Flying during 4th of July
Posted by Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 25 comments
I will be flying a little Cessna during 4th of July to look at the fireworks and will be in Houston. I was wondering if there is anything I should know or do to have a fun and safe experience.
austinstrider@reddit
I’d be curious if anyone knows the maximum height professional fireworks reach, as well as rifle and handgun bullets (given the other comments) - it would at least help establish an ideal target altitude.
IC019917@reddit
Semi-professional pyrotechnician here (100ish displays). A good rough estimation is 100ft per inch of shell diameter, and most local shows will have 5 or 6 inch shells at the largest. The really big shows will fire up to 10 inch shells, but beyond that DOT regs change how bigger shells are classified, making them more expensive, and this used far less often except for high-profile displays (generally in major cities). This same rule is how we plan the max shell we can use dependent on where the audience will be in relation to the firing site (some jurisdictions use 70ft per inch diameter, others use 100ft.)
All that said, some shells are designed to go higher than others of the same caliber (depends on the effect of the shell), so use the 100ft per inch diameter rule as a very general guide. These are also all handmade overseas with questionable quality control, so keep that in mind.
Also, consider the amount of smoke generated by the shows. It can rise quite a bit depending on the atmospheric conditions, and stay relatively thick, especially after the finale.
I won't give input on what altitude to fly, I'll let those reading this make that determination.
I'd be more concerned about people and their reckless behavior with firearms and lasers than fireworks though.
No_Currency5230@reddit
Your small house shot fireworks only go up a couple hundred feet, while the professional ones can get up to 1500ft in pretty sure
HappiestAnt122@reddit
I’m pretty sure the 1,500 foot type range is like upper end. Maybe Disney and NYCs displays are getting up there, but like your average local fireworks display I think is getting more like 500 and anything you can get off the shelf probably that or lower. That said probably better to give it some margin lol
a4andy@reddit
I did this with the wife and kids a few years back in Houston. I spent most of the time dealing with traffic in area doing the same thing, didn’t get to see much. The wife and kids had a great time and still talk about it.
skunimatrix@reddit
You won't get to enjoy it as PIC because you'll be head on a swivel. Granted I will say that ADSB-in makes that a lot less of a concern than 20 years ago if you're flying within 30nm of Bravo airspace. Your passengers are the ones that get to enjoy the show.
Schrockwell@reddit
Even if you're just flying around randomly, get flight following and let ATC know your intentions. And if you get lasered by some idiot, turn off all external lights.
Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the tip.
MaddingtonBear@reddit
You won't be the only one out there, so head on a swivel. Fireworks are much smaller than you think from 5500 or 6500; the cooler part is being able to see lots of shows at once.
Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)
Roger, I plan on being 1500 agl.
CaliAv8rix@reddit
The fireworks themselves are sorta underwhelming from above. Be on the lookout for other traffic, there will be lots of people with the same idea flying around. Be extra vigilant on landing / takeoff… drunk airport neighbors don’t always care about checking for landing traffic before launching some fireworks off the back porch. Also gunfire. Also everybody’s drones are out taking video of all the fireworks. But other than all that, have fun! Everyone does it at least once. :)
Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)
Thanks, will do.
pilotshashi@reddit
Please do share the view. 🤳
Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)
Will do 👍
Empty_Willow4718@reddit
Be extra careful of other aircraft a lot of other people have the same idea
Living_Guess_2845@reddit
Took my wife up last year and it was one of my favorite flights! I got flight following but we were the only bird in the sky. 1500 AGL gave plenty of room for even the professional shows. While you don't feel the boom, it was incredibly neat watching every house light up with the DIYers lighting their own. We were able to watch all three professional shows run in my city.
Plus-Tone-2532@reddit
One thing to be aware of…. Some people like to fire guns indiscriminately into the air in celebration.
psillyhobby@reddit
I was hit by a bullet at 1,200’ while watching fireworks on NYE. Pretty dumb idea in hindsight.
TobyADev@reddit
some people are mentally ill. those ones included
psillyhobby@reddit
I was hit by a bullet at 1,200’ on NYE. Pretty dumb in hindsight.
remingtonbox@reddit
It’s incredibly underwhelming. You see the fire works bursts but it’s like the sound is turned off. 1/10, I’ll not do it again.
No_Week_8106@reddit
Fireworks from above aren't nearly as impressive as from the ground. Flew over Disneyland during display. Grat story to tell, but it's just not that impressive
escapingdarwin@reddit
Flying into LAX on the night of July 4th is pretty impressive.
Immediate_1200@reddit
From a fun perspective- it’s beautiful! It was before i started my career in AV so i wasn’t a part of the saftey considerations/ planning, but id definitely recommend the experience 👍🏼
rFlyingTower@reddit
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I will be flying a little Cessna during 4th of July to look at the fireworks and will be in Houston. I was wondering if there is anything I should know or do to have a fun and safe experience.
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