Ash clouds threaten air traffic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: UK
interesting viewing off a Dutch website - was posted on a weather forum
Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser, Aarhus Universitet - Sådan spreder vulkan-skyen fra Island sig
btw anyone looked at the Jetstream forecast up till Wednesday ? doesn't look that great to my non-meterological eyes.
Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser, Aarhus Universitet - Sådan spreder vulkan-skyen fra Island sig
btw anyone looked at the Jetstream forecast up till Wednesday ? doesn't look that great to my non-meterological eyes.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: eire
If you look at the satellite sequence at Satellite: Europe ? yr.no and the dust spectral sequence at
EUMETSAT IPPS animation - Meteosat 0 degree Dust Western Europe (select the 24 frame option) you can see the bulk of the plume was created yesterday and seemed to stop around midnight, with a small 1-2 hour burst in the wee hours. Most of the "cloud" seems to have passed thru the North Sea, and is primarily resident (now) in the Netherlands/Benelux area. Must have significantly dispersed though, one would think.
EUMETSAT IPPS animation - Meteosat 0 degree Dust Western Europe (select the 24 frame option) you can see the bulk of the plume was created yesterday and seemed to stop around midnight, with a small 1-2 hour burst in the wee hours. Most of the "cloud" seems to have passed thru the North Sea, and is primarily resident (now) in the Netherlands/Benelux area. Must have significantly dispersed though, one would think.
Gender Faculty Specialist
Joined: Mar 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 2,321
Likes: 428
From: In your head.
Bullet, I was being ironic.
Passengers aren't able to fly on my airline. Get your money back.
Airlines aren't able to use NATS. Get your money back.
What's good for the goose...
Even if NATS hadn't closed the airspace, in the interests of safety, I doubt my airline would be operating anyway - in the interests of safety of course.
Passengers aren't able to fly on my airline. Get your money back.
Airlines aren't able to use NATS. Get your money back.
What's good for the goose...
Even if NATS hadn't closed the airspace, in the interests of safety, I doubt my airline would be operating anyway - in the interests of safety of course.
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: UK
Chesty,
You can be as ironic as you like, the simple point is NATS are providing the best service as possible when they decide to close an airspace due to safety reasons - just like grounding an A/C. If NATS had gone on strike for a few days I would be agreeing with you but they have not.
By making the difficult decision to close the airspace they have indeed provided you and I with a first class service of which they are now not being paid for.
You can be as ironic as you like, the simple point is NATS are providing the best service as possible when they decide to close an airspace due to safety reasons - just like grounding an A/C. If NATS had gone on strike for a few days I would be agreeing with you but they have not.
By making the difficult decision to close the airspace they have indeed provided you and I with a first class service of which they are now not being paid for.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 499
Likes: 7
From: Back on The Island.
Just got back from work..... wierd, on the radar the whole of northern Europe was a black hole from south of Paris to well above Copenhagen and from Dublin to northern Germany and further. Not a blip to be seen, except a few, about 6 or so at around 2,000ft over Germany moving very slowly! No background "chatter", just laughter from dirty jokes in the air!!! And I thought I was flying to the UK tomorrow!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 2
From: GLASGOW
Airbus 330 arrived from Canada VFR yesterday. Joined downwind for a 23 arrival, with 5 mile final called. Took off this morning, bound for Canada VFR!!
The weather yesterday and today was gloriously perfect.
Some very happy passengers on board.
It was noted on GMTV this morning.
The weather yesterday and today was gloriously perfect.
Some very happy passengers on board.
It was noted on GMTV this morning.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 328
Likes: 16
From: Finland
Agency reports suggest that Sweden and Norway plan to slowly re-open its airspace (whilst now some airports in the Baltics and Central Europe are closed). Relaxation of restrictions will affect the northern parts of Swedish airspace and the Norwegian CAA have stated flights from Trondheim may start in a few hours time.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: London
Grounded airline fears ash damage from quick return to flight
At least one airline grounded in the European areas affected by the volcanic ash cloud is worried that it might be pressured to fly again before the risk is over.
EasyJet has told Flight International that it is taking advice from Boeing, Airbus and the engine manufacturers about the risks involved in flying when there is still "residual" volcanic ash in the air because of the potential for damage to the aircraft engines.
Grounded airline fears ash damage from quick return to flight
At least one airline grounded in the European areas affected by the volcanic ash cloud is worried that it might be pressured to fly again before the risk is over.
EasyJet has told Flight International that it is taking advice from Boeing, Airbus and the engine manufacturers about the risks involved in flying when there is still "residual" volcanic ash in the air because of the potential for damage to the aircraft engines.
Grounded airline fears ash damage from quick return to flight
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,173
Likes: 51
From: Blighty (Nth. Downs)
View from the North Downs
The Sandman,
Thanks for the link to EUMETSAT dust animation, which seems to show the remnants have now arrived over South East England, where I am.
The problem with many other satellite pics is that they show a large amount of cirrus cloud clearly crossing Iceland from west to east, then continuing to circulate clockwise around the anticyclone, and into the North Sea and surrounding lands. How much of this has been contaminated by the eruption is not immediately obvious: the dust animation seems to clarify this.
I notice that the UK Met Office VAAC charts are now annotated: "no significant ash risk above FL350".
I've been inclined to think that the CAS closure throughout the UK was an over-reaction, as I implied yesterday. Last night, here on the North Downs, the stars were slightly blurred; but this could easily have been by thin cirrus. It probably was. I left a highly-scientific detector in my garden, in the form of a clean sheet of A4 paper. This morning it was pristine-clean.
This morning, however, there is an odd look to the sky. When the sun finds a gap in the cloud, it seems to shine slightly attenuated. The patches of blue sky seem to lack brilliance, reminiscent of the sky during the beginnings of a solar eclipse. The above may be my imagination; but remember I am a sceptic.
Would anyone else in this neck of the woods like to comment?
Chris
Thanks for the link to EUMETSAT dust animation, which seems to show the remnants have now arrived over South East England, where I am.
The problem with many other satellite pics is that they show a large amount of cirrus cloud clearly crossing Iceland from west to east, then continuing to circulate clockwise around the anticyclone, and into the North Sea and surrounding lands. How much of this has been contaminated by the eruption is not immediately obvious: the dust animation seems to clarify this.
I notice that the UK Met Office VAAC charts are now annotated: "no significant ash risk above FL350".
I've been inclined to think that the CAS closure throughout the UK was an over-reaction, as I implied yesterday. Last night, here on the North Downs, the stars were slightly blurred; but this could easily have been by thin cirrus. It probably was. I left a highly-scientific detector in my garden, in the form of a clean sheet of A4 paper. This morning it was pristine-clean.
This morning, however, there is an odd look to the sky. When the sun finds a gap in the cloud, it seems to shine slightly attenuated. The patches of blue sky seem to lack brilliance, reminiscent of the sky during the beginnings of a solar eclipse. The above may be my imagination; but remember I am a sceptic.
Would anyone else in this neck of the woods like to comment?
Chris
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: uk
Are we moving into new areas of responsibility here?
As a pilot, my understanding has always been that the function of ATC is to provide separation between IFR aircraft inside CAS and provide information and advice in other situations. Responsibility for the safety of a flight, however, has previously rested with commanders and operators of aircraft.
NATS has effectively `closed` UK airspace for other than ATC reasons.
Can we now expect NATS to intervene in other difficult and potentially life threatning situations?
For example, I can think of a few to start off the list :-
low vis, freezing fog, severe icing, strong x winds, severe turbulence, CAT, thunderstorm / line squall activity, micro bursts etc etc.
I am sure you can all add to the list.
But what is going on here? Have NATS decided to intervene in areas where they haven`t in the past and do we wish them to do so?
As a pilot, my understanding has always been that the function of ATC is to provide separation between IFR aircraft inside CAS and provide information and advice in other situations. Responsibility for the safety of a flight, however, has previously rested with commanders and operators of aircraft.
NATS has effectively `closed` UK airspace for other than ATC reasons.
Can we now expect NATS to intervene in other difficult and potentially life threatning situations?
For example, I can think of a few to start off the list :-
low vis, freezing fog, severe icing, strong x winds, severe turbulence, CAT, thunderstorm / line squall activity, micro bursts etc etc.
I am sure you can all add to the list.
But what is going on here? Have NATS decided to intervene in areas where they haven`t in the past and do we wish them to do so?