Historical Society meeting a blast with Rocketbelt Convention Founder

The April meeting of the Historical Society of Topsail Island paid homage to spring with tables dressed in pastels with flowerpots filled with white sweet peas as centerpieces.  There were other eye-catching items at the Assembly Building that day as well.

Pictures of men flying with what looked like rockets strapped on their backs hung on the walls and two tables displaying scrapbooks, CDs, books, magazine articles, technical schematics and more photographs of men flying in mid-air gave this month's meeting a sense of a science and technology convention.

Guest speaker Kathleen Clough brought the collection of memorabilia. Clough, North Topsail Beach's Town Clerk and Interim Manager, is the daughter of Tom Lennon.  Lennon holds the world record for the longest flight wearing a rocketbelt - a total of three minutes.

Clough enthralled Historical Society members with details and anecdotes of the development of the rocketbelt. She explained how the rocketbelt technology and concepts have made an impact on missions to the moon and cruise missiles. One of the earliest expected uses of the rocketbelt had military applications to be used by Army foot soldiers. Members also learned that there are only six living rocketbelt pilots and all gathered to attend the International Rocketbelt Convention founded by Clough.

The rocketbelt has some commonality with the Ramjet rocket propulsion system which was tested on Topsail and is usually referred to as "Project Bumblebee." Clough is currently researching how the testing done on Topsail contributed to advancements in rocket technology.

Though the technology for the rocketbelt had begun as early as 1919, most people are only aware of it through movies such as the James Bond film "Thunderball" and the old TV show "Lost in Space." Last October, the rocketbelt was showcased during a Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys football game as part of the events welcoming home the Niagara Falls Air Guard 107th Air Refueling Wing from Iraq.

Missiles and More Museum Director Rose Peters invited members to see the V-22 Osprey exhibit which has already proved to be a popular draw among visitors since it opened on April 7. A new addition to the exhibit is the collection of squadron emblems from all the V-22 squadrons at New River Air Station. These are the "patches" worn on a pilot's flight suit designating him as part of a V-22 Osprey unit. Clough, along with Charlie Robrecht and Rose Peters, worked on this new display.

For more information about the Historical Society or the Missiles and More Museum contact Museum Director Rose Peters at (910) 328-2488. The next meeting of the Historical Society of Topsail Island is May 8. Interested in learning more about the Rocketbelt? Visit www.rocketbelt.nl.