Definition
Firing angle is the tilt given to a mortar, a cake tube or a candle relative to the vertical. Fired straight, a device climbs above the firing site; tilted 10 to 30 degrees, it throws its effect forward or sideways, which opens up the space, draws fans and crossings, and moves the fallout zone in the direction of fire. The absolute rule is to tilt away from the audience, never toward it, and to allow for wind pushing the fallout back. Adjustable-angle racks, wedges and inclinometers let you reproduce the setting planned on paper; for large calibres the tilt stays moderate because horizontal range grows quickly with angle. A fan of 50 mm comets tilted at 20 degrees easily covers 60 m in width.
In practice, for the display company
Angle is a firing-plan datum just like the cue: it is entered tube by tube or rack by rack, printed on the rigging sheet and checked with an inclinometer. PyroDesk records the angle and direction of every launch, and PyroSimulator traces the tilted trajectories with their fallout to check that no shot points toward the audience.