Finding clear weather

February 2008 What a difference in weather a week makes. The last day of February was sunny in contrast to the previous weekend. And as I climbed out of the Bankstown control zone, I could see all the way to the Blue Mountains.

Arriving just east of Warragamba Dam at 4,000 ft, I identified two aircraft about 2-3 nautical miles to the south below me. They were heading west out to Lake Burragorang, so I was clear to begin exercising the big bird for a while.

After the workout, I headed to Lake Burragorang via The Oaks for a bit of sightseeing. Again, I was struck by the relatively clear sky in contrast to last week. Arriving overhead Lake Burragorang, it was time for another workout for DZY.

Away from the training area and under a 7,500 ft controlled airspace step, I was able to use higher power settings for better vertical performance without worrying about punching into controlled airspace. So running at 80% power, the bird climbed vertically with little effort and fuss.

Having had my fill of high G manoeuvres, it was time for a practice forced landing near St Mary's Airstrip before an uneventful recovery back to Bankstown.