kelly

I'm a retired teacher of metalwork and woodwork in the secondary system. I was recuited in the U.S.A. by the Victorian Education Department in 1974 and have been living in Australia since. I've always had an appreciatioin of pyrotechnic displays and wondered how they were made. As a youngster I and my brothers were interested in rockets and modeling and our father (a mechanic) was very capable of teaching us a lot about them and the safety required. I've been firing rockets for about 20 yrs. off and on, but have gotten tired of watching them just float to the ground. It was in Vietnam that I had my first chance to work with explosives and developed a hardy respect for them and what they can do. This was not my duty in Nam, I was a Cheif Warrant Officer and flew helicopters for 18 months there.
I now have a lot of time to donate to whatever undertaking I choose and thought why not renew my interest in pyrotechnics. There are a number of restrictions here in Australia to amature pyro but I'm determined to achieve and there are ways to make it happen. I have a basic philosophy "if you can't buy it then make it, if you can't make it then find an alternative solution", and so far it has worked for me.