the race
cats — just in case anything ert and along historic Route for governor of California.
happens. 66. The fictional town of Ra- No joke.
Hughes is a 61-year-old limo diator Springs in the Disney His future plans include an
driver who’s spent the last movie “Cars” was loosely excursion into space. He
few years building a steam- based on Amboy. and Stakes have already
powered rocket out of sal- Hughes got permission from brain-stormed on a “Rock-
vage parts in his garage. His the town’s owner, Albert oon,” which is a rocket
project has cost him a total In this Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, photograph, daredevil/ Okura, who purchased the that, rather than being im-
of $20,000, which includes limousine driver Mad Mike Hughes is shown with with his rights to Amboy in 2005 for mediately ignited while on
Rust-Oleum paint to fancy steam=powered rocket constructed out of salvage parts on a $435,000. The launch will the ground, is carried into
it up and a motor home he five-acre property that he leases in Apple Valley, Cal. take place on an air strip the atmosphere by a gas-
bought on Craig’s List that Associated Press next to a dilapidated han- filled balloon, then separat-
he converted into a ramp. thrust. But that’s not sci- of requests, but this one gar. ed from the balloon and lit.
His first test of the rocket will ence, that’s just a formula. stood out because Hughes “It is absolutely the most This rocket will take Hughes
also be the launch date — There’s no difference be- was building it himself. wacky promotional pro- about 68 miles up.
Saturday , when he straps tween science and sci- “Nothing is out of reach,” posal I have had since I First things first — this jump
into his homemade con- ence fiction.” Stakes said. “Anything can purchased the entire town over a ghost town. He will
traption and attempts to This will actually be the sec- be done. You just have to in 2005,” said Okura, who’s be tinkering with his rocket
hurtle over the ghost town ond time he’s constructed put enough money, time also the founder of the right up to takeoff.
of Amboy, California. and launched a rocket. He and thought into it.” Juan Pollo restaurant chain. “A guy who builds his own
He will travel about a mile jumped on a private prop- Here’s the thing: Hughes “He is a true daredevil and I
at a speed of roughly 500 erty in Winkelman, Arizona, doesn’t make all that much want to be part of it.”
mph. on Jan. 30, 2014 , and trav- money — $15 per hour as a On the morning of the
“If you’re not scared to eled 1,374 feet. He col- limo driver, plus tips. That’s launch, Hughes will heat 70
death, you’re an idiot,” lapsed after that landing why he’s scrounged for gallons of water in a stain-
Hughes said . “It’s scary as — the G-forces taking a toll parts, finding the aluminum less steel tank and then
hell, but none of us are get- — and needed three days for his rocket in metal shops blast off between 2 and
ting out of this world alive. to recover. and constructing the rock- 3 p.m. PT. He plans to go
I like to do extraordinary That distance, though, et nozzle out of an aircraft about a mile — reaching an
things that no one else can would’ve been enough to air filter. altitude of about 1,800 feet
do, and no one in the his- clear the Snake River Can- He gave it a good varnish — before pulling two para-
tory of mankind has de- yon, which is a jump dare- of cheap paint, and his chutes. They’re discourag-
signed, built and launched devil Evel Knievel made
himself in his own rocket. famous when he failed to
“I’m a walking reality clear it during his attempt in
show.” 1974. Stuntman Eddie Braun In this Saturday, Nov. 11,
The daredevil/limo driver did successfully rocketed 2017, photograph, the flight
has been called a little bit over the canyon — using suit of self-taught rocket sci-
of everything over his ca- Knievel’s original blueprints entist and limousine driver
reer — eccentric, quirky, — in September 2016. Mad Mike Hughes is shown at
foolhardy. Doesn’t bother Just don’t mention Knievel the rental property on which
the man has constructed a
him. He believes what he around Hughes. He’s not a steam-powered rocket in Ap-
believes, including that the fan. ple Valley, Cal.
earth is flat. He knows this “He was an average stunt Associated Press
thought is a conundrum, guy,” said Hughes, a former
given that he’s about to motorcycle racer. “He stole rocket in his garage, about
launch himself into the at- his look from Elvis.” to jump a mile is pretty
mosphere. Hughes constructed his lat- cool,” Hughes said. “It’s the
Down the road, he’s in- est rocket at the “Rocket most interesting human-in-
tending to build a rocket Ranch” in Apple Valley, terest story in the world.”q
that takes him to space, so California. It’s a five-acre
he can snap a picture and property he leases from
see with his own eyes. Waldo Stakes , the CEO of
“I don’t believe in science,” Land Speed Research Ve-
said Hughes, whose main hicles who’s currently work-
sponsor for the rocket is Re- ing on a project to make a
search Flat Earth. “I know car travel 2,000 mph.
about aerodynamics and Their relationship formed a In this Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 photograph, the homemade,
fluid dynamics and how few years ago when Hughes steam-powered rocket built by daredevil/limosuine drive Mad
things move through the approached Stakes about Mike Hughes is shown on the property the man leases in Apple
area, about the certain building a rocket. Stakes re- Valley, Cal.
size of rocket nozzles, and ceives plenty of these sorts Associated Press