Eerie footage showing a sea of red from the cockpit of two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) planes is illustrating the difficulty air crews are having landing in bushfire areas.
The video released by the RAAF shows two separate crews attempting to land in thick red smoke during Operation Bushfire Assist.
The first clip shows a team trying to land in Mallacoota, Victoria, where people were reportedly waiting to be evacuated.
According to the RAAF, the plane was eventually able to land and could conduct evacuation flights over the weekend.
The crew in the second clip wasn't as successful as they attempted to land in Merimbula, New South Wales (NSW). Due to the lack of visibility, they were unable to land and deliver the Fire and Rescue NSW personnel to the fire-ridden community.
"Even though our crews are highly trained and professional, heavy smoke from bushfires means they're not always able to complete the mission on the first try," the RAAF said.
The bushfires have been raging since September and there are currently 139 fires burning in NSW. The national death toll for this fire season stands at 24.
