NathanR From United States, joined Jan 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 months 2 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1925 times:
Since 4th of July is around the corner, I was wondering about the safety of airplanes and fireworks. Do pilots take extra precautions to avoid being hit? Are there any restrictions for the public to where you can and can't light them off, like around airports? Or do they even have to worry at all?
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 7330 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (3 months 2 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1919 times:
Wow....it's the 4th of July and guess which question has raised its head again.....No.... the traditional fireworks display do not get high enough to be an issue for aircraft.... but, cities are not allowed to shoot them off around airports. If it's an issue... they will call the police had have them shut down.
[Edited 2008-06-30 18:06:36]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
TF39 From United States, joined Jul 2006, 65 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
Near PDX, there's a fireworks barge in the Columbia river off of the I5 bridge which is somewhat in line with the 10R/10L runways. The fireworks start around 10 pm and they're very impressive fireworks. Unfortunately I don't recall if the airport delays inbound traffic (or takeoffs depending on the runway used) until the show is over roughly at 11 pm.
Bio15 From Colombia, joined Mar 2001, 1047 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1687 times:
Don't know about fireworks, but in flight school I once flew just past a kite on long final at a small uncontrolled airfield on a Cherokee. Don't think it could have done much harm, perhaps a popping firework next to you could have some effects! Coincidentially, when leaving the airport to the hotel, the taxi snatched on the string of a fallen kite that lied across the road, and we dragged it a couple of blocks. The kite was pretty much unserviceable after that, and my instructor and I were kind of glad
Starlionblue From Greenland, joined Feb 2004, 12743 posts, RR: 57 Reply 4, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1634 times:
I'm not an expert but I think that most fireworks, apart possibly from some professional ones, aren't really that powerful. Compared to an AA shell they're just firecrackers. Not saying you should fly into one but if you're sitting in an airliner I wouldn't worry. In a 172 perhaps if it flies through the windshield and knocks you on the head. Then again I don't know if a rocket is powerful enough to even breach the windshield.
My real self is a Blood Elf Mage in Azeroth. Meet him on Boulderfist.
At my school I was workin on a weekend and someone was flying a kite near the theatre I was working in. The kid got it to a repectable hieght, almost a thosand feet. Mind you, the school is under the base leg of the traffic pattern for the nearby GA field. Once he got it stuck, a plane decided to come by. I ran up on top of the theatre and sliced the cord. As the plane was doing touch-and-goes, he came back around and rocked his wings as I waved
Mark
I Love ONT and SNA, the good So Cal Airports! URL Removed as required by mod
BWilliams From United States, joined Sep 2007, 147 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1378 times:
I was watching some fireworks out my front window last night that one of my neighbors a few streets down was firing off. He was right under the the final approach for BUF RWY 5, and a landing a/c flashed his landing lights a few times before he flew over. Neighbors had the common sense to stop, but I'm not sure what would have happened if they didn't (the a/c are probably at 500AGL when they pass over the neighborhood, and this guy was shooting off profesional fireworks, so they really got up there)
Greg3322 From United States, joined Aug 2004, 144 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (3 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1292 times:
Disneyland in California has nightly firework shows during the summer. Pre 9-11, we used to go watch them on a regular basis. At about 1,200 feet agl, the fireworks were well below us - maybe 200' to 300' agl at the most. Not nearly as impressive as they are on the ground.
N215AZ From United States, joined Oct 2006, 77 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 1211 times:
I do know that last night at 1G0 (Bowling Green, OH) the city was having its fireworks show and they stopped them for a plane to come in. I am not sure if it was because they saw the plane coming or what the deal was. As far as I know it was a GA plane, but they stopped the show to let them in and started it up again a few moments after it landed.
It could be due to the close proximity of the fireworks to the airfield, they were less than a mile south of the field.
Hope you all had a safe and happy 4th!
Without Wax,
N215AZ
"Atra esternĂ ono thelduin, Mor'ranr lĂfa unin hjarta onr, Un du evarĂnya ono varda."
ImperialEagle From United States, joined Jan 2006, 619 posts, RR: 9 Reply 13, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1152 times:
Quoting EMBQA (Reply 1): but, cities are not allowed to shoot them off around airports. If it's an issue... they will call the police had have them shut down.
Anyone who lives or who has lived in the more "interesting" suburbs of Atlanta's south side such as East Point and College Park knows damned well that not only is the fireworks out of control, but so is the automatic weapon fire. (And more than a few "ghetto's" are directly under the approach and departure paths to ATL and they also border them.) New Years Eve, the Fourth of July, and there are a few "ethnic" holidays that are also included.
More to the point---if the traditional fireworks is unobtainable---than the preferred noisemakers are weapons. I would hate to think of how many of the idiots firing those weapons has the wherewithall to aim them at the ground!!!!!! Very few I'm sure.
From personal experience I can attest to the fact that in the heigth of the gunfire---if you call the East Point Police Department they might or might not send someone out. I personally have been told they will "wait untill the 'shootin stops" before taking a ride through the 'hood.
So it just depends on what area you are talking about, and who the dispatcher on duty is.
The police have simply been overcome by the criminal element.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough!"
Seb146 From United States, joined Nov 1999, 4975 posts, RR: 15 Reply 14, posted (3 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 954 times:
Quoting TF39 (Reply 2): Near PDX, there's a fireworks barge in the Columbia river off of the I5 bridge which is somewhat in line with the 10R/10L runways. The fireworks start around 10 pm and they're very impressive fireworks. Unfortunately I don't recall if the airport delays inbound traffic (or takeoffs depending on the runway used) until the show is over roughly at 11 pm.
Usually, at night, PDX uses 28R/28L anyway. I live right under the approach to 28R/28L, so I have a little first hand knowledge of this.
There is not much outbound traffic from PDX that time of night, anyway. But, there have been flights leave up to 15 minuets before the show from 28L. That flight path does not go directly over the barge full of fireworks. This year, however, AS used 28L DURING the show. Also, US left during the show, but, they used 28R, which was almost directly over the display.
Babybus From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 1407 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (3 months 3 hours ago) and read 715 times:
I've flown over London on Nov 5 and the fireworks look like they are miles below or exploding right next to the ground. Can't imagine it was a fear for the pilots.
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From United States, joined Jan 2008, 19 posts, 
From Colombia, joined Mar 2001, 1047 posts, 
Coincidentially, when leaving the airport to the hotel, the taxi snatched on the string of a fallen kite that lied across the road, and we dragged it a couple of blocks. The kite was pretty much unserviceable after that, and my instructor and I were kind of glad 
From Greenland, joined Feb 2004, 12743 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 563 posts, 
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