White parachute flares

Steve_B · 30 March 2012, 10:22

A bit of a strange one ...

I have agreed to provide a boat for some filming work for the Cultural Olympics. The artist we are working with, intends to film part of the Jurassic coast at night, illuminated by parachute flares.
Obviously, he will be working with the "authorities" on doing this, but critically will need the flares to do this. Money is tight and the cost of flares is not cheap, so does anyone have time expired flares they want to dispose of or where would you recommend to get them?

I have already suggested he calls the RNLI at Poole to see if they have any stock.

Regards
Steve

SPR · 30 March 2012, 11:30

health safety - will prevent you using time expired , you need just in date ones !

Try Ocean Safety they are importers of flares ..

S.

squiddy · 30 March 2012, 12:05

If any incident occurs on the outing and out of date flares are found on board - there could be multiple tantrums all round, could also void a 'surance policy????

Steve_B · 30 March 2012, 12:19

Good points, well made.

Just to be clear, it will NOT be us supplying the flares. It will just be a boat charter and they will bring their own "equipment", cameras, etc

Will pass on contact details for Ocean Safety

Zippy · 30 March 2012, 14:12

would still worry that if they are firing time expired pyro from your boat, that if something were to go wrong with the firing, your insurance would not cover you???

sounds like an interesting job mind!

Erin · 30 March 2012, 14:26

My understanding was that TEP's weren't unsafe, just less likely to fire when needed. That being said I doubt any authority that collects TEP's will hand them out to anyone other than a registered disposal company.

jyasaki · 30 March 2012, 15:16

White flares are regulated? I thought white were training flares (at least on this side of the pond.)

jky

PeterM · 30 March 2012, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

White flares are regulated? I thought white were training flares (at least on this side of the pond.)

jky

Over here white is 'anti collison' ( and I'd have thought over there too ? ) but any flare at sea tends to set of a raft of emergency calls ( rightly so

) .

Steve - I'd guess the RNLI are the boys for this one - maybe not the HQ but more a word with someone at the station over the next week or so ? Risk also may have some insight due to his rescue work and I Know he was out doing flare testing a few weeks ago on Castaway ?

Hope to be about tomorrow so will catch up and I still owe you money

But what on earth are the cultural olympics ?

Steve_B · 30 March 2012, 20:26

Thanks for comments, I knew the huge knowldge base of this forum would help ...

I put the questions out there to help the "artist" and gather information/opinion, not to organise everything for him.

Hope to see you tommorrow Pete and in answer to your question, see

Mobile Home Page

m chappelow · 30 March 2012, 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin

My understanding was that TEP's weren't unsafe, just less likely to fire when needed. .

Sometimes too with very old para flares they can loose their original colours ,red ones can burn with a pinkish tinge and white ones can sometimes burn yellowish .

Tim M · 01 April 2012, 08:12

Viking life saving equipment also supply them. They'll deliver too which is handy. Contact their Hamble branch.

Doug Stormforce · 08 April 2012, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

Over here white is 'anti collison'

Pete, he is talking about white paras not hand helds. The paras are for illumination

9D280 · 09 April 2012, 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

But what on earth are the cultural olympics ?

Events like Who can read Shakespear fastest, play Beethoven's 4th in the shortest time......

....i'll get my coat.

chewy · 09 April 2012, 14:18

I'd pop a white para off first and see how much light they actually give off, I doubt it'll be enough for filming?
How long are they wanting to film for?

Can't see the RNLI having TEP and if they did I doubt they would give them away...

ribrunt · 11 April 2012, 15:26

there's a supply shortage of some manufacturers of white paras..... we are service-only use in the RNLI at present.

Steve_B · 11 April 2012, 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

I'd pop a white para off first and see how much light they actually give off, I doubt it'll be enough for filming?
How long are they wanting to film for?

Can't see the RNLI having TEP and if they did I doubt they would give them away...

Chewy
The guy will be coming out with us for a recci, prior to the event and as such, I could not give you an answer.
The filming gear is very high end (and carried at his own risk) and should be able to cope with the light levels.

Steve

jyasaki · 11 April 2012, 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Stormforce

Pete, he is talking about white paras not hand helds. The paras are for illumination

So, back to my original statement: Are the white aerial flares regulated over there (in the UK)?

As I said, I don't think they are here (haven't checked, but recall it's only the reds that are regulated.)

jky

PeterM · 11 April 2012, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

So, back to my original statement: Are the white aerial flares regulated over there (in the UK)?

As I said, I don't think they are here (haven't checked, but recall it's only the reds that are regulated.)

jky

Guess it depends on what you mean by regulated . My post was in regard to normal white hand held flares.

Anyone can buy them (if old enough) and anyone can set them off (ideally within the bounds of the laws which apply to any flares) ........

m chappelow · 11 April 2012, 22:13

From what i see it white flares hand held or ariel has just the same meaning as I AM HERE or same as flashing your car headlamps.
Only problem that may or will occur is the local Coast guards (if theres are left) may turn up to see what's going on as somebody will report flares seen ,as I said earlier old whites can tend to burn a bit yellow or old reds can go pink so from a distance and they can be seen in good viz up to about 30 miles understandably someone is going to report it .

Just exactly how long is he hoping to film for as the best para flares available to the public will only burn at best for 45 seconds or so .
Other regulations may involve air traffic
If there's any airfields or airports within a certain distance you may be barred from using anything that goes above a certain height even para flares.

Another problem is that you may destroy your own night vision for a few mins if you happen to look directly at the flare.

captnjack · 11 April 2012, 23:52

Am I the only person who's worried this filmaker is imagining gobs of white light all over the place from a huge 155mm white phosphorus flare as used in something like "Saving Private Ryan"... And all he's going to get is 30seconds of weak yellow barely reflecting off the landscape he wishes to film...