A few years ago I bought 6 out-of-date industrial strength parachute flares. I tested one once up here in field in the mountains . . . it went up about 500 feet and lit up the night sky.
I need all my will
power not to shoot off the remaining five flares. Every 4th of July is a terrible internal struggle . . .
But really I'm glad to save them for an onboard
emergency, and should that ever happen, I know we'll have some incredible signaling
power. They make a regular handheld flare seem like a 10W bulb by comparison.