View Full Version : New Year's "Fire Lantern" grounds A320 Chaing Mai, Thailand
Dog Star
2nd Jan 2015, 20:25
What size are these lanterns?
Lantern causes Bangkok Airways flight cancellation | Inquirer News (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/661817/lantern-causes-bangkok-airways-flight-cancellation)
Generally about 18" in diameter and 30" tall made from rice paper and a light metal wire frame.
I live SE of a major EU airport. These things are now readily available here and are great fun. However, on Christmas Eve & New years Eve many were released and floated towards the centre-line of one of the runways. I estimate they did penetrate the Glideslope. Fortunately I did not see any a/c on approach for that RWY. However there are other RWY's at the airport and it is surrounded by population. We hear of drones (toys) being a problem and now these. It is shame there is such lack of awareness and it would be sad if they are banned. The many are punished by the stupidity of the few. What is a workable solution? Difficult, unless they can somehow have a built in cieling.
Metro man
3rd Jan 2015, 23:19
They are basically mini hot air balloons powered by a candle and rise to surprising height before dying off or burning up. The concentration of launches from popular beaches at certain times make them a real hazard.
Dog Star
4th Jan 2015, 00:02
In response to the grounding of an A320 on New Year's Day last Thursday transport officials in Thailand threaten lengthy prison sentences:
Lengthy jail terms threatened for lantern releases | Bangkok Post: news (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/454181/lengthy-jail-terms-threatened-for-lantern-releases)
In more serious cases, life imprisonment or even the death sentence can be applied, the source said.
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training wheels
4th Jan 2015, 05:16
It was only a matter of time for that to happen .. If I remember correctly, it's the festival of Loi Khratong
http://www.canvas-of-light.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CoLP-1111-LoyKrathongMJ-5112-850x566.jpg
On Loi Krathong period, all airlines shall adjust their flight schedules for avoiding this because they know that this will happen.
But this thing new to the new year day so they were not aware of it and didn't change their schedules.
Dog Star
6th Jan 2015, 00:37
Danger in the skies | Bangkok Post: opinion (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/454602/danger-in-the-skies)
Am I the only pilot who has had difficulty manually maneuvering around a swarm of these "fire lanterns" to gain the center line of an ILS? These were the "fire lanterns" I could make visual contact with of course but there may have been many more out there whose flames had already been extinguished. These are beautiful spectacles to behold but should not be allowed within the vicinity of an airport. If tradition dictates otherwise then these events should be clearly notamed as such.
If you think this is only happening in the Far East think again:
United Kingdom
BBC News - Five problems caused by Chinese lanterns (http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23129276)
United States
Fire marshals want to ban sky lanterns (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/04/sky-lanterns-ban/3433273/)