http://www.safetycentral.com/flarandsmoks.html

this one is in Vancouver http://www.wlti.ca/supplies.htm

Steve

Hello,

Thanks. What are the flares issued in the Navy like (ie burn time, altitude, etc)?

Titus

The Canada Shipping Act states that a Type A (Parachute Flare) shall be projected to a height of not less than 230m, when fired from approx. a near vertical position.

The burn out shall occur at a height of not less than 45m above sea level and the flare shall descend at a rate of 4.6m/s. The burn duration shall, therefore, be 40s.

The flare shall burn with a luminosity of not less than 25,000 candela.

But, beyond curiousity, you don't really need to know all that.
Just make sure that whatever pyrotechnic distress signals you buy are SOLAS approved.

SOLAS is Safety Of Life At Sea, which is a series of IMO conventions that began as a result of the Titanic disaster. (The Titanic had lifeboats for less than half of all the people on board).

It should say "SOLAS approved" on the pyrotechnic.

Also, flares have an expiry date. They are good for 4 years from date of manufacture. So, make sure when you buy them that they are recently manufactured, thus having lots of "life" left.

HTH and cheers,

well we use painswessix smoke/radio/flare floating markers, we use millitary Paraflares, hand held will light up a whole field and take about 15 to 20 seconds to fall, I don't think you can buy these normaly. we all use smoke candels ect.. all millitary NATO spec.

Steve

Do you want distress flares or illumination flares?

The Paraflares you are referring to, Steve, are illumination flares... aren't they?

Illumination flares can be used in SAR, but they are usually used by the search party to illuminate an area at night, thus increasing visibility for the searchers. They are not meant to signal distress.

Illumination flares shouldn't, technically, be used as a distress signal because they are not red. A distress signal flare is red.

Cheers,

ya our distress flairs are almost the same thing but red, maybe not wuite as bright but have about the same burn time. the problem is with out supply system going to mostly a civilian purchase they are getting harder to find now.. I know for our smaller vessels we use the stubby pistol launcher and it is a normal one. not near the effect as some I have seen.

Steve