Anyone flown on July 4th?

Frogs97

Frogs97

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Frogs97
Has anyone ever gone out and just flown around on July 4th, just to see the fireworks shot in the area? I thought it might be cool to grab a plane and go see what they look like from the air. Figure as long as I'm 1500' or so, AGL, I should be fine, huh?
 
Frogs97 said:
Has anyone ever gone out and just flown around on July 4th, just to see the fireworks shot in the area? I thought it might be cool to grab a plane and go see what they look like from the air. Figure as long as I'm 1500' or so, AGL, I should be fine, huh?
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You'll be fine but don't bother, it's underwhelming.

I went up one fine 4th and found, well, it was less than I imagined. There were also clouds at 2500' AGL that one hand, made it more impressive somehow (though it wasn't impressive at all), but on the other made it interesting because they started raining here and there.

Bottom line is that low sightseeing at night has some inherent risks. The viewing of fireworks is better done on the ground with a beer and/or some of Denver's best. Flying an approach over a large, bright city is more visually exciting and more satisfying if at the end of a trip from somewhere, to somewhere.

But you may need to go find out yourself. No problem
 
I will agree. Fireworks observed from the air are not that impressive unless you are flying through them.
 
If you are in an area with a lot of displays around the city. It might be fun. But looking down on fireworks with the city lights below is very underwhelming. Plus you don't hear the neat sound effects.
 
Agreed! Underwhelming for sure, fireworks feel so big on the ground which is part of what makes it so cool. From the air, they just aren't. Grab a beer and enjoy from the ground with your buds.
 
Do it just to get it over with.
It's lame
 
Not a big fan of watching fire works from above. You miss the thunder .
 
I have flown down the middle of Long Island sound on the 4th and it was impressive seeing the various fireworks on both sides of the flight.
 
Here ya go. 1700 AGL

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Yep. Did it in central FL many years ago. Prefer ground viewing. But be warned -- you will not be alone. Had soooooo many planes up, ATC had us doing a racetrack at 1,500 ft. That worked until some stupid helicopter pilots decided to hover in the center of the track.
 
Good, stay on the ground. More room for me to maneuver and have fun. I fly every year I don't have stuff going on with family. 1000' agl over Lincoln and it looks like a war zone. Everyone is shooting them off!
 
I thought it was pretty and I had fun. It was different for sure.

I did it only once, but you should too, just to experience it.

I got VFR traffic advisories, and it was wide open, I think I was one of the only GA airplanes on that frequency. It could be mad busy for you, so advisories may not be available, but the guy I got was friendly and helpful.
 

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spent last 4th of July flying over downtown Baghdad.......guess that doesn't really count though.....it kind of looked like they were celebrating, but I think that was just transformers randomly exploding, or whatever other weird chaos goes on down there on a nightly basis :)

I have been on commercial flights before on the 4th, and it really wasn't that cool from the air.......we left out of SFO one year for Sydney just as the show was getting underway and that was kind of neat, but it was really small and really low below us.
 
This topic appears every June on every pilot forum since the Internet was invented (and in Usenet groups and BBSs before then).

Just do what the old timers did back in the day...rent the plane, go up for an hour, and be underwhelmed. You'll be sharing the airspace with other newbie pilots who haven't been around long enough to figure out it sucks, and too busy taking iPhone videos of miniature fireworks displays.

If you want to have fun, grab a quadcopter and fly the damn thing right through the middle of the display. Or not.
 
I actually think it's kinda cool to fly at altitude and see the fireworks a hundred miles in each direction. Little sparks of light in various towns wherever you look.
 
i personaly enjoyed it , used to do it every year. Its true you dont get the sound unless you can lower the rpm to make it a little quieter and open a window, but its an experiance ill never forget. Seeing the display from above is a totally different experiance you have to do for yourself to see if its worth doing the next year. the one advantage is you can cover several different places at a time, and with places doing it on different days you can go up one day and if you dont like it go watch them from the ground the next.
 
You're seeing the fireworks at several miles distance, not the 1000-2000' that you're used to. Very different perspective. Several people nailed it - underwhelming.
 
Fireworks are better seen from the ground. However, if you enjoy flying then the fireworks are just like an added bonus. Make it about flying and not the fireworks and you won't be disappointed.
 
EvilEagle said:
Agreed! Underwhelming for sure, fireworks feel so big on the ground which is part of what makes it so cool. From the air, they just aren't. Grab a beer and enjoy from the ground with your buds.
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Well played.
 
I've flown at altitude and seen fireworks displays, it wasn't the reason for the flight, just a bonus. It is a little cool to see several fireworks displays at one time from 5-10K ft, but to just loiter around and watch, I think I'd pass. ;)
 
Actually, it's pretty damn cool to fly over Lincoln around 10pm on the 4th. There isn't a block in the city that isn't launching fireworks.

I've done it several years, and our rental planes are booked by pilots who appear to be doing the same thing.
 
I flew over Harpers Ferry (Bolivar Heights) several years ago on the weekend before the 4th. The company that does the fireworks on the National Mall always practices there at that time. I think I enjoyed the night flight and seeing the distant city lights as much as I enjoyed the fireworks.
 
Not thinking of flying to see fireworks but leaving KTTA on saturday evening for KOFP (jamestown) to stay the night there go have fun, see some fireworks then, go to busch gardens on the 5th and back on the 6th in the AM.

All will be in a DA20 with my fiancee :)
 
Traveled from Missouri to Michigan one july 4th evening. That was neat seeing fireworks in all the different towns from above.

Then did it the next year locally and wondered why I didnt stay home and drink beer on the front porch...would have been cheaper and more fun.:dunno:

Maybe it was the kids in the back seat going ooooooohhhhhh...aaaahhhhhhhh.... that made the moment fun.
 
Some people like firing guns in the air on the 4th. Just FYI.
 
Three days to go Senior Frog. Are you gonna fly it? 5BC and 5SL have back seats and I have a camera!
 
MarcoDA40 said:
Not thinking of flying to see fireworks but leaving KTTA on saturday evening for KOFP (jamestown) to stay the night there go have fun, see some fireworks then, go to busch gardens on the 5th and back on the 6th in the AM.

All will be in a DA20 with my fiancee :)
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Sure you want to go there? OFP is Hanover County Muni Airport, north of Richmond. You might want to consider JGG (Jamestown Williamsburg) or PHF (Newport News-Williamsburg).
 
rolivi said:
Three days to go Senior Frog. Are you gonna fly it? 5BC and 5SL have back seats and I have a camera!
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Well, it's still up in the air (no pun intended) because of family plans. But if I do, I'll have the seats full with wife and kiddos. Otherwise, I'd love to take you up for pics!
 
I flew on the 4th and I thought it was kinda cool as did my passengers. But maybe that was mostly just the fun of flying in general for me and the novelty of flying over the city for them.

The fireworks themselves are certainly more impressive on the ground in the display area.
 
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