diff --git a/c1.yaml b/c1.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2560fc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c1.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+apiVersion: cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: Cluster
+metadata:
+  name: c1
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  clusterNetwork:
+    pods:
+      cidrBlocks:
+      - 10.1.0.0/16
+    serviceDomain: cluster.local
+    services:
+      cidrBlocks:
+      - 10.152.0.0/16
+  controlPlaneRef:
+    apiVersion: controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2
+    kind: CK8sControlPlane
+    name: c1-control-plane
+  infrastructureRef:
+    apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+    kind: DockerCluster
+    name: c1
+---
+apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: DockerCluster
+metadata:
+  name: c1
+  namespace: default
+spec: {}
+---
+apiVersion: controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2
+kind: CK8sControlPlane
+metadata:
+  name: c1-control-plane
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  machineTemplate:
+    infrastructureTemplate:
+      apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+      kind: DockerMachineTemplate
+      name: c1-control-plane
+  replicas: 3
+  spec:
+    airGapped: true
+    controlPlane:
+      extraKubeAPIServerArgs:
+        --anonymous-auth: "true"
+  version: v1.29.6
+---
+apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: DockerMachineTemplate
+metadata:
+  name: c1-control-plane
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      customImage: k8s-snap:dev-old
+---
+apiVersion: cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: MachineDeployment
+metadata:
+  name: c1-worker-md-0
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  clusterName: c1
+  replicas: 0
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: c1
+  template:
+    spec:
+      bootstrap:
+        configRef:
+          apiVersion: bootstrap.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2
+          kind: CK8sConfigTemplate
+          name: c1-md-0
+      clusterName: c1
+      infrastructureRef:
+        apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+        kind: DockerMachineTemplate
+        name: c1-md-0
+      version: v1.29.6
+---
+apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: DockerMachineTemplate
+metadata:
+  name: c1-md-0
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      customImage: k8s-snap:dev-old
+---
+apiVersion: bootstrap.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2
+kind: CK8sConfigTemplate
+metadata:
+  name: c1-md-0
+  namespace: default
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      airGapped: true
diff --git a/controlplane/controllers/scale.go b/controlplane/controllers/scale.go
index de0f3777..6639a2b1 100644
--- a/controlplane/controllers/scale.go
+++ b/controlplane/controllers/scale.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) scaleDownControlPlane(
 	logger := ctrl.LoggerFrom(ctx)
 
 	// Pick the Machine that we should scale down.
+	logger.Info("Selecting control plane Machine to delete")
 	machineToDelete, err := selectMachineForScaleDown(ctx, controlPlane, outdatedMachines)
 	if err != nil {
 		return ctrl.Result{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to select machine for scale down: %w", err)
@@ -110,7 +111,9 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) scaleDownControlPlane(
 
 	// Run preflight checks ensuring the control plane is stable before proceeding with a scale up/scale down operation; if not, wait.
 	// Given that we're scaling down, we can exclude the machineToDelete from the preflight checks.
+	logger.Info("Running preflight checks before scaling down control plane")
 	if result, err := r.preflightChecks(ctx, controlPlane, machineToDelete); err != nil || !result.IsZero() {
+		logger.Info("Preflight checks failed, requeueing")
 		return result, err
 	}
 
@@ -162,16 +165,19 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) scaleDownControlPlane(
 	microclusterPort := controlPlane.KCP.Spec.CK8sConfigSpec.ControlPlaneConfig.GetMicroclusterPort()
 	clusterObjectKey := util.ObjectKey(cluster)
 	workloadCluster, err := r.managementCluster.GetWorkloadCluster(ctx, clusterObjectKey, microclusterPort)
+	logger.Info("Get workload cluster", "cluster", clusterObjectKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err, "failed to create client to workload cluster")
 		return ctrl.Result{}, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create client to workload cluster")
 	}
 
+	logger.Info("Removing machine from microcluster")
 	if err := workloadCluster.RemoveMachineFromCluster(ctx, machineToDelete); err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err, "failed to remove machine from microcluster")
 	}
 
 	logger = logger.WithValues("machine", machineToDelete)
+	logger.Info("Machine removed from microcluster")
 	if err := r.Client.Delete(ctx, machineToDelete); err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		logger.Error(err, "Failed to delete control plane machine")
 		r.recorder.Eventf(kcp, corev1.EventTypeWarning, "FailedScaleDown",
@@ -179,6 +185,7 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) scaleDownControlPlane(
 		return ctrl.Result{}, err
 	}
 
+	logger.Info("Control plane Machine deleted")
 	// Requeue the control plane, in case there are additional operations to perform
 	return ctrl.Result{Requeue: true}, nil
 }
@@ -201,6 +208,7 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) preflightChecks(_ context.Context, controlP
 	}
 
 	// If there are deleting machines, wait for the operation to complete.
+	logger.Info("Checking for deleting machines")
 	if controlPlane.HasDeletingMachine() {
 		logger.Info("Waiting for machines to be deleted", "Machines", strings.Join(controlPlane.Machines.Filter(collections.HasDeletionTimestamp).Names(), ", "))
 		return ctrl.Result{RequeueAfter: deleteRequeueAfter}, nil
@@ -208,10 +216,12 @@ func (r *CK8sControlPlaneReconciler) preflightChecks(_ context.Context, controlP
 
 	// Check machine health conditions; if there are conditions with False or Unknown, then wait.
 	allMachineHealthConditions := []clusterv1.ConditionType{controlplanev1.MachineAgentHealthyCondition}
+	logger.Info("Checking control plane machines health conditions")
 	if controlPlane.IsEtcdManaged() {
 		allMachineHealthConditions = append(allMachineHealthConditions,
 			controlplanev1.MachineEtcdMemberHealthyCondition,
 		)
+		logger.WithValues(allMachineHealthConditions).Info("Control plane is managing etcd, checking etcd member health condition")
 	}
 
 	machineErrors := []error{}
@@ -220,15 +230,18 @@ loopmachines:
 	for _, machine := range controlPlane.Machines {
 		for _, excluded := range excludeFor {
 			// If this machine should be excluded from the individual
-			// health check, continue the out loop.
+			// health check, continue the outer loop.
 			if machine.Name == excluded.Name {
+				logger.Info("Excluding machine from health check", "machine", machine.Name)
 				continue loopmachines
 			}
 		}
 
 		for _, condition := range allMachineHealthConditions {
+			logger.Info("Checking machine condition", "machine", machine.Name, "condition", condition)
 			if err := preflightCheckCondition("machine", machine, condition); err != nil {
 				machineErrors = append(machineErrors, err)
+				logger.Error(err, "Machine failed health check", "machine", machine.Name, "condition", condition)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -242,6 +255,7 @@ loopmachines:
 		return ctrl.Result{RequeueAfter: preflightFailedRequeueAfter}, nil
 	}
 
+	logger.Info("All machines passed health checks")
 	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }