Plan your fireworks tour flight

Although luck gave my husband and me aerial front-row seats to dozens of fireworks displays, a little planning can help you maximize the number of celebrations you see from the cockpit.

1. Avoid rural areas. The fireworks displays aren’t huge from the air, so in sparsely populated areas, you wouldn’t be able to see very many. Plan your route to cover the most towns or cities named on the sectional chart—even better if your route goes along cities big enough to be charted in yellow. The city will likely have a celebration, but the suburbs will likely light up too with backyard events.
2. Timing is everything. Most fireworks displays start at dark, so timing is important. If you need to fly to an urban area, plan to leave in enough time to reach the area just after sunset so that the rest of your route is covered around dark. The displays don’t last for long, so get there too soon or too late and you’ll miss out.
3. Fly at a safe altitude. Stick with the altitudes you would normally fly at night—there’s no need to fly lower to see the displays. Extra altitude will help you see farther to enjoy more fireworks. Flying lower won’t give you any increased level of detail on any one celebration. The idea here is watching colorful dots unfold across the landscape below you. You should always factor in being able to make a safe landing in case of an emergency, whether you are flying over urban areas or just off the coast to take in beach celebrations.
4. Increase your fuel reserve. Whether you typically plan to land with the minimum 45 minutes of fuel reserve required for night flight or have a higher personal minimum, consider adding another half hour to that. You want to give yourself enough extra reserves to be able to circle areas or change course as needed without worrying about fuel exhaustion.
5. Watch for other aircraft. If you plan to circle over one larger celebration, keep an eye out for other pilots who might be doing the same thing and have your radio set to the nearest airport. A handful of aircraft typically circle the fireworks display in Frederick, Maryland, and they often share altitudes.