How high are fireworks?

[Reid & Julie Baldwin]

As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought about
what they would look like from the air. Before I fly in the vicinity of a
fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know how high those flaming
projectiles go.

[Peter Duniho]

"Reid & Julie Baldwin" > wrote in message
...
> As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought about
> what they would look like from the air. Before I fly in the vicinity of a
> fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know how high those
> flaming projectiles go.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=group%3Arec.aviation.piloting+fireworks

[Andrew Sarangan]

Couple of hundred feet high is my guess. I have seen fireworks from the
air, and they are a dull event. They look like sparkles on the ground.
Don't waste your time. Fireworks are best viewed from the ground.




"Reid & Julie Baldwin" > wrote in
:

> As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought
> about what they would look like from the air. Before I fly in the
> vicinity of a fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know how
> high those flaming projectiles go.
>
>
>

[Jose]

Fireworks go up to 1500 feet in the air. The littler ones go a few
hundred feet up, but the big displays can send an occasional one up a
thousand feet. The burst from the bigger ones is several hundred feet
across (thus my statement that you are unlikely to find anything above
1500). I flew over the Macy's display some (koff) years back and was
above them (but not by much) while below the class B.

They are indeed more specatcular from the ground, up close. However,
they are interesting from the air inasmuch as the aircraft's motion
changes the perspective on the burst as it is exploding, which is a neat
effect and worth flying to see. It's also fun to see the displays all
over the land as you are flying around.

Jose
--
You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you get.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Morgans]

"Jose" > wrote

> changes the perspective on the burst as it is exploding, which is a neat
> effect and worth flying to see. It's also fun to see the displays all
> over the land as you are flying around.

Second that. I was flying commercial on a seriously clear 4th, a few years
back. On approach, it was amazing, how many places were sending up
displays, big ones. Really spectacular.

I was so close on the ground this year, that I had ashes, and occasionally
big pieces of cardboard raining down on me. There was also a brick wall
about 20 feet from me, and the echoes really increased the strength of the
concussion.

That would be lost, in the air. I'll stay on the ground, if given the
choice.
--
Jim in NC

[n93332]

You're right!

Seems like each year a friend tries to talk me into taking them up to see
the fireworks from the air. I tell them it just isn't worth it. The view
from the air with all the ground clutter lights is less than spectacular.
Also, don't get to hear the fireworks, the booms just aren't loud enough to
be heard well over the engine (unless you get too close!). Much better
enjoyment from the ground with a beer in hand.


"Andrew Sarangan" > wrote in message
. ..
> Couple of hundred feet high is my guess. I have seen fireworks from the
> air, and they are a dull event. They look like sparkles on the ground.
> Don't waste your time. Fireworks are best viewed from the ground.
>
> "Reid & Julie Baldwin" > wrote in
> :
>
>> As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought
>> about what they would look like from the air. Before I fly in the
>> vicinity of a fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know how
>> high those flaming projectiles go.
>>
>>
>>
>

[Robert M. Gary]

Jose wrote:
> Fireworks go up to 1500 feet in the air.

I guess some may go that high. Most large shows go about 500 feet.

-Robert

[Peter R.]

Jose > wrote:

> Fireworks go up to 1500 feet in the air.

If they routinely went that high, wouldn't there be NOTAMs across the
country mentioning the times and location of various shows? It seems to me
that 1,500 ft AGL is definitely a hazard to aircraft.

My thoughts while watching a mid-sized show from the ground last night was
that none got about 500 feet.

--
Peter


















----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

[Blueskies]

"Reid & Julie Baldwin" > wrote in message ...
> As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought about what they would look like from the air.
> Before I fly in the vicinity of a fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know how high those flaming
> projectiles go.
>

The amateur stuff pops at 100' or so. They had a really big maybe 16" shell that they sent up in Boston; launched to
1200' then burst. Most pop by 500' or so...

[Gene Seibel]

There is also a more three dimensional effect when viewing from the
air.
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because we fly, we envy no one.


Jose wrote:
> Fireworks go up to 1500 feet in the air. The littler ones go a few
> hundred feet up, but the big displays can send an occasional one up a
> thousand feet. The burst from the bigger ones is several hundred feet
> across (thus my statement that you are unlikely to find anything above
> 1500). I flew over the Macy's display some (koff) years back and was
> above them (but not by much) while below the class B.
>
> They are indeed more specatcular from the ground, up close. However,
> they are interesting from the air inasmuch as the aircraft's motion
> changes the perspective on the burst as it is exploding, which is a neat
> effect and worth flying to see. It's also fun to see the displays all
> over the land as you are flying around.
>
> Jose
> --
> You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you get.
> for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Marty Shapiro]

"Blueskies" > wrote in
:

>
> "Reid & Julie Baldwin" > wrote in message
> ...
>> As I watched some amateur fireworks displays this weekend, I thought
>> about what they would look like from the air. Before I fly in the
>> vicinity of a fireworks display, however, it would be nice to know
>> how high those flaming projectiles go.
>>
>
> The amateur stuff pops at 100' or so. They had a really big maybe 16"
> shell that they sent up in Boston; launched to 1200' then burst. Most
> pop by 500' or so...
>
>

I watched last year's fireworks atop the Stratosphere Tower in Las
Vegas. The indoor observation deck is 860' AGL and the fireworks were
launched from the top of the parking garage, perhaps 60' AGL. Most of the
rockets exploded pretty much at eye level. The ones exploding above were
more spectacular than the ones which detonated below.

For those not familiar with the tower, the glass on the indoor
observation deck slants outwards as it rises, so you can look straight
down. It does muffle a lot of the sound.

The outdoor observation deck was closed during the show for safety.
Several cardboard shards from the exploding rockets bounced off the windows
in front of me.

--
Marty Shapiro
Silicon Rallye Inc.

(remove SPAMNOT to email me)

[Bob Fry]

>>>>> "AS" == Andrew Sarangan > writes:

AS> Couple of hundred feet high is my guess. I have seen fireworks
AS> from the air, and they are a dull event. They look like
AS> sparkles on the ground. Don't waste your time.

They're worth seeing at least once, especially the bigger events. A
few weeks ago there was occasion to shoot some spectacular fireworks
at the SF side of the Bay Bridge, and I happened to be flying over the
Bay and down the coast while they were going off...now that was great.

[John Clonts]

"Andrew Sarangan" > wrote in message
. ..
> Couple of hundred feet high is my guess. I have seen fireworks from the
> air, and they are a dull event. They look like sparkles on the ground.
> Don't waste your time. Fireworks are best viewed from the ground.
>

I mostly agree. Last night I flew from Abilene to Temple from about 9:15-10:15. The impressiveness of the
individual shows was not great (especially from 7000 feet!). But it was pretty neat to see across the entire
landscape the little technicolor bubbles sort of spewing out of the ground. There was probably no instant when
there wasn't one erupting somewhere in view. You could tell the municipal-scale versus the individual-scale by
the size and frequency.

Of course they were ALL dwarfed to nothingness by the show being put on to the southwest of my route, by a
mature thunderstorm area about a hundred miles across. Seeing a lightning show like that from the air is
indeed awesome, because you get the scale and the 3-D-ness of it. And seeing it in the background of the
little "blips" of the fireworks shows really gives a sense of perspective between "forces of man" and "forces
of nature".

--
Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

[Gary]

That sounds about right. As a rough rule of thumb, mortar-fired
firework shells go up about 100 feet per inch of diameter. Many
small-to-medium municipal shows don't shoot anything above 6" in
diameter, because larger mortars have to be buried for most of their
lenght, while 6" tubes (or smaller) can be set above ground.

Larger shows will include 8-12" shells, and even larger shells are
available (though they don't see a lot of use).

[Morgans]

"Gary" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> That sounds about right. As a rough rule of thumb, mortar-fired
> firework shells go up about 100 feet per inch of diameter.

At our recent fireworks, (pretty good sized display) It seemed to me, that
the shells took about 6 seconds, from launch to explosion. If they were
nearly stopped, and about to come back down, it would work out (using math)
to 576 feet.
--
Jim in NC

[NW_PILOT]

"Gary" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> That sounds about right. As a rough rule of thumb, mortar-fired
> firework shells go up about 100 feet per inch of diameter. Many
> small-to-medium municipal shows don't shoot anything above 6" in
> diameter, because larger mortars have to be buried for most of their
> lenght, while 6" tubes (or smaller) can be set above ground.
>
> Larger shows will include 8-12" shells, and even larger shells are
> available (though they don't see a lot of use).
>

I helped a guy build some quite large ones few years back, the coolest ones
were the 5lbs of calf's milk and 1lb of flash powder in the center. Man that
powdered milk can burn for a long time. he did the show in Wildrose, ND
"rostins thunder & lightning show" something like that.