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You might think this off topic but it was an eye opener for me..I've got a Subaru DL station wagon, with the EA 82 overhead cam engine. We live at Avoca Beach, by the sea at 10 m AMSL, and the car goes like a scorched cat down here, and is most economical, I often think that when the body gets pensioned off I'll whack the motor on the back of my gyro and carry on flying, it goes that well ... well, usually.What was a surprise was that when we drove it up to Perisher, via Dainer's Gap, elevation 1680 m was the degredation in performance and the vicious drop in fuel economy, at 5500' it is a non performer, a hill that we would normally tackle at sea level doing 80 kph in forth gear turned into a 50 kph struggle in 3rd gear.For me physically I found a run up two storeys of steps left me puffing whereas it normally wouldn't.So, the density altitude effects were quite pronounced, an increase in height does have a nasty effect on the performance of your gyro, be mindful of it, it affects your fuel consumption, and effects your own physical performance as well, Birdy may concur, flyin' hi is not all that it is cracked up to be...Cheers,Nick.