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Out of date flares.

pete.i

By pete.i
in General Boating

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Giant Proficient

Giant

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Definately go for the November 5th option. No harm done,disposed of safely and no chance of them being mistaken for an emergency.

 

Any distress flare pack will include two or more rocket launched parachute flares. These go up to around 1000ft, take nearly a minute to come down, and are still burning at over 1000°C when they reach the surface. They will set light to almost anything they land on. Setting them off on land like fireworks is the most stupid suggestion imaginable.

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pete.i Rising Star

pete.i

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I am going to dispose of these responsibly how ever long it takes but I have to say that the almost complete lack of official guidance and I stress official as opposed to some of the advice on here, does explain why people wouldn't dispose of these things responsibly and safely. There are 2 distress flares and 2 smoke flares in the pack. I would think that the distress flares are parachute flares so these things are highly dangerous and really shouldn't be messed about with unless it is an emergency. When I was in the army I saw a couple of people who had lost fingers mucking about with thunder flashes so I am not going to anything with them other than give them to some responsible authority. i'm sure that I am not the only one who has come across this dilemma and I am sure that they can be disposed of properly it's just a matter of finding out. So if Naburn cannot do it then it will be the coastguard getting a ring on Monday.

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TheBiscuits Veteran II

TheBiscuits

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There is professional advice to firework operators to give the coastguard warning of a firework display within (IIRC 5) miles of the coast. inland from that a mere solas flare or ten would be unlikely to be noticed at sea.

 

I did once see and participate in the disposal of hundreds of smoke flares and some parachute flares -kept the boys happy for a while. I think Leicestershire is far enough from the coast!

 

An acquaintance once thought exactly this.

 

Turns out that final approach to Heathrow is more than 5 miles from the coast, but gets noticed very very quickly ... even on 5th November.

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Arthur Brown Influencer

Arthur Brown

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There are more regulations relating to fireworks and airfields! Strangely Heathrow is most amenable to professional firework displays if they have due notice, they have changed runways to allow a display then changed back again, -you get a liaison officer and a very precise show time. (Manchester gives firework operators a harder time than Heathrow).

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wrigglefingers Experienced

wrigglefingersDonate to Canal World

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Balls, the army fire off hundreds of Shermully parachute flares all over the training areas, and they are not toys, they burn out long before they hit the ground. Just fire it you big Nancy !

As fond as I am of fireworks, bonfires and general mayhem, I have an inkling in the back of my mind that it's an offence to fire a marine distress flare without cause, I think it's buried in the Marine Shipping Act 1995 Whether that actually pertains to land use, I have no idea. I would say that it's not the best idea in the world though. Emergency services are stretched enough.

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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

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There are more regulations relating to fireworks and airfields! Strangely Heathrow is most amenable to professional firework displays if they have due notice, they have changed runways to allow a display then changed back again, -you get a liaison officer and a very precise show time. (Manchester gives firework operators a harder time than Heathrow).

Comment about Heathrow is true, when Chris worked for IBM we would attend their annual firework bash which was very near Heathrow and planes coming in would deviate a little and dip a wing to give the passengers a view, once they had passed over they would swing back to their original line.

Phil

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nebulae Proficient

nebulae

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I can see why discharging parachute flares could be a problem and unwise in any circumstances except an emergency. I must admit to being a bit lax in disposing of out of date flares. What likely problem would there be in keeping out of date flares. Are they dangerous,or is it that they might not work? Does 12 months out of date matter,what about 12 years? I am assuming that they have been kept in an approved water tight container.

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Guest

Guest

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From the topic heading I thought this was going to be a warning about not wearing some particularly tasteless jeans I might still have from the 1970s!

You too?! I have some somewhere that i made from non flared jeans, that trick where you sewed some dart shapes in but a different shade of denim. I actually wore them at a fancy dress night a few years back, but was amazed at just how much they have shrunk over the years..

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pete.i Rising Star

pete.i

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Don't know any football fans football is banned in this house. I wont be needing any flares as I am coming off the water but I was only on the canals anyway.

 

Just for info the coastguard will take them or at least the Humber coastguard will. I assume other coastguard areas would take them as well. Cannot remember who suggested the coastguard but thanks.

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Peter-Bullfinch Rising Star

Peter-Bullfinch

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We stayed in Brittany some years ago and visited the 'Sea Weed Festival'. Everything you ever wanted to know about that delicacy from jams to chutneys and strange loaves, from arts and crafts involving the stuff to facial unguents for the ladies to pills and potions for the sickly.

Anyway, on the final night there was a huge firework display by the marina and all the yachty folk joined in with a magnificent high level flare barrage. The whole town was bathed in a reddish glow supplemented by a headland gorse fire caused by a wayward incendiary parachute. The blue flashing lights of the pompiers on their way to tackle it was a fitting finale for a frankly memorable evening.

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Alan Taylor Engager

Alan Taylor

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I had a similar problem when I bought the lifeboat.

 

The next time I was off the coast I tied them to an equally problematical Halon fire extinguisher and chucked them overboard.

 

Being in a similar situation; what is the significance of the date?

 

I would assume that these are inorganic compounds and would be fine if stored in optimum conditions.

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