and my new hobby is... (drumroll please)

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

Pyrotechnics (legally of course)

I got my first signature for working a 1.3G Fireworks Display (the BIG stuff, not consumer fireworks) in Bolivar PA last night, I need 4 more shoots and I can take my WV, MD, PA, VA tests to be a licensed Pyrotechnic Display Operator in those states.

Next shoot is in 2 weeks in Middletown VA, IF I go all the way up to Meshoppin (?) PA (near NY I was told)... I will have my 5 shows by Nov 5.

My schedule right now is:

Bolivar PA Sep 3rd - DONE!!!
Middletown VA Sep 17
Blessing of the Fleet, Coltons Pt MD Oct 1
Meshoppin (?) PA Oct 15 (iffy on this one, it's a long haul)
Mid Atlantic Fireworks Festival Hughesville MD Nov 5

Yesterday I got to "match" (insert electronic match) in 3", 4" and 5" shells and seat them in the mortars as well as wire them to the firing panel. I also got to hand light about a dozen 3" shells, talk about intense!!! For the display I was in charge of a wireless remote that had 32 cues on it, each cue sent up 2 3" shells. Let me tell you, the 1 3/4" consumer shells that I've thought were awesome are like snap pops compared to what I handled yesterday. I'm in LOVE :jumpy:

Now, don't get to damned excited just yet!!! You haven't finally gotten rid of me by no means. I've got many GREAT friends in the CCA and the fish hobby in general and I'll still be hanging out with them on the forums and at events. For me, this hobby has been 99.9% about the friends I've made and 0.1% about the fish for quite a while anyway. I wasn't at the ACA for fish, I was there to hang out with all my fishy friends, just like I will be at future events

I'll keep ya posted on my progress, by the end of the year I WILL be licensed to thrill, one way or the other!!!

 

[mscichlid]

OMG! I was totally unprepared for that. How did you get involved with your new true love?

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

2 things led me to it.

I wanted to find out if there was a way to electronically fire my show on the 4th. Every year we had more and more fireworks and I was never satisfied with the outcome due to problems with hand lighting the show.

Because my show was getting bigger every year, I feared one day I would be visited by "Big Brother" putting an end to my favorite holiday festivities every year. Becoming licensed made a lot of sense.

While looking into those 2 things, I found the mother of all pyro forums. I met some professional shooters thru the site and they took me in like a long lost brother. Very generous guys and absolute pyro geniuses!!! They choreograph it to music, like a rock concert on STEROIDS!!! Like nothing I've ever seen before...

 

[Tony]

Sounds awesome Mikey. Keep us posted on your event schedule. I'd love to make one some time to check it out.

 

[jonclark96]

Sounds like a blast (pardon the pun)!

 

[Tony]

Sounds like a blast (pardon the pun)!

Love you Jon, but that was lame.

 

[Reel Addiction]

Congrats on getting the first show under your belt!

 

[minifoot77]

ha ha i knew what your new hobby was

 

[mrkillie]

2 things led me to it.

I wanted to find out if there was a way to electronically fire my show on the 4th. Every year we had more and more fireworks and I was never satisfied with the outcome due to problems with hand lighting the show.

Because my show was getting bigger every year, I feared one day I would be visited by "Big Brother" putting an end to my favorite holiday festivities every year. Becoming licensed made a lot of sense.

While looking into those 2 things, I found the mother of all pyro forums. I met some professional shooters thru the site and they took me in like a long lost brother. Very generous guys and absolute pyro geniuses!!! They choreograph it to music, like a rock concert on STEROIDS!!! Like nothing I've ever seen before...

I figured that was it. The story sounds all too familiar. I already took the class and passed the written test, but never went ahead with the apprenticeship part. At some point in the next few years I plan to go to one of the fireworks conventions out west. I just know you have to be planning to do that. You can take classes on designing and building your own fireworks, with shoots every night and shells up to 12" diameter.

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

Joel, the PGI is in Indiana next year and then guess where it is in 2013...

BUTLER PA!!!

No need to go out west Granted, it is out west more years than it will be here but they're trying to change that. I think the schedule I saw has Butler listed again in several years but there were a few places that are much closer than Fargo ND.

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

ha ha i knew what your new hobby was

I'm draggin your *** along with me, you just don't know it yet

That is if your background check goes thru

Me, You, Danger, and DQ are gonna choreograph a show once I get a little more experience. I plan on doing my own display in April at the Mid Atlantic Fireworks Festival. Danger already said he'd help with setup and planning.

Here's the type of show I'm gonna try to do, except it will be to the songs Blind by Korn and Halo by Machine Head, so it'll be a little more rockin than this. Not sure I'll be able to top this choreography tho.

The first song is kinda weak but the choreography is BRILLIANT, the songs after it are pretty rockin. This is also the guy that has taken me under his wing, awesome dude and a true pyro GENIUS. Started the same way I am, only 3 years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/user/skyhawk8519?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/brb9LKCaZxo

 

[Cartel]

Thats awesome!

Now im going to go play with my cheesy little fireworks app haha

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

Careful Wil, I'll be adding your name to my list next!!! :lol:

 

[minifoot77]

I'm draggin your *** along with me, you just don't know it yet

That is if your background check goes thru

Me, You, Danger, and DQ are gonna choreograph a show once I get a little more experience. I plan on doing my own display in April at the Mid Atlantic Fireworks Festival. Danger already said he'd help with setup and planning.

Here's the type of show I'm gonna try to do, except it will be to the songs Blind by Korn and Halo by Machine Head, so it'll be a little more rockin than this. Not sure I'll be able to top this choreography tho.

The first song is kinda weak but the choreography is BRILLIANT, the songs after it are pretty rockin. This is also the guy that has taken me under his wing, awesome dude and a true pyro GENIUS. Started the same way I am, only 3 years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/user/skyhawk8519?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/brb9LKCaZxo

you had me at korn

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

Kinda what I figured

 

[Pat Kelly]

MMMMMMMMMM

Fire and gunpowder.
Make Boom.


Sounds like fun to me.

Where are my Tim Allen grunting sound effects when I need them.

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

Careful Pat, you'll be on the list too!!!

If everything works out right, we'll be Team Bravo

My buddy Jon at Bravo fireworks is hookin me up with amazing wholesale prices on product so I'm gonna name my team in honor of him.

If anyone is serious about checking out a show in person, MAFF (Mid Atlantic Fireworks Festival) is the place to go. It's a twice a year event (April and Nov) in MD. It's a public display so you can watch for free. If you want more info, shoot me a pm and I'll hook ya up. This Nov, they have 6 pyromusicals scheduled so far and 2 traditional displays with 2 slots open for displays waiting to be filled. Each display usually lasts anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes. These guys are either hobbyists or pro's who are hobbyists at the core. Most serious hobbyists end up shooting for a professional company to help fund their hobby. Each display could have anywhere from $500 in product up to $4000, most of the displays are paid for by the person/persons putting on the display. From what I've gathered there isn't much in the way of "sponsored" displays. They're doing it for fun, and their idea of fun will literally BLOW your mind!!!

 

[Spine]

I always knew you were a pyro Mike!!

 

[RIFT_LAKES_RULE]

I always knew you were a pyro Mike!!

Is that code for "Can I Join Team Bravo Too?"

The answer is: ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

[Cartel]

Where in MD is the show? I def want to check it out. Something about fireworks. Go to a show I bet you'll be hard pressed to find someone who isn't smiling young or old.