NYE Fireworks by RV

We took the attached photos of the Sydney NYE fireworks the other night from 3,500' 3NM west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The photos really don't do it justice - the view was just incredible and we spent most of the time just taking it in. Fireworks were going off all night - everywhere you looked. We even had a display quite literally in the circuit area at Bankstown as we came in to land.

OAT was 31C / 88F so definately no snow in these parts. The weather was absolutely perfect - minimal wind and unlimited visibility.

While you're building, the only thing you think about is that magic first flight. After 4 years and well over 500 hundred hours those "firsts" just keep on coming. Occasionally I am still reminded all this is being done in something I built in the garage.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and many aviation adventures in 2013.

__________________
Richard Talbot
RV-7A
Sydney, Australia

Timezones being what they are, this quite possibly makes you the first RVer airborne anywhere in the world for 2013.

Cool shots.

With the amount of gunshots fired in the air around here on New Year's Eve, I'd be a little scared to fly. Then again, you may be above the height in which a bullet will travel.

What is MOST impressive is that you managed to get SY APP to give you a clearance to orbit there for so long at 3500' which I assume is the Radar LSALT.

Well done to you indeed SIR!!

RV10inOz said:

What is MOST impressive is that you managed to get SY APP to give you a clearance to orbit there for so long at 3500' which I assume is the Radar LSALT.

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Not too tricky really as Sydney Airport was under curfew at 11PM local time. We are a bit backward like that here. Aircraft get quieter and quieter every year but we close one of Australia's major international airports every night because the residents don't like aircraft noise.

There were something like eight aircraft holding east of the bridge and two more of us west. CASA (I assume) amended the LSALT to 3500' for the
duration of the display and we had aircraft stacked with 500' vertical separation.

Cheers

Really?

FresnoR said:

Cool shots.

With the amount of gunshots fired in the air around here on New Year's Eve, I'd be a little scared to fly. Then again, you may be above the height in which a bullet will travel.

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If you did that here you would spend the rest of the night in the police lock up and a fair swag of the next day waiting to have a chat with the magistrate. You might find you no longer have a gun or licence and a hefty fine to boot! Here in Sth Australia it is illegal to set off fireworks of your own without a permit, which are very hard to get. However the reason for that is it's the middle of brushfire season, and a lot of fires did start due to fireworks.

Jim.

I was watching from the Taronga zoo and I'm sure I saw an RV fly over much earlier in the evening as I remember pointing it out. Spectacular fireworks.