On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:30:47 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 4/20/2013 9:13 PM, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:09:48 -0500,
wrote:

On 4/20/2013 8:43 PM, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:30:23 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

fired this volley in
:

I agree that these amateur pyros should not be working with enough
explosive to affect nearby properties. Also, fireworks factories
should not be in residential areas.

And for what it's worth, the ATF law covers all that. It requires even
unlicensed practicioners to obey all the regulations concerning,
quantities, distances to dwellings and roads, magazine storage, etc.

Out of ignorance, Ed assumes that amateur pyros and people who just like
to make boomers are one in the same.

Amateurs are organized: There are numerous state guilds, and an
international guild. It costs time and money to participate, and the
training regimens are rigorous.

And yes, amateur pyrotechnicians have accidents (so do pros). In the
case of amateurs' accidents, only in a tiny handful of cases have other
'innocents' been involved even as slightly as minor property damage.

LLoyd

Ok, then, just what "freedoms" were you talking about, when you said
"an amateur pyrotechnician - would have a lot of their freedoms
restricted. That's what they want."?


He's right too.

The freedom he's talking about is the freedom to engage in

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The question is what kind of "happiness" he's talking about. I'll keep
an open mind, but I'm wary until I hear the specifics.


I'll let Lloyd speak for himself.

As for me...
I like to fly airplanes.
I have built several.
VW powered single seat baby buggies, but real flying machines.

I have flown thousands of hours in military aircraft.
I have nursed several hundred Naval Aviators through the simulators.

But I can't fly anymore by myself. Legally anyway.
I've NEVER been to court about that.
NEVER been adjudicated a danger to myself or others.
But the Federal Aviation Agency thinks I might could be a risk.
And I can't afford to take THEM to court to get my medical reinstated.

So my pursuit of happiness has been seriously curtailed.

It's not right.
It's not fair.

But there it is.

FWIW, I don't care if you're a danger to yourself. You're an adult;
you work out your own risk-reward ratios.

I do get involved when someone pursues a hobby or a craft that creates
a danger for others who have not chosen to take risks for your sake.
I'll have more to say about this in my post to Lloyd. I'm glad he
started this discussion, because it's helped me to clear up something
that's at the root of a lot of the related issues we talk about here.

About losing your pilot's license: I'm sorry for you, and I'm
sympathetic. In three month's time in 1973 I lost my pilot's license,
my SCCA driver's license, and a berth on a sailboat for the Southern
Ocean Racing Conference. We can talk about it some time. I was
devastated by it; it turned my life upside down.

So I understand your frustration with that.

--
Ed Huntress