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Old June 18th 04, 08:50 PM
Steven P. McNicoll
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"Marty" wrote in message
...

In most cases the Display Operator contacts the controlling facility and
works out any details during the permit application process.
In the case of a display being conducted within an airports' controlled
airspace, The operator contacts the control tower just prior to the
beginning of the show and after the conclusion. It is up to the

controlling
facility whether the airport is closed, traffic rerouted, or no change of
operation. That decision is based on weather, the proximity of the display
site and the location of the display site in regards to runway
approaches/departures in use.

Many displays are conducted on the city airport property and are closed

when
the fireworks arrive on field. NOTAMs would be put out in this case.

I have done several displays at Kemper arena in downtown Kansas City and
worked with the KC Downtown tower many times and we handled traffic
differently at different times but never closed the airport. Usually it

was
up to me to stop the display if a plane was on approach. The ultimate
authority/responsibility is on the shoulders of the Display Operator.

So, if your buddy gets to close to the display, the show will be halted

till
he leaves. It is that simple. I have had to stop a number of them for this
reason. The issue of being to low over an open assembly of people is

someone
else's problem.

IMHO, an airplane is about the worst place to watch and take pictures of
fireworks, the effects are generally washed out by the contrasting city
lights. Most fireworks only go a few hundred feet.

OTOH, it is neat to go up and watch all the displays going on in the
distance but you might be disappointed with any photos you take. Been

there.

The biggest concern to me would be how many other folks are flying and
watching fireworks ;-)


I live in De Pere, Wisconsin, a nice little city that holds an annual
festival over Memorial Day weekend. Part of the celebration is a fireworks
display at a large municipal park on the river that splits the city. I am
an air traffic controller, the park is in a Class C surface area, and I was
working the night of the fireworks display. A small airplane departed the
airport on a sightseeing flight shortly before the fireworks began, he was
going to watch the display from a vantage point right over the park, which
is about 3.4 miles from the airport. A short time after the display began I
received a phone call from the Brown County Sheriff. They had received a
call from the De Pere Police Department who wanted to know if I was
communicating with an airplane that was circling over the fireworks display.
I told them I was, and then they told me that I was to ORDER the airplane
out of the area. I replied that the De Pere Police Department had no
jurisdiction over any airspace, and suggested that if they believed the
fireworks display posed a hazard to air navigation they should halt the
fireworks activity. I also told them I would relay the REQUEST of the De
Pere Police Department to the pilot. I did so, and the pilot elected to
return to the airport.

Now I knew about the upcoming fireworks display because I am a De Pere
resident, but nobody else in the facility did. Class C airspace extends to
the surface within a five mile radius of the airport, the fireworks display
was well within that area, and there was no notification given to the air
traffic control facility prior to the display. I would think that some type
of notification/approval would be required when this type of activity is
conducted near an airport. Since the federal government regulates airspace,
I'd expect it to be a federal requirement.

I did a text search of the FARs, the word "firework" appears only in Part
101, and only once:

Sec. 101.1 Applicability.

(a) This part prescribes rules governing the operation in the United
States, of the following:

(1) Except as provided for in Sec. 101.7, any balloon that is moored
to the surface of the earth or an object thereon and that has a diameter of
more than 6 feet or a gas capacity of more than 115 cubic feet.

(2) Except as provided for in Sec. 101.7, any kite that weighs more
than 5 pounds and is intended to be flown at the end of a rope or cable.

(3) Any unmanned rocket except:

(i) Aerial firework displays; and,

(ii) Model rockets:

(a) Using not more than four ounces of propellant;

(b) Using a slow-burning propellant;

(c) Made of paper, wood, or breakable plastic, containing no
substantial metal parts and weighing not more than 16 ounces, including the
propellant; and

(d) Operated in a manner that does not create a hazard to persons,
property, or other aircraft.

(4) Except as provided for in Sec. 101.7, any unmanned free balloon
that--

(i) Carries a payload package that weighs more than four pounds and
has a weight/size ratio of more than three ounces per square inch on any
surface of the package, determined by dividing the total weight in ounces of
the payload package by the area in square inches of its smallest surface;

(ii) Carries a payload package that weighs more than six pounds;

(iii) Carries a payload, of two or more packages, that weighs more
than 12 pounds; or

(iv) Uses a rope or other device for suspension of the payload that
requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to separate the suspended
payload from the balloon.

(b) For the purposes of this part, a "gyroglider" attached to a vehicle
on the surface of the earth is considered to be a kite.