Smoke!

[sfGnome]

As those of you not in Sydney and surrounds may have heard, we've had a few of a bushfire issues lately. Yesterday, we had intended to fly from Warnervale - north of Sydney - to Jaspers Brush - in the south - for the EMT course that the kind folk were running there. Unfortunately, prior to the entry to the western VFR lane at Brooklyn bridge, we hit a solid wall of smoke trapped in an inversion layer at about 1,500'. Yes, we were clear of it, but there was zero ground reference for navigation and zero opportunity to pick a landing spot should things go quiet. We shot over to the coast, but the smoke went far out to sea.

 

Figuring that it would dissipate as the morning progressed, we went back to base for a coffee before having a second go. Second time was even thicker. At the coast, we tried to descend on the basis that from 500', we'd have adequate visibility, but apart from choking as we went into the smoke layer, we also started to loose any horizon. Didn't hang around there, admitted defeat, and went home.

 

This morning, I was up at the Brooklyn bridge again, but this time on a slightly more earth-bound conveyance, and this is what it looked like. For those of you who don't know the area, this is about half way across the bridge, and there is a dirty great big mountain at the far end of it...

 

 

I hope the Emergency Maneuvers training went well, because the only emergency maneuver we go to practice was the 'Turn and Run'. Ah well, live to fight another day.

 

 

[shu77]

We live under the Southern lane & I saw one very keen Cessna heading south today. In between the heat, the smoke and the 15G35 winds, I figured he had far more of a desire to be in the air than I did

 

 

[metalman]

We live under the Southern lane & I saw one very keen Cessna heading south today. In between the heat, the smoke and the 15G35 winds, I figured he had far more of a desire to be in the air than I did

we need a "crazy bastard" button for stories like that,,,

matty

 

 

[facthunter]

You did the right thing going back. . Nev

 

 

[rdarby]

I flew into Sydney (by VA 737) during the fires. From about 10,000 we could see an inversion with the smoke trapped under it, and smell it in the cabin. From the terminal 747's were emerging from the gloom like ghosts. You could not see the other end of the runway. For two days in the city everyone smelled like they had been near a fire. It was really bad, the news told of the fires but not how wide the impact was. I can only imagine what the asthma sufferers must have been going through too. And no way I would have flown in that murk! sfGnome you did the right thing!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I suffer from asthma. The last month has been a real drama up here in the Hunter looking forward to lots of rain to wash the air clean

 

 

[facthunter]

Will the Hunter ever be clean again? Nev

 

 

[ayavner]

I wondered how many would have gotten down for the EMT training.. i was supposed to go out to Young then beyond to do my solo navs and XC test on the way back, but between the smoke and the 28G35 direct crosswind we also called it a day... this time I didn't even pay to taxi! ;-) Great pic as well. I also hope it rains, allergies don't cope well either

 

 

[Oscar]

I'm a bit hazy (pun intended!) on this one, but I recall that at one time, Bill Riley (ex Sunderland pilot, something like 10,000 hours) once put down at Port Macquarie in his Lakes (I think it was - certainly an amphibian) because of too much smoke to continue. Cancelled his SAR watch while in the air and declared putting down on the lake, and was asked 'are you declaring an emergency?' - he said 'no.'

 

Tied up to a yacht mooring and cadged a lift ashore; sometime later the local Police arrived at the pub he was having a drink in and were apparently quite insistent that he had had a crash, which he had to report! Those who knew Bill would understand what I mean when I say he apparently became somewhat terse in the end and I think told them to go look at the aircraft for themselves..

 

 

[Ultralights]

we had enough of a turnout to fill all the flying slots, and a good crowd arrived by car. sadly not as many flew in as anticipated, but that was to be expected with the conditions, if there is enough interest we will organise another north of Syd.

 

 

[sfGnome]

Colour me interested! The report from our mate who drove down (though I think he may have regretted agreeing to be the pax during an aeros demo) only whetted my appetite more. North is handy, but by no means mandatory; it was just unfortunate that the conditions on the day messed things. The sad part was that if bad weather was forecast, I would have driven down, but "light winds and CAVOK" sounded tailor-made.

 

 

[facthunter]

L&V and CAVOK is shorthand for HAZE, SMOG and smoke if it's there, hanging around . Especially with sugar cane burning or precautionary burning in Victorian Alps.. A high pressure sitting above compounds it. ( High QNH). Nev