Now With 500.4 Hours And Night Current

Last night was beautiful out with winds beginning to calm, and many a firework being lofted into the air.

A perfect opportunity for finally regaining night flying currency.

So I headed to the airport and did a pre-flight during twilight and then once it was full on dark an hour after sunset I took off into the night sky.

 

 A few planes were in the area watching the fireworks.

I started on 27R and did three decent landings. Then a seaplane came in to land and another plane wanted to be in the airspace to the north to watch the fireworks so the Tower had me do left traffic on 27R which is pretty rare, as that puts you right into 27L's corridor. But, with no one else flying it was available. so I got to do a left pattern on 27R which felt really backwards, and a great landing.

Then I took off from 27R again with a left pattern and tower asked if I'd like to land on 27L and I said sure that would be fun.

So I did, and my first approach to 27L just didn't feel or look right at all, so I did a go around. I then did it again and did a good landing.

For the final landing I took off from 27L and did a left pattern for 27L and then landed 27R.  I then headed back to the hangar and shut down.

That's 1.0 and 7 night time, full-stop, landings.  

Night currency for carrying passengers is now again achieved, after a very long absence. 

Also, this flight marks my getting over 500 flying hours of experience. That hour flying last night got me to 500.4 hours total, which is a nice milestone.

Fireworks

Went to a friend's lake house to see the fireworks show.

Around here, each lake association holds a fireworks show on different nights as we get closer to Independence Day.

So on Friday night we arrived and the street was buzzing with people.  We parked.  Then we walked around and went to the lakefront side of the house and chatted with friends and had some adult beverages. 

 The house next door had a live band as part of the festivities, the Northville Folk Band, who did a rockin' good job. Singing popular tunes that could be heard and appreciated even across the Middle Straits Lake.

 They also had a super nice lady of the house who walked over to where we were on the adjoining waterfront, and offered us jello shots.  This was appreciated and whoever had made the Jello shots didn't sting on the vodka at all.  Darn nice.

The sun started to set.

The fireworks began.

 It was a great show and they really got into it.

The assembled crowd cheered the show and it was a lot of fun to watch.

 

Impressive that a lake association put it on, and they did a great job doing so.

A great way to spend a Friday night outdoors with friends.

Ah, That Progressive-Puritanical Strain With It's Fear That Someone Is Having Fun Without Government Oversight

The Detroit News: Fireworks spark backlash in Metro Detroit

As of Monday evening, more than 13,000 people had signed the online petition posted on MoveOn.org by Brad Lang, a West Bloomfield resident who launched similar drives in 2012 and 2014.

The petition calls on lawmakers “to immediately repeal the Fireworks Safety Act of 2011,” which legalized the sale and use of airborne, commercial-grade fireworks in Michigan.

“The result has been a drastic increase in the amount and violence of private fireworks displays all over the state of Michigan, thereby endangering people, pets and property,” a statement accompanying the petition states. “It is not worth the additional revenue.”

Violence of private fireworks? Sheesh, the terrible fear that anyone other than a professional could use a firework responsibly is a sad commentary on the Progressive mindset.

Yes, as listed in the article, some idiots have managed to harm themselves and their property in impressive ways with fireworks this weekend (I particularly liked the fellow who managed to shoot a firework into his open car trunk that was full of his other fireworks with predictable results . . .), but temper that with the thousands of people who managed to set off fireworks safely without having a professional do so.

Some people just can't stand the thought of other people having fun and celebrating our Independence.

In other news of a similar vein, Tam points to the mother of the special snowflake that did himself in by launching a firework off his head.

Lady, its a shame your son killed himself because he was stupid. Don't assume the rest of us are that dumb as well. Tam of course stated this far more aptly and poetically than I just did, so go read her post.

Baby You're A Firework

Yesterday we met up with some friends and went with them on their boat to watch the fireworks.

First there was a beautiful sunset on the water like something out of a Monet painting - Still life with Pontoons.

Then as the sun went down, the fireworks went up.

In addition to the lake communities putting on their displays, it seemed like every lakefront property owner was trying to out do the other in converting money into flashes and explosions. Everywhere you looked along the shore would explode into flashes of light and sound.

In short, it was one heckuva show.

After the main event, we headed back to our friend's house and put on our own display - Roman candles, cakes, fountains, and mortar shells went screaming into the air one after another in quick and joyous succession.

 It was a great way to end the 4th of July.

Seriously, Don't Try This At Home Kids

As the time comes near for Americans to make joyous festive noises celebrating our independence comes a cautionary tale:

The Detroit News: Walled Lake man dies after putting firework next to head

Walled Lake — A 47-year-old man died Sunday night after jokingly placing a powerful firecracker to his head, believing that it wasn't lit. It was.

As one would expect, alcohol was involved, as was the reckless handling of a powerful firework. That's one very dead man killed in a most stupid and avoidable act of negligence, in front of his family no less. It's a serious waste of a life for no reason whatsoever.

Just like firearms, fireworks and alcohol do not mix.

While a low order explosive, fireworks are still explosive devices and need to be handled with care and a healthy respect for the power they contain.

Be safe and careful out there and enjoy setting off your fireworks, but don't let your celebration end up as a warning to others of what not to do.

Michigan Democrat Tries To Put Fireworks Toothpaste Back In The Tube

Oh, the noise, the noise the noise.

Michigan's own fireworks Grinch is trying to introduce legislation to again ban fireworks in this state.

The Detroit Free Press: Michigan lawmaker's bill would douse purchases of bigger fireworks

Saying he and his wife are fed up with high-powered fireworks in their neighborhood, the only state senator to vote in 2011 against expanding Michigan’s range of legal fireworks said today he wants to rescind the law.

“My bill will roll us back to exactly what we had before,” when Michiganders could buy only relatively weak fireworks like firecrackers and sparklers, said state Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland.

“You’re still going to have people who drive an hour to cross the state line” and buy more powerful fireworks, Anderson said.

“But they shouldn’t be available at corner stands and every party store,” he said.

Awfully honest of him to admit that it won't change anything and that his bill will encourage illegal behavior, not to mention deprive the state of needed tax revenue now isn't it?

The legislation has about the same chance as a firecracker going off after being submerged for a week underwater.

The bill does illustrate the average Democrat legislator's (and quite a few Republican legislators as well) mentality of "I don't like it so let's ban it".

Fireworks Legalized In Michigan - State Doesn't End

After all the predictions of doom that would result from the legalizing fun fireworks the net result in injuries, death and destruction as compared to alst year is:

No Change.

The Detroit Free Press: Revamped fireworks law doesn't ignite spike in injuries

The change in state law allowing more powerful pyrotechnics didn't bring an overall surge in fireworks-related injuries on the Fourth of July in metro Detroit. For the most part, hospitals reported that injuries were normal for this time of year. Public safety officials also reported an average number of police and fire runs.

Wow. Michigan residents can be trusted with the same fireworks that are legal in our neighboring states.

Who would have guessed?

Michigan Decriminalizes Fireworks

The Detroit News: New Michigan law lights fuse on fireworks sales

Metro Detroiters will no longer have to hit the road to the Ohio state border now that the region's first large-scale fireworks store officially has opened for business, a result of a change in Michigan law.

Black Diamond Fireworks on Van Dyke, a 4,500-square-foot oasis filled with cases of sparkly explosives, opened this week to the curiosity and enthusiasm of a small but steady stream of customers relieved that they no longer have to travel to Ohio or Indiana and sneak certain fireworks back into Michigan.

The ban on powerful fireworks — such as bottle rockets and Roman candles — was removed at the beginning of the year.

Of course, there are the standard concerns of roman candles in the streets as evidenced by the hand-wringing comments accompanying the article.

I'm sure the first idiot to say "Hey, y'all watch this!" with a firework will make the front page of the paper, but its about time you could legally buy and possess a bottle rocket in Michigan (which, contrary to the article is hardly a high-powered firework, yeesh). The law was previously pretty universally ignored with an outpouring of cars heading to our neighboring states every year in July to load up for the 4th of July celebrations, and only the occasional returning car busted for buying the forbidden fireworks.

It's gratifying that Michigan adults are now going to be treated the same as adults are treated in Ohio and Indiana, at least as far as fireworks go.

A Chance for Common Sense to Prevail on Fireworks in Michigan

 And its a common sense proposal from a Democrat no less.

Typically the Michigan Dems are the Mommy-knows-best-party and the "People shouldn't be allowed to own things that might do them harm or others if irresponsibly used" party but now for once, we get a refreshingly smart proposal from Michigan State Representative Harold Haugh:
The Detroit News - Fireworks bill makes sense for Michigan

The fireworks industry is growing every year, and in these tough economic times, Michigan needs to capitalize on this multi-million dollar industry. That's why I sponsored a plan to allow the sale of consumer-grade fireworks, including firecrackers, bottle rockets, aerial spinners and Roman candles, in Michigan. My legislation would legalize and regulate fireworks deemed acceptable for consumer use by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission since 1976.

My plan will modernize our laws, which simply don't stop residents from driving to nearby states to spend their hard-earned money on fireworks that are illegal in Michigan. These surrounding states are profiting when our state's economy needs help the most. A recent story that ran in an Indiana newspaper included a statement from one Indiana retailer that said, "75 percent of [his] business comes from Michigan and the other 25 percent from Illinois, which also has strict fireworks laws."

This law while bad for Indiana fireworks dealers is certainly great for Michigan residents and stops them from being criminalized for participating in an all-American pastime - making things go boom on appropriately festive days like the 4th of July.

Of course, Rep Haugh is a Democrat so there has to be a government tax increase somewhere in his proposal, but taxes must when the Democrats drive -

my plan will also:

• Create the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act and create stiff penalties for those who violate it;

• Limit the sale, possession and use to adults 18 and older;

• Implement a 5 percent fireworks safety fee on the retail sale of all fireworks; and

• Create the Fireworks Safety Fund, which will use the money generated by new fees to help the Bureau of Fire Services in its enforcement of the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act.

In this case I can live with the 5% tax in return for the opportunity to legally do what my former neighbors have been "illegally" doing since time immemorial when they set off multiple nice, big, visually aesthetic and auditorily pleasing fireworks including Roman Candles and other decent skyward fireworks they purchase now in Ohio instead of the Michigan legal ground-bound mini and useless fireworks and sparklers of boredom.

If The Democrats follow Rep Haugh on the road to sanity in fireworks legislation, who knows to what other heights of reasonableness and economic sense they may climb?