"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message news:b35pf.1552

I bought a case of Olin hand held flares at an auction. I thought it was a
good buy until I found out the expiration date was 1989.

Do flares actually expire? Will they fail to ignite or will they explode,
or what?

They may or may not fire. The legal requirement is that you must carry the
proper number of *in date* flares. You may carry additional cases of out of
date flares if you want.

"John Gaquin" wrote in message
news

"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message news:b35pf.1552

I bought a case of Olin hand held flares at an auction. I thought it was
a good buy until I found out the expiration date was 1989.

Do flares actually expire? Will they fail to ignite or will they
explode, or what?

They may or may not fire. The legal requirement is that you must carry
the proper number of *in date* flares. You may carry additional cases of
out of date flares if you want.


I remember someone here saying they or a friend of theirs was fined by the
CG for having expired flares on board, even though there were sufficient
fresh flares aboard.

" JimH" wrote in message

I remember someone here saying they or a friend of theirs was fined by the
CG for having expired flares on board, even though there were sufficient
fresh flares aboard.


afaik, it shouldn't happen, unless perhaps the person had all the old and
new flares mixed together such that in an emergency he was as likely to grab
a bad as a good.