Bang For The Buck

When the lyrics “rockets’ red glare” are sung during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” that’s when the red fireworks should explode. Likewise, when the rhyming lyrics “the bombs bursting in air” happen a few seconds later, that’s when the loud, bright-white salutes should echo across the display.

That’s how Rod Gammill sees it anyway, and after more than 15 years in the business, who can argue?

Gammill, alongside brother Doug and nephew Brent Albertson, operates Country Aire Fireworks, and they are responsible for several shows in the region.

Gammill always liked tinkering with displays, and his family’s Fourth of July exhibition grew from a few people to a few thousand in the course of a few years. He has since gone on to create displays for several cities and event venues, and his company will be in charge of the display in the city of Greenwood, about a half mile east of town, about 9:30 p.m. July 4.

It takes about three weeks to coordinate a normal 26-minute show, Gammill says, although that time can increase greatly depending on how precise and elaborate the entity he works for wants to be.

The shells Country Aire will launch on the Fourth of July are a great deal larger - between 3 inches and 12 inches in diameter - than the kind that are commercially available to those without licenses.

Still, Gammill says backyard shows can be a booming success, too. He suggests buying what is called a cake, which he says provides, quite literally, the most bang for the buck. Launching mortarshells at the same time, which typically go higher than those launched from the cake, will provide an additional layer of effects. It takes a shell about 1.5 seconds from ignition to explosion, so plan accordingly.

For a full list of commercial fireworks displays, see Page 2.