Mt Blackheath Launch Bushfire Risk
*** Update, closure extended, come back in the new year ***
Although the airspace remains open, the club committee believes that due to the bushfire emergency in the Blue Mountains, and forecast weather conditions, that pilots should not use the Mt Blackheath launch for the next four days at least.
In addition VMC are generally not achievable in the current conditions.
Significant bushfire activity is currently taking place in the upper Blue Mountains, to both the north and south of the launch. These fires are continuing to increase in size and the weather conditions over the coming days present significant risk to these fires behaving unpredictably.
Low level aircraft activity around the Mt. Blackheath launch is required in fighting these fires. It is critical that these aircraft, including helicopters, twin props and Large Aerial Tankers, are able to fly frequent paths at terrain level and on approaches as the immediate response situation requires. This includes across and over the Mt Blackheath launch as well as the surrounding cliff lines and valleys.
