Flying Lanterns... where can I buy them?

[dudi]

Oh yes. left it very late...
I'll have a mooch about tomorrow as I cant be arsed with paying extortionate delivery charges. I'd rather just go without.

Thanks 4F, i'll pop in to the Firework Emporium tomorrow, they deffo sell them so hopeflly will have some in stock.

Cheers all.

 

[dudi]

Apparently they sell them in The Works... which is annoying as I walked past there today in a frustrating search for 5 spice powder.

 

[vernon]

Test launch successful. It's now drifting over Headingley. The Hawkins Bazaar ones are inferior to the internet sourced ones - the fuel block doesn't generate hot air as fast as the internet based one do so the rate of climb is marginal at first.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Test launch successful. It's now drifting over Headingley. The Hawkins Bazaar ones are inferior to the internet sourced ones - the fuel block doesn't generate hot air as fast as the internet based one do so the rate of climb is marginal at first.

Set-off a Hawkins one on Christmas day from a Cul-de-sac in S. Wimbledon.
Was very nervy, the initial rate of climb was ponderous and I feared for the houses and trees nearby, but it just cleared them and then went higher with some speed once it got gowing. It went for miles... towards H'row


Quite amazing, but scary, I'll only do them out in open country in future!

 

[vernon]

Set-off a Hawkins one on Christmas day from a Cul-de-sac in S. Wimbledon.
Was very nervy, the initial rate of climb was ponderous and I feared for the houses and trees nearby, but it just cleared them and then went higher with some speed once it got gowing. It went for miles... towards H'row


Quite amazing, but scary, I'll only do them out in open country in future!

I found that I had to hang onto my Hawkins one for far longer than my premium quality sky lanterns before I was confident enough that there was enough buoyancy to lift it clear of the trees at the front of the house.

My premium lanterns have a much larger wax impregnated heat source which makes for a rapid climb from the outset.

 

[661-Pete]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/8135006.stm

Also a fire hazard and a danger to livestock (as mentioned in a post above). If your 'missile' torches a farmer's barn full of hay, and he catches you and presents you with a hefty bill, don't say you weren't warned!

Moreover they can seriously interfere with my 'other' hobby... There has been much debate on this topic on the forums concerned...

Fireworks, if they are a reputable brand and safely handled, are more controllable and a better bet if you want my opinion.

 

[yenrod]

>flying lanterns..

I once seen 2 of these & thought they where UFo's...

 

[classic33]

Consider this as well

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Chinese-Lanterns-prompted-Christmas-Day.5940021.jp

 

[vernon]

Consider this as well

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Chinese-Lanterns-prompted-Christmas-Day.5940021.jp

No harm done there. A case of mistaken identity.

 

[longers]

Thinking about it I saw an odd light a couple of months ago, could well have been one of these. I didn't think to check the wind direction at the time.

Would I have been able to see the flames licking as it went over maybe a couple of hundred feet high if it was alight? I've never seen one fly

 

[gavintc]

My wife was nearly arrested for setting one off on the beach one night in Port Soller, Majorca. She was on a course and the end of course party included setting off a number of lanterns. The local police turned up and they were lucky not to be all arrested. Apparently it turned quite nasty.

 

[Fab Foodie]

They'll be banned soon.

 

[Mr Pig]

They'll be banned soon.

I would think so. I have to say that I think sending an open flame floating off through the sky to land on whatever it will is a comprehensively stupid idea. The more the idea is adopted by the easily amused the higher the risk of fires, in fact I think it's inevitable. And for what? A few minutes of mindless entertainment?

One'll drift into a barn or open garage and that will be that. Some poor sods are going to have to pay a heavy price before joe public is forced to accept the bledin obvious.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I would think so. I have to say that I think sending an open flame floating off through the sky to land on whatever it will is a comprehensively stupid idea. The more the idea is adopted by the easily amused the higher the risk of fires, in fact I think it's inevitable. And for what? A few minutes of mindless entertainment?

One'll drift into a barn or open garage and that will be that. Some poor sods are going to have to pay a heavy price before joe public is forced to accept the bledin obvious.

I have to say I felt very reticent about the whole thing.

 

[Mr Pig]

I have to say I felt very reticent about the whole thing.

I don't know how big the risk is. At this time of year with everything soaking and cold probably not that high but it's a bit like fireworks. As more people use these things it becomes inevitable that eventually there will be accidents.

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.