I'm not suggesting flying into the main cloud of volcanic ash, because we know what will happen; I am suggesting flying in the areas where test flights are already being carried out in order to assess possible longer term damage. If there is a possibility of longer term damage then it makes perfect sense to use engines and aircraft which have no future anyway.
Ed, I'm afraid we don't know the longer term effects of flying in the areas where the microfine particles are suspended in the atmosphere and that is the data that would be useful.
neildo and 14greens - I hope that I have now explained myself more fully and that you can see my intention was never to place any persons in immediate jeopardy but to allow assessment of the effects that the particles had on the engines in the longer term. Sorry if I didn't make that clear initially, I probably am an arse but not for the reasons you suspected.