Flying Lanterns... where can I buy them?

[longers]

Setting one off in Anglesea with an easterly wind is ok but setting one off on a summers day in a dry and grassy or crop growing area in any wind is not a good idea. I would hope that most people would know when is a good time and place.

I should imagine a lot more are set off in summer than winter. We are a damp country most of the time but can dry out in places occasionally.

My sister is having a wedding in a field next May and expect a few to be let off and if the ground is damp we'll be able to enjoy them without worrying about the potential consequences. I might buy some just in case it rains.

 

[longers]

Tying a glowstick to the tail of a kite is a little bit safer and works best if you can persuade someone to go a fair distance and then run about.

Or get two on ropes and send them away again to get spinning

 

[vernon]

Sky lanterns stay in the sky until the flames go out. When this happens, they do not plummet earthwards seeking out a flammable target that will instantly ignite should there be the remotest possibility of any glowing remains of the fuel pad when contact is made.

All of the sky lanterns that I have purchased have clear instructions including:

Do not launch during prolonged periods of dry weather.

If you are intending to launch from a beach site always inform the coast guard.

Only launch sky lanterns in a large clear space away from trees, power lines and buildings. Do not use sky candles within 5 miles of an airport.

The likelihood of them being banned is roughly the same as motorised vehicles being banned because their owners failed to operate them safely and follow the instructions contained in the Highway Code.

 

[vernon]

It's the fact that once deployed the user has no control whatsoever over when the thing lands that bothers me. At least with a firework you can be reasonably confident about roughly where it will come down.

I am very confident that I know where the earthbound detritus from a neighbour's annual firework fest will land - our roof, drive and front and rear garden and in some instances the detritus is still glowing.

My affinity for everything that burns and explodes accommodates the visual and aural stimulation along with its mess that the neighbour puts on at great expense to him and saves my family the effort of seeking out a municipal display.

On the rare occasions that the stuff doesn't land on purr property, it lands on neighbouring property. HSE might suggest that the display is relocated to the open fields nearby. I'd be most put out if that was the case.

 

[junglegusset]

A farmer near us is starting a campaign for a ban because one of his coes chocked to death on the remenants of one. These are considering a ban http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/jersey/8357811.stm
Ant these have banned them already http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2757405.stm
When the South East asians start banning fire based entertainment products then you know they must be extremely dangerous indeed!

 

[vernon]

Ant these have banned them already http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2757405.stm
When the South East asians start banning fire based entertainment products then you know they must be extremely dangerous indeed!

Not entirely true. A read of the article reveals that their use is banned near airports and restricted elsewhere.

 

[Aperitif]

Not quite true? Sort of 'tissue of lies' then..?

 

[Mr Pig]

All of the sky lanterns that I have purchased have clear instructions

Yip. So do all the fireworks I've seen. Doesn't stop hundreds of people being hurt by them each year does it? Do you think the chavs in their London housing estates will refrain from setting off lanterns because of what it says in small print on the pack? Do you think they read the pack?

And you think that every single lantern stays aloft until the flame goes out? You seem very naive to me, perhaps wilfully so? I assume you wish to release your lanterns with a clear conscience.

 

[vernon]

Yip. So do all the fireworks I've seen. Doesn't stop hundreds of people being hurt by them each year does it? Do you think the chavs in their London housing estates will refrain from setting off lanterns because of what it says in small print on the pack? Do you think they read the pack?

And you think that every single lantern stays aloft until the flame goes out? You seem very naive to me, perhaps wilfully so? I assume you wish to release your lanterns with a clear conscience.

It doesn't stop thousands of people being killed or hurt every year. There's hardly a groundswell of opinion asking for vehicles to be banned from the roads making them safer environments.

Do you think the chavs, no matter where they're domiciled, take notice of the fact that MOTs, driving licenses and insurance are pre-requisites for taking a car onto the open road and that knowledge of the rules and regulations contained within the Highway Code is highly desirable.

Equally the existence of the Highway Code does not prevent: speeding, dangerous driving, red light jumping, crossing unbroken white lines when inappropriate.

The dangerous and reckless behaviour exhibited by a significant minority of users of the highway cuts across all social classes and represents a far greater risk to life, limb and the general well being of of us all.

Keep things in perspective.

I launch my sky lanterns with a cavalier disregard for all you have said.

 

[Aperitif]

vernon, I think you are a public menace. Forthwith, you are banned from eating bacon in case you lose control and try to set fire to the sandwich.
Your kilt is banned because it may contain nuts (at various openings) and listening to live music can seriously damage your synthectic appreciation.
As for touring the world on your bike well...you're just a Class 1 skiver!

Carry on!

 

[Slowgrind]

Two days ago most of the pound shops in our town had them!

 

[vernon]

vernon, I think you are a public menace. Forthwith, you are banned from eating bacon in case you lose control and try to set fire to the sandwich.
Your kilt is banned because it may contain nuts (at various openings) and listening to live music can seriously damage your synthectic appreciation.
As for touring the world on your bike well...you're just a Class 1 skiver!

Carry on!

Rest assured next year's mayhem is already in an advanced state of planning:

Got gig tickets bought as far in advance as October (Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain)

Co-ordinated a couple of meet-ups with old school mates.

Got tickets for my first festival of the year at Knockengorroch.

Two staff beer drinking weekend residentials are provisionally booked.

My fireworks and sky lanterns for tonight are checked primed and ready for action.

Kilt and accoutrements are ready for Burns night.

Coaches booked for the summer tour.

Have wrestlesd with CSS and Dreamweaver over the past few days and resisted the temptation to burn the books when things didn't pan out as planned.

Project managed my son's efforts to create an all singing all dancing web site using Ruby on Rails for content management. He just needed to be stirred into productive activities.

Can't wait to step back into the fray on January 4th. I'll have a rest then

 

[skudupnorth]

A shed load flew over our house tonight....looked really ace !

 

[Baggy]

We watched a few being sent up this evening, including one which got caught in a tree...it burned out really quickly though (the lantern, not the tree).

 

[summerdays]

Saw loads go up ... and they were moving very fast ... and the direction seemed a bit surprising as it looked to be towards the south-west (which is which direction the airport is in). Although I assume not many flights are on at midnight on New Years Eve.