We had some ESTES model rockets in grade school. I ordered the model "WAC" Corporal from the firm in Colorado, but they did not include the solid propellant engines I ordered. At that time, circa 1968, the engines could not be sold in California without some kind of permit.
So we had the local fire marshall visit the proposed launch site, my Dads 200+ acre farm/ranch in Milpitas California. After the visit, he approved the area safe for the rocket launches and signed over the permit. With that in hand, we legally purchased the engines mail-order and launched the rockets.
We formed kind of a club, four of us boys in the same seventh grade class. One of the fathers was the keeper of the permit. The launch control had about 10 feet of wire, but this father insisted I increase the length to double or so. I made the extension, just twisted the two wires together (no solder, not even electrical tape).
So one time I was hunched down at the battery-operated launch pad to attach the alligator clips to the igniter at the base of the engine when the rocket launched, more or less right in my face. I was OK, but asked my friends if my face was black from the exhaust of the rocket engine. Of course, there was no sign of anything on my face (I guess I was thinking of what happened to the Three Stooges when something like that happens). Anyway, the wires I had failed to tape/insulate had crossed and caused the short circuit that caused the accident-lesson learned.
