Icelandic Ash Cloud
With all the ATC closures due to this ash cloud, how is it affecting SAR cover ?
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And what about QRA? Will Ivan stay at home?
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Just seen on BBC television, that as of 12.00hrs, all British airspace is closed to inbound and outbound commercial flights until at least 18.00hrs today.:confused:
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how is it affecting SAR cover ? Will Ivan stay at home? |
;)
From BBC News on-line. Fears over the ash forced the Great North Air Ambulance - covering parts of North Yorkshire - to be grounded, but the Royal Air Force said it would maintain its search and rescue operations. An RAF spokesman said: "We will continue to provide full search and rescue cover, however we will consider all requests we get on a case by case basis. |
And what about QRA? Will Ivan stay at home? (Yes, I know, Russian Bears. Zzzz) |
From Army to RAF to RN in 4 sentences...... :ugh::ugh:
The Independent: Army helicopter flies patient from Scotland A critically ill patient had to be flown from Scotland to London by military helicopter today after volcanic ash grounded most planes in the UK. Only an RAF Sea King helicopter was suitable to make the journey after the volcano exploding in Iceland led to restrictions being imposed on UK airspace. The female patient was taken by ambulance from hospital in Dunfermline, Fife, to HMS Gannet at Prestwick. From there a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter flew her to London, landing in Regent's Park at around 9am. An ambulance then took her to University College Hospital. The incident was organised by the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) at RAF Kinloss which was asked to help at 3.13am. An RAF spokesman said: "The ARCC would not usually task a helicopter from Scotland so far south but due to the air traffic control (ATC) restrictions caused by volcanic ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland there were no civilian aircraft or military fixed wings options available. If we had not taken this patient by helicopter then the only other option was a road ambulance." The Scottish Ambulance Service said it took a female patient from Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline to Prestwick for transfer to London. Flights were grinding to a halt today as ash from Iceland's volcanic eruption moved into UK airspace. Airports faced massive disruption with flights in and out of all Scottish airports suspended, and those further south shutting or suspending flights during the day. The ash cloud is damaging to aircraft due to its abrasive effect on jet engines. The RAF said it would continue to provide full search and rescue cover but would restrict that to operational flights only, and would consider each request for assistance on a case by case basis. |
Day off for Boulmer then!
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Is this ash cloud affecting military low level flying? I was under the impression that this cloud was quite high up?
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Look at the red line on the charts in the link, and you will see there is a risk down to lower levels.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation...1271331761.png Met Office: Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres |
One bonus - at least it's knocked the flipping election off the top of the news schedules. :ok: I feared only a major air disaster or terrorist attack would do that.
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All around the country, mil aircraft are being wheeled into hangars to protect them whilst the sun shines brightly in the sky!!!
If it is safe to fly on SAROPs, it is safe to fly on training. If it is not safe to fly because of the ash then it is not accpetable to do SAROPS either. Some classic military decision making today:ugh: |
Duty of care and acute risk aversion perhaps? :D
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Early POETS perhaps?:)
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such a thing should ground the RAF |
Rock34 wrote
Is this ash cloud affecting military low level flying? I was under the impression that this cloud was quite high up? TJ |
Irish Coastguard S-61 has been flying around here ,Newtownards, for the last hour or so.
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Despite the order from HQ Air to ground all but CAT A, CAT B and QRA flights from 1200Z, RAF Odiham and RAF Benson were still flying at 4pm, as was RAF Northolt.
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understand the isles of scilly skybus service was still running and lots of puddle jumpers still flying around in the afternoon - perhaps then it is on comair above 10000' that's grounded?
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It didn't seem to bother the Chinook flying over Basingstoke about one o'clock, but then again, they've got EAPS. ;)
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Living in the South East we have regularly been covered in Saharan sand ... didn't this need a suspension of air travel?
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So if no powered flights are using controlled airspace, can glider pilots go where they like now?:}
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Sandpit Shuttles? Is the Gateway starting to fill up?
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ORAC, Re your 1203 yesterday, post #7, I think You'll find that it was an RN Helicopter. I am quite sure that other Services could have accomplished the task with their helicopters but a bit of accuracy (or pointing out the inaccuracies of others) would not go amiss.
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I seem to remember from O Level Geography that the biggest danger is a volcano called Katla. Is this eruption close to Katla?
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This from elsewhere....not too joyful!!
Global cooling: What happens if the Iceland volcano blows The potential eruption of Iceland's volcano Katla would likely send the world, including the USA, into an extended deep freeze. "When Katla went off in the 1700s, the USA suffered a very cold winter," says Gary Hufford, a scientist with the Alaska Region of the National Weather Service. "To the point, the Mississippi River froze just north of New Orleans and the East Coast, especially New England, had an extremely cold winter. Depending on a new eruption, Katla could cause some serious weather changes." Eyjafjallajokull, the Icelandic volcano .... isn't the direct problem. It's Katla, the noisier neighbor, that's the concern. If lava flowing from Eyjafjallajokull melts the glaciers that hold down the top of Katla, then Katla could blow its top, pumping gigantic amounts of ash into the atmosphere. Scientists say history has proven that whenever the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts, Katla always follows -- the only question is how soon. "If it (Eyjafjallajokull) continues to belch, then you worry," says Hufford...... |
SAR, QRA, and emergency medical flights unaffected.
Airbridges to Afghan and Falklands suspended with 4 aircraft currently held up in the system (2 stuck at Akrotiri) Emergency evacuation out of Afghan going to unaffected coalition nations |
Global cooling: What happens if the Iceland volcano blows
Thanks for that Moley, really cheered me up. Do you mind if I lie down under the kitchen table and drink heavily? :uhoh: |
Nice to see the USA includes itself in "the World" then.
Couple of light GA types swanning around n. of Shoreham. |
Still not a speck of dust/ash in the sky here!
Duncs:ok: |
Nice day for it but my trip scrubbed due to the ash! Stacked early and looked up at a sky completely devoid of contrails. Must be the first time that has happened over the UK since the 50s. Felt like being in the stone age...bring back the jets!
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Finnish fighter jets damaged by volcanic cloud
Finnish fighter jets damaged by volcanic cloud AFP Published: Friday, April 16, 2010 HELSINKI - Finnish fighter jets which flew through the volcanic dust covering much of Europe suffered damage and the air force warned Friday the cloud could have a significant impact on planes. The air force F-18 Hornet jets were on training flights in northern Finland on Thursday morning, when airspace was still open, and the engines were later found to contain fine, volcanic ash dust. "Based on the pictures, it was discovered that even short flights in ash dust may cause significant damage to an airplane's engine," the Finnish Defence Forces said in a statement. Images taken inside one Hornet engine with a fibroscope camera indicated that the heat of the engine - around 1,000 degrees Celcius - had melted the ash inside the engine, blocking ventilation channels. "Blockages of ventilation channels caused by melting ash lead engine components to overheat and material to weaken," it said, adding this could fracture rotating engine parts. In the worst case, the weakening of component materials could cause "parts to detach and the engine to be destroyed," it said. The Hornets exposed to the dust from the eruption of a volcano in Iceland would be checked thoroughly, with "at least some" of the engines detached and sent for further studies and repair. The air force would keep a Hawk combat aircraft equipped with a tank to take atmospheric samples on standby to assist civilian authorities as necessary, it said, adding that operative military flights would continue normally. Samples taken by the plane, which collects particle samples in a filter in the tank, could be used to analyze how much ash dust was in the air. A huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland has spread over large part of Europe, shutting airports and forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights. Finland's airports were shut Thursday at midnight and flights are not due to resume until Saturday afternoon at earliest. © Agence France-Presse 2010 PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust By Craig Hoyle The Finnish air force has released images showing the effects of volcanic dust ingestion from inside the engines of a Boeing F-18 Hornet fighter, while it prepares to make inspections on several additional aircraft. Five of the air force’s Hornets were involved in a training exercise on the morning of 15 April, just hours before the imposition of airspace restrictions due to the ash cloud spreading from a major volcanic eruption in Iceland. One aircraft’s engines have been inspected so far using a boroscope, with melted ash clearly visible on its inside surface. The air force decided to release the images to show the potentially damaging effects of current flight activities, says chief information officer Joni Malkamäki. “The images show that short-term flying can cause substantial damage to an aircraft engine,” the air force says. Continued operation could lead to overheating and potentially pose a threat to the aircraft and its pilot, it adds. Checks will soon be made on the other four aircraft involved, and some engines will be removed to help Finnish company Patria – which provides in-service support for the nation’s F-18 fleet – to assess the extent of any damage caused. Its fleet comprises 55 single-seat F-18Cs and seven two-seat trainers, with each powered by two General Electric F404-402 engines. Finland halted air force training flights yesterday, but the air force will continue to perform operational sorties as required, such as air policing missions and national security tasks. One of its BAE Systems Hawk jet trainers also flew from Kauhava air base twice yesterday carrying an air sampling pod which collected dust from the atmosphere at various altitudes. The air force is sharing the gathered information with the Finnish civil aviation authorities, and says it will stage more such flights as requested. http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/g...x?ItemID=33775 |
Any plane-spotters topped themselves yet?:)
Anyone got the pix of the sand-blasted engines' innards from GW1? A few folk were caught out by sandstorms if I remember correctly. |
Don't see why this would worry any of our helicopters fitted with sand filters
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DHFS canx all flghts friday |
Global cooling: What happens if the Iceland volcano blows
Thanks for that Moley, really cheered me up. Do you mind if I lie down under the kitchen table and drink heavily? Smiter, my plan exactly!!! |
Tourist,
Sand and volcanic dust are two entirely different particles. Volcanic dust is similar to talcum powder... no sand filter is going to filter this sort of stuff. |
yet they manage with other very fine sand particles.
Also remember that chopper donks are a lot less highly strung than your average bypass thunderchariot. RB199's get mullered by sand - I'd imagine EJ200's and prattle and whineys efforts suffer as well. Your average french train engine just chugs along Go Puma, Go Puma, Go Puma! It wouldn't affect a scramjet so Aurora shoud be fine, I'm informed by the tinfoilers it will be overflying today :E |
TheChitterneFlyer
Methinks that you do not know what sort of filter helicopters have nowadays. Me also thinks that you should go see the sand in Afghanistan and then talk to me about fine talcum powder. |
Reminded me of the Train stops.. Yes sir, little bit of snow on the line, short delay!
Little bit of "talcum powder" falls out somewhere in the near vicinity of a UK Mil a/c.....and err yep grounded... And whose to say eaps won't remove it? has it been trialed??:ugh: Don't think so! :rolleyes: |
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