Expect some flight disruptions tomorrow.....

[powerdesal]

Interesting for some maybe......

http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/volcanicash/03_NASADC8AshDamage.pdf

[connolls]

Is it just me or has anyone else seen the films...............The Day After Tomorrow and 2012 !!!

Too many earthquakes, Tidal disruptions, and now Volcanic activity for a coincidence ???

Mel.

[Pickles]

NATS has extended the airspace closure to Monday evening 19:00. Northern French airspace is apparently closed until Tuesday morning.

Regards

Pickles

[RicandJo]

I can't see the airlines putting up with this much longer. I envisage a scenario whereby the European aviation authorities and airlines come to an arrangement which allows flights to resume but with ash damage inspections of airframes and borescope inspections of engines being carried out each night until further notice.

[Dog]

It's great I am sure peace is even more peaceful and the horrible scars of vapour trails of the destroyers of the atmosphere are absent.

I had a clear sky to fly kites.

I had to laugh my elder brother and his wife were in Paris they couldn't return by airplane they are medics so had to get back for work commitments and it cost them 750 euros by Eurostar - I shoulda bought shares quicker - the trains were packed to the hilt.

[Cendrillon]

RicandJo wrote the following post at 19/04/2010 0:04:

I can't see the airlines putting up with this much longer. I envisage a

scenario whereby the European aviation authorities and airlines come to

an arrangement which allows flights to resume but with ash damage

inspections of airframes and borescope inspections of engines being

carried out each night until further notice.

B.A. and I believe KLM both carried out a trial flight yesterday, I gather the B.A. aircraft is now at their base near Cardiff where the it is being inspected.

[Pickles]

[quote user="Cendrillon"]B.A. and I believe KLM both carried out a trial flight yesterday, I gather the B.A. aircraft is now at their base near Cardiff where the it is being inspected.

[/quote]

KLM says that its aircraft suffered no damage. BA's aircraft is being inspected. However, reportedly an atmospheric research aircraft has also flown in the last couple of days (in UK airspace) and found some areas with dangerous levels of ash. The problem is that the ash does not show up on standard aircraft instruments, and therefore normal aircraft cannot see and avoid the ash: the research aircraft COULD see it, but only with the specialised equipment that it carries.

Regards

Pickles

[AnOther]

Well aren't you a bundle of fun Dog, I'm sure those directly affected but all this will thank you for your concern and sympathy, I take it you've never flown yourself then ? [:@]

By the sounds of it we're all fortunate indeed to not be your kith and kin also.

 

[Iceni]

The word is "schadenfreude" or as the USofA'uns might say "merde happens".

6.8m people have suffered varying degrees of minor discomfort but in the great scheme of things I suppose it is up there with Portsmouth being relegated.

John - inactif in France and not directly affected

[Pickles]

NATS has extended the airspace closure to Tuesday morning 0100.

Regards

Pickles

[Salty Sam]

[quote user="Dog"]

I had a clear sky to fly kites.[/quote]

If you require a sky free of aircraft, I'd love to know how big are your kites and how high you fly them ? [8-)]

[quote user="Dog"]I had to laugh my elder brother and his wife were in Paris they couldn't return by airplane they are medics so had to get back for work commitments and it cost them 750 euros by Eurostar - I shoulda bought shares quicker - the trains were packed to the hilt.[/quote]

Following a conference in Canada, there are currently around 30 neuro-surgeons stranded. Perhaps if one of your relatives was awaiting an operation performed by one of these stranded surgeons, you might not find the situation so laughable. 

[5-element]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]

Following a conference in Canada, there are currently around 30 neuro-surgeons stranded. . [/quote]

And a sizeable number of French cardiologists equally stranded in Israel. Can't remember the total number, but it was about 1 out of 10 French cardiologists, again gone there for a conference. They were keen to get back to France quickly as they had emergency operations and urgent appointments to attend.

[Cendrillon]

This situation is certainly not funny if you are the patient in urgent need of surgery.

[Chancer]

I experienced flameouts caused by volcanic ash on two occasions, once in the archipel of Vanuatu, not surprising really with 3 active volcano's spewing out ash and rocks all the time,  The other time was between Fijjian islands and whilst I dont know if it was caused by an ash cloud it was more dramatic, the plane steadily losing altitude over a 10-15 minute period before the second engine finally restarted.

I believe that the engines usually can be restarted at lower altitude but we are not taking 747's or A380's here.

On the flight from Tanna island in Vanuatu a passenger called Bruce, an Australian Airline captain (with whom I passed a memorable night on the summit of Mt Yasur dodging falling boulders of lava) convinced the pilot to actually overfly the active volcano so we could take some ariel pictures.

[AnOther]

Dog is probably out enjoying flying his kites in the wonderful vapour trail free sky but no doubt when he returns he'll tell us we deserve all we get because we eat the flesh of dead animals instead of nettles and nuts [:'(]

 

[Dog]

[quote user="Salty Sam"][quote user="Dog"]

I had a clear sky to fly kites.[/quote]

If you require a sky free of aircraft, I'd love to know how big are your kites and how high you fly them ? [8-)]

[quote user="Dog"]I had to laugh my elder brother and his wife were in Paris they couldn't return by airplane they are medics so had to get back for work commitments and it cost them 750 euros by Eurostar - I shoulda bought shares quicker - the trains were packed to the hilt.[/quote]

Following a conference in Canada, there are currently around 30 neuro-surgeons stranded. Perhaps if one of your relatives was awaiting an operation performed by one of these stranded surgeons, you might not find the situation so laughable. 

[/quote]

 

My kites are approximately 350mm square they can fly as high as you have cotton to pay out. My small reel has 8 kilometres of line and the large 14. If the line breaks it is said they go to heaven as they drift upwards.

Most people rarely spend anytime looking at the sky so it is a real joy to see it unspoiled by large aircraft and vapour trails.

The skies really are pure blue without those pesky vapour trails and even though the aircraft that usually pass over my area are high I am sure things are more peaceful. Even the military jets have been absent recently. They are a bit of a worry when kite flying as they fly low and appear quickly. Luckily I have only had the military scrambled on me twice and that was not with Indian kites as they are paper. It's the metallic polyfilm and larger kites with carbon fibre spars that they seem to pick up on radar.

We only had a few light aircraft out poluting the environment - why can they not fit silencers. If Honda made the engines you wouldn't hear them.

Look on the bright side the waiting list for surgery by neurosurgeons in Canada could fall dramatically.

[Gardengirl]

I can't feel there's anything remotely amusing about the situation, even if the odd one on here does.

There are many thousands of people going through a very worrying time, which is causing distress, discomfort and for some it's costing a lot of money as well. If it goes on for much longer there will also be job losses as well.

I do find some of the stories we hear about helpful people very uplifting; people who don't decry others, but who get on and pitch in. Like the fishermen picking up holidaymakers and taking them back across the channel, Dan Snow's rescue attempt (yes, I'm sure there'll be a book or TV programme coming from that!), people offering lifts etc. I've even had an offer of help to get our car back to UK if we can't get a flight back, by someone on this forum.

I find all of this very heart-warming, and I'm very thankful I'm not stuck at an airport or station somewhere, with upset children or elderly relatives.  [:D]

EDIT  Dog, many of us look up at the skies a lot and enjoy doing so both by day and also by night to admire the stars. I'm constantly doing so when at our place in France, pinching myself at our great good luck. Here in UK I also love looking at the skies; lovely and blue almost all day since arriving here on Easter Sunday. We don't have the usual planes overhead - we live not so far from Heathrow!- but we do have many red kites; 7 as I write are circling round. I haven't actually missed the planes, but I do know I'll hate it when they return as some of them make such a noise when going over the house. They were around when we moved here, but the numbers have vastly increased. But any of us who ever fly anywhere at all cannot moan or else we're showing ourselves as hypocrites!

[Salty Sam]

[quote]Luckily I have only had the military scrambled on me twice and that was not with Indian kites as they are paper. It's the metallic polyfilm and larger kites with carbon fibre spars that they seem to pick up on radar.[/quote]

Metallic polyfilm and carbon fibre !!! Not a very green pastime then ?

I sincerely hope that the next time you are the cause of the military buzzing you (at great expense), the shock doesn't bring on a heart attack or that one of your kites doesn't fall out of the sky striking you in the process.

You might then appreciate the value of Cardiologists & Neuro-surgeons, especially if there are none available.

[pachapapa]

[quote user="powerdesal"][quote user="Salty Sam"]

Without going into irrelevant detail, this link provides details of aircraft in the air AND details of the ash cloud coverage.

[url]http://www.radarvirtuel.com/#[/url]

[/quote]

 

It strikes me that the Leipzig to Brussels flight is a bit lost, being shown over central England !!!!!!!!!!!!

[/quote]

I finally got on the site: A KAL flight out of Vancouver heading for Seoul but showing up in Bulgarian Air Space.

I see the Beeb are using the simplified Met Office/flightradar24 map.

[IMG]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47670000/gif/_47670602_iceland_flights_ash_466.gif[/IMG]

[Patf]

[quote user="5-element"]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]

Following a conference in Canada, there are currently around 30 neuro-surgeons stranded. . [/quote]

And a sizeable number of French cardiologists equally stranded in Israel. Can't remember the total number, but it was about 1 out of 10 French cardiologists, again gone there for a conference. They were keen to get back to France quickly as they had emergency operations and urgent appointments to attend.

[/quote]

I would have thought that people stuck in Europe itself, or somewhere connected like Israel; could get back by coach or sea quite easily.

Ships sail regularly between Haifa and Marseille.

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Patf"][quote user="5-element"]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]

Following a conference in Canada, there are currently around 30 neuro-surgeons stranded. . [/quote]

And a sizeable number of French cardiologists equally stranded in Israel. Can't remember the total number, but it was about 1 out of 10 French cardiologists, again gone there for a conference. They were keen to get back to France quickly as they had emergency operations and urgent appointments to attend.

[/quote]
I would have thought that people stuck in Europe itself, or somewhere connected like Israel; could get back by coach or sea quite easily.
Ships sail regularly between Haifa and Marseille.
[/quote]

The Iberia Madrid-Tel Aviv flights are flying normally.

[AnOther]

Latest news:

Scottish airspace to open @ 06:00 tomorrow, Midlands @ 12:00 and southern England 18:00

 

[TWINKLE]

Has anyone blamed the erupton on the government yet?

How DARE the volcano erupt while I'm on my holiday or about to go on holiday or waitng for my Curry Secret Book to arrive from Amazon...etc....etc...!!! 

Mother Nature  can be s-o-o-o very selfish these days can't she?[:)]

[Russethouse]

It's reported that a 16 year old girl is waiting for bone marrow from Canada and its critical that she gets it in the next few days

[SC]

I was at St Malo this morning (Monday) and the terminal was completely full with foot passengers, some looking as though they'd been there overnight. With only one ferry leaving it wasn't chaotic, but there was a long queue to check in and then for passport control. Car oparks at the terminal were full with cars parked in the entry and exit roads. There were cars from Spain dropping off passengers and a coach from Germany. I suspect the Bretagne had a full passenger list for the first time (3000ish?)

Cars and trucks seemed to be being processed as usual.

I think the situation was similar at Roscoff as two passengers we booked on yesterday (after umpteen tries as the website was inundated and lines busy) upgraded to a cabin on arrival at Roscoff - presumably after seeing the number of foot passengers.

I would think that Dieppe will be considerably busier than either of these ports so I should arrive earlier than you normally would.

Steve