Re: Small Islands

Kyle, here in New England we have to be careful in the display of
fireworks near the coast or offshore since it attracts the Coast Guard
who are trying to save lives. Fireworks are easily mistaken for
distress flares here in the North Atlantic coastal waters.

As both a pyro and an offshore sailer, I really wouldn't want it to be
otherwise.

                                                 Harry C.

 





"Kyle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> Usually when I go to the islands it is with a bunch of other pyros and we
> bring a good deal of stuff to shoot to make it worth the trip.  Since we
> have to get a friend with a boat to take us on the 30 minute trip, we need
> to be shooting enough pyro to make it worth his time.  It also helps to do
> it on the 4th or New Years when the islands are already filled with other
> people shooting class C.
> 
> However, it's pretty rare to get enough people together to do an island
> trip, and testing can't wait for that.  Luckfully I live 15 minutes from a
> display operator with a magazine and a big field in the country that he
> routinely tests his own products at.  So if I need to test something I just
> go there and shoot it.  One thing I never do is test stuff where I live.
> 
> I've never had to get a permit, so I can't tell you much about that process.
> When I test stuff at guild meetings they already have the permit.  I don't
> think my display operator friend pulls a permit every time he needs to test
> stuff though, and most people I know don't mess with permits due to the
> notion that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for
> permission.  As long as you are in an isolated area like a country farm or
> offshore island, chances are you are not going to run into a problem
> shooting color shells.  It is a good idea to avoid large boomers unless you
> are at a permitted event though.
> 
> This is not to say that people don't get busted even when testing small
> items in remote areas.  I had one subscriber in California who got hassled
> pretty hard by a bunch of state and federal agents who happened to be in the
> area when he was testing comets near federally protedcted land.  Granted
> California has more reason to be concerned over the use of fireworks than
> any other state due to the tinderbox that place seems to be, but the
> environmental regulators and local cops went to his house, took all his
> chemicals and supplies and asked a lot of questions.  So the risk factor of
> going under the radar depends a lot on local attitudes regarding fireworks,
> the naure of the site you choose to do it and your own judgement about how
> far to push your luck.
> 
> -Kyle
> 
> "Joe 123" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Hey Kyle,
> >
> > Do you always go out to this island to test your stuff.  I mean I can make
> > 40 -50 shells but I need to test a few and basically I have to go
>  somewhere
> > and test it and leave quikly.  It dosent make sense that we can buy
>  300-500$
> > worth of chems and not be able to lite anything off.  I can shoot guns
>  where
> > bullets travel miles and are loud as heck and in my opinion  way more
> > dangerous than a 4" shell in a open field.
> >
> > Also lets say next 4th of july I want to set off 50  4" shells, 20 6"
>  shells
> > and a few other things,  Do I have to get a permit and if so do I have to
> > have a BATF liscense to get the permit.  I know you set off alot of stuff
>  so
> > you must have a little more knowledge about these matters.  PLEASE
> >
> > Joe
> >
> > "Kyle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > I've done this quite a bit and never had any problems.  I've even done
>  it
>  on
> > > small islands that were only about a mile off shore.  In fact, there is
>  one
> > > island that has become so popular as a fireworks shooting area that the
> > > locals have come to call it "fireworks island."  It's probably the
>  safest
> > > place you could ever test fireworks, as you don't have to worry about
>  fires,
> > > local complaints or where that 8ft long rocket stick is going to come
>  down!
> > >
> > > However, if you plan to do something very large or loud, save it for
>  last
> > > and plan to get off the island as soon as it goes.  A friend of mine did
> > > manage to attract the coast guard in this way, but he was off the island
> > > before they got there.
> > >
> > > -Kyle
> > >
> > > "Piccolo Pete" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > > I was just wondering...
> > > >
> > > > What do you think would happen if someone were to go out to a tiny
> > > > uninhabited island that was at least a half mile away from shore and
>  shot
> > > > some good sized shells?
> > > >
> > > > I mean... would the Coast Gaurd and Marine Patrol really bother with
>  this?
> > > > Maybe they'd only check it out?  Or would they bust someone in a
>  heartbeat?
> > > >
> > > > What about the two mile limit?
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >