Cyprus-Forum.com

[Londonrake]

Don’t go south!

Australia fires: Sydney blanketed by smoke from NSW bushfires https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50468450

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[miltiades]

Paphitis must have ....farted

[cyprusgrump]

Don’t go south!

Australia fires: Sydney blanketed by smoke from NSW bushfires https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50468450

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A mate of mine is there on holiday at the moment, scary stuff!

[Paphitis]

ILS Approaches to minima in Brisbane and Sydney due to smoke on some days depending on prevailing winds. Calm days the smoke haze is very think and sometimes an inversion layer keeps the smoke in the inversion layer.

Military has also been called in. Galaxy Aircraft bringing in firefighters from all over plus equipment.

Lots of massive Tankers from the USA - B737, Hercules, MD11s and all sorts.

It's very turbulent going through all the ash. Quite awful actually.

Got some amazing photos. Aircraft covered in ash.

Russel Crowe's house got burnt down as well.

Fires are everywhere. From Sydney all up the east coast to north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast.

[Paphitis]

Don’t go south!

Australia fires: Sydney blanketed by smoke from NSW bushfires https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50468450

.

A mate of mine is there on holiday at the moment, scary stuff!

Moon is permanently red - blood moon in Brisbane and Sydney.

Sun is also red and not hard to look at from all the pollution.

If it doesn't rain, the entire Eastern Seaboard is in big trouble and its going to be a tough summer.

Departing from Sydney today off from runway 34R, you can see the fire front from 500 AGL just to the left with the smoke coming eastward. The fire is only a few kms from the outer suburbs of Sydney in the Blue Mountains. The smoke waffles over the city.

Pollution in Sydney and Brisbane are worse than Beijing right now.

But overall, we do not feel unsafe. Might be different if you lived in one of those suburbs near the fire. But overall, the authorities seem to be all over it with a lot of firefighting being mobilized, military, tankers, and emergency services. The amount of equipment flown in from the USA is phenomenal.

The yanks have bought some serious hardware down here and you can here them make all their runs up and down dropping hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fire retardant.

[Paphitis]

Don’t go south!

Australia fires: Sydney blanketed by smoke from NSW bushfires https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50468450

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It isn't that bad.

I was in Sydney last night but in Brisbane tonight.

[Kikapu]

The curse of Australia having lots of Eucalyptus trees which burn well due to it's high plant oil content.

[Pyrpolizer]

As long as the authorities got fully mobilized and the yanks' help is phenomenal, that's all it matters in Holy-Rosy Paphitian Australia.
Who set those fires
What will be next

[Paphitis]

The curse of Australia having lots of Eucalyptus trees which burn well due to it's high plant oil content.

That and there are lots of thunderstorms with thousands of lightning strikes to the ground.

This is how most of these fires started.

It's currently the storm season in South East and Far North Queensland and when nature puts on a show, she really does bring the house down.

There is a lot of instability in the atmosphere at the moment with a lot of build up (Cumulonimbus activity).

[Paphitis]

As long as the authorities got fully mobilized and the yanks' help is phenomenal, that's all it matters in Holy-Rosy Paphitian Australia.
Who set those fires
What will be next

This happens every year.

There was only one arson reported and that was a 16 year old kid who has been arrested.

Most of the fires occur from lightning Strikes to the ground. Australia's East Coast and Northern parts in particular, are tropical and sub tropical and me have massive electrical storms. The Eastern Seaboard Great Dividing Range and Blue Mountains are famous for their convective storms as well.

As for the authorities - yes they do spend a lot of money and there are a lot of American Fire Bombers here. Everything from B747, B737, MD11 and C130 Tankers with US FAA Registration. Which means US FAA qualified pilots. There was one Australian guy flying an N rego (US FAA) today. He was the only one I heard on the airwaves. Also I have a couple of mates flying the Helos and another mate flying a Fire Scanner for the Country Fire Service.

Also a lot of Elvis Helos, Tractors and Helicopters by the hundreds (yes Hundreds). It's a massive operation and there is a lot of traffic in Class C, G and H Airspace.

Australia is the land for bush-fires. This is something we are use to. It happens every year like clock work and the authorities are very well prepared and very well drilled with what to do.

The Fire Bombers are fighting from the air but the real battle is the firefighting on the ground. The firefighters actually back burn and light hundreds of fires on the ground to make containment lines. this is the only way they can contain the fire.