Fireworks out the airplane window - July 4
 

Have you ever seen fireworks out of the window when flying?

Several years ago, we flew ORD/LGA on July 4. As we flew east, we saw fireworks galore as we passed city after city.

Very interesting to look down from FL 35000 on multiple fireworks displays.

I saw some on the way home Friday night. We were coming in for final approach, so we were only a few thousand feet up. I always enjoy seeing them.

Best is to be going west. As you cross time zones, you can see many more.

BTW - during the flight, the a/c shuddered a bit. Not much, just one of those quick things. It brought to mind the father of a friend of mine. He was a waist gunner on a B-17. I imagine he felt more than one "shudder" and the fireworks he saw were probably a lot closer!

Yes. Back when I was an active private pilot, I took wife and daughter up on July 4th evening and we watched fireworks around the southside of Indianapolis for 45 minutes.

It would be more accurate to say that they watched the fireworks while I watched the other planes whose pax were up in the air watching the fireworks ;)

But very, very cool , yes.

A decade or so ago, I was seated in F on an AQ flight from ITO-HNL on New Year's Eve. It was when Honolulu still had the "First Night" celebration and we were on a Kona-wind approach into HNL. Got to see fireworks as we descended into HNL and wondered again why I was flying on New Year's Eve...

cblaisd: It might be time to start up piloting again to get yourself from ITO to HNL... and what are you doing posting during your vacation? :mad:

Not on July 4th but I remember seeing some a few years back flying from FL to NY. :)

Yes, before I discovered Flyertalk, I had a terrible reroute SFO-MSP-ATL, and I was able to see quite a lot on the MSP-ATL segment. I was pretty surprised to be able to see them.

I've seen fireworks from every possible vantage point that I can think of except for a window seat of a plane. Usually I'm sleeping/passed out on the night of July 4th but not always. :)
It's almost time for fireworksboy to get some much needed sleep.

I have seen them, but darned if I can remember when.

Disney fireworks
 

I used to commute between THL and PBI on a weekly basis in the 90s. My Friday night commute took me through MCO at about 9:30. The landing pattern took me right by Disney, where I could see the fireworks that went off during that time.
So, for about 4 months, I saw fireworks whenever our flight was on time. Pretty cool. After the first couple of times, I always made sure that I had a window on the correct side to see them.

Had an even better experience flying ATL-PBI. There was a rocket lauch from Patrick AFB, just outside of Cape Canaveral. Brilliant view from the plane.

I saw fireworks blazing out in the sky once when I flew the red eye from LAX-YYZ

I've seen fireworks once when flying from SLC to SYR via NYC. It sure was strange looking down on them instead of up. I once watched fireworks lying back in my boat on Lake Winnepesaukee in NH. That was definitely better than seeing them from the air.

At one of the DUS DOs we watched fireworks from a circular restaurant atop the radio tower along with several dozen other FTers.

We had so many FTers in the restaurant that one end of the table could not see the other. This was not on the 4th of July.

Thanks to bernie once again for setting up that memorable event.

Saw some in the UK last week when flying between AMS-LTN. It was north of London and were beautiful.

USAir flight cruised by on approach to DCA this evening during a particularly interesting sequence of the fireworks display on the mall. For about 45 seconds there was a sequence of fireworks going off that sounded and looked exactly like AA flak. I'm sure that would have been an interesting sight to wake up to as you look out the window. :)

Throughout the display, at least a dozen aircraft landed on the potomac-inbound approach leg to DCA. I'm sure they got a great view.

Actually I find it better to look down at them than up. :)