My only dilemma is that practicing with the hand helds and the smoke flares was easy. The aireal flares not so much. I would have liked to fire some off but couldn't find a way to do that without creating a potential emergency response. I contacted the power squadron, the sheriffs department, the coast guard auxiliary and no one was able to offer me a "legal" way to shoot them off or dispose of them. Any suggestions?
On the question of approval, I did a lot of research and the information I found says the Weems product is Coast Guard approved.
Here's what I did when we fired off aerial flares in class...
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Now... we were doing this on land and using the small Orion Skyblazer flares.
I'd call our local Coast Guard (they have their helicopter unit here and do land-based assistance sometimes), and the Sheriff's Office to let them know when and where I would be firing off aerial flares.
To tell you the truth... I can recall times it seems the person on the other end of the line wasn't all that interested.
But... we never set off a SAR response, so maybe it helped?
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If you are at a marina, or wanting to do something offshore, here's what I would suggest... BUT... maybe other actual sailors can pipe in here?
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I'd contact the Harbor Master, Coast Guard, and make a short public announcement over the air that an "Aerial Flare Demonstration will take place at ____________, at _____hrs". Then follow up after shooting off the flare(s) with another announcement, "Aerial Flare Demonstration at _________, has concluded"
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Wording can be whatever you think is best for your situation, and perhaps your Harbor Master or other, would like you to do something different.
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It's just a matter of walking in and/or calling, and describing what you want to do, why you want to do it, and what precautions you are taking. In my land-based exercises I always was thinking of fire hazard... having been a wildland firefighter once in my life...
