Fire......Flies?

Misty Blue · 09-03-2012, 04:27 PM

We were at the Kieth Urban show at meadowbrook on Sunday night. Lawn seats.

As the moon started to rise around 8 PM we saw strange lignts in the north east. Not too far away. They rose up, usually in groups of four and flew for about five minutes before vanishing.

For the life of me I think that they were flying torches.

I remember in the navy we would take light, clear plastic bags and get them to fly by building a frame underneath them and lighting candles to heat the air.

Maybe that is what we were looking at.

By the end of the show we must have seen twenty or more of the things.

Kinda cool.

Misty Blue.

Altonbayicefishingfool · 09-03-2012, 08:51 PM

They sell them at local convieniance stores. They cost around 3-4 bucks. They come in many colors and have a "sterno" type fuel that is suspended under the balloon. When the flame burns out (sometimes they do.... Sometimes they don't) the balloon falls back to earth... Probably not the greatest idea considering lack of rain we have had.. Pretty cool idea...
I first saw them @ Loudon this year Saturday night... At least 100 or more...

GTO · 09-03-2012, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misty Blue

We were at the Kieth Urban show at meadowbrook on Sunday night. Lawn seats.

As the moon started to rise around 8 PM we saw strange lignts in the north east. Not too far away. They rose up, usually in groups of four and flew for about five minutes before vanishing.

For the life of me I think that they were flying torches.

I remember in the navy we would take light, clear plastic bags and get them to fly by building a frame underneath them and lighting candles to heat the air.

Maybe that is what we were looking at.

By the end of the show we must have seen twenty or more of the things.

Kinda cool.

Misty Blue.

Really cool and they go up really far. Saw someone release a couple from their boat a few years ago at CTR Harbor fire work show

Kamper · 09-04-2012, 07:54 AM

I saw something like that Saturday night about 930pm, heading from Concord towards Manchester just past the 93/293 split. At first I thought it was an aircraft with excessively bright logo-lights but I couldn't make out any of the other nav lights. Those free-floating hot-air baloon toys are dangerous and if they are legal, I hope anyone that sells them will rethink it.

Seaplane Pilot · 09-04-2012, 08:33 AM

http://www.skylanterns.us/Premium-Sk...FUJo4Aodb2YAQA

NHBUOY · 09-04-2012, 11:57 AM

They are very pretty, but, look pretty dangerous too.

An open flame w/a fuel source, and the randomness of "as the wind blows", sounds like a conflagration waiting to happen.

What does "Smokey the Bear" and the local Fire Department think of these things.?

I have seen first hand, the devastation of a single spark.

Rich · 09-10-2012, 04:53 PM

A couple of weeks ago, someone with a boat on our dock came running down the dock trying to tell us what had just happened to him on his way.

He was describing lights in the sky and thought he had seen an honest to goodness UFO!

We were all laughing as he was describing these sky lanterns perfectly.

It was just too funny...

Sunrise Point · 09-11-2012, 05:08 AM

We launched several of these over the ocean in Marshfield during a family reunion this summer. I remember thinking that they were really pretty, but was not going to bring any to the lake - especially because of the dry summer that we had.

Way back, we used to send flaming steel wool way, way, up on kite strings up over the ocean. Really stupid, I know. How did we ever survive...

09-03-2012, 04:27 PM	#1
Misty Blue Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 658 Thanks: 121 Thanked 283 Times in 98 Posts	Fire......Flies? We were at the Kieth Urban show at meadowbrook on Sunday night. Lawn seats. As the moon started to rise around 8 PM we saw strange lignts in the north east. Not too far away. They rose up, usually in groups of four and flew for about five minutes before vanishing. For the life of me I think that they were flying torches. I remember in the navy we would take light, clear plastic bags and get them to fly by building a frame underneath them and lighting candles to heat the air. Maybe that is what we were looking at. By the end of the show we must have seen twenty or more of the things. Kinda cool. Misty Blue.

09-04-2012, 08:33 AM	#5
Seaplane Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,177 Thanks: 662 Thanked 943 Times in 368 Posts	Sky Lanterns http://www.skylanterns.us/Premium-Sk...FUJo4Aodb2YAQA

09-03-2012, 08:51 PM	#2
Altonbayicefishingfool Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 153 Thanks: 19 Thanked 52 Times in 30 Posts	They sell them at local convieniance stores. They cost around 3-4 bucks. They come in many colors and have a "sterno" type fuel that is suspended under the balloon. When the flame burns out (sometimes they do.... Sometimes they don't) the balloon falls back to earth... Probably not the greatest idea considering lack of rain we have had.. Pretty cool idea... I first saw them @ Loudon this year Saturday night... At least 100 or more...

09-04-2012, 07:54 AM	#4
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,296 Thanks: 67 Thanked 166 Times in 126 Posts	I saw something like that Saturday night about 930pm, heading from Concord towards Manchester just past the 93/293 split. At first I thought it was an aircraft with excessively bright logo-lights but I couldn't make out any of the other nav lights. Those free-floating hot-air baloon toys are dangerous and if they are legal, I hope anyone that sells them will rethink it.

09-04-2012, 11:57 AM	#6
NHBUOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Loon Mtn. winters...Meredith Neck summers Posts: 398 Thanks: 288 Thanked 94 Times in 60 Posts	They are very pretty, but, look pretty dangerous too. An open flame w/a fuel source, and the randomness of "as the wind blows", sounds like a conflagration waiting to happen. What does "Smokey the Bear" and the local Fire Department think of these things.? I have seen first hand, the devastation of a single spark.

09-10-2012, 04:53 PM	#7
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	A couple of weeks ago, someone with a boat on our dock came running down the dock trying to tell us what had just happened to him on his way. He was describing lights in the sky and thought he had seen an honest to goodness UFO! We were all laughing as he was describing these sky lanterns perfectly. It was just too funny...

09-11-2012, 05:08 AM	#8
Sunrise Point Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Meredith Center / Winnisquam Posts: 250 Thanks: 87 Thanked 34 Times in 21 Posts	We launched several of these over the ocean in Marshfield during a family reunion this summer. I remember thinking that they were really pretty, but was not going to bring any to the lake - especially because of the dry summer that we had. Way back, we used to send flaming steel wool way, way, up on kite strings up over the ocean. Really stupid, I know. How did we ever survive...