Statement on Icelandic volcanic eruption: Monday April 19, 1530

The volcanic eruption has reduced and the volcano is not currently emitting ash to altitudes that will affect the UK. Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions we are now looking at a continuously improving situation.
Based on the latest information from the Met Office, NATS advises that the restrictions currently in place across UK controlled airspace will remain in place until 0700 (local time) tomorrow, Tuesday.
From 0700 (local time) tomorrow, Tuesday, Scottish airspace will be open, and south to a line between Teeside and Blackpool. Mainland Scottish airports will be open.
This is a dynamic and changing situation and is therefore difficult to forecast beyond 0700 local; however, the latest Met Office advice is that the contaminated area will continue to move south with the possibility that restrictions to airspace above England and Wales, including the London area, may be lifted later tomorrow (Tuesday).
We will continue to monitor Met Office information and review our arrangements in line with that. We will advise further arrangements at approximately 2100 (local time), today.
It is now for airports and airlines to decide how best to utilise this opportunity. Passengers should contact their airlines to find out how this will affect their travel plans.

Best post on the subject IMHO.

WingoWango,

Those flights were publicity stunts.

If they had flown for 8 to 10 hours with multiple climbs and descents with thermal cycles like a real engine would go through for three or four days then I might buy off on it but as it is the true guinea pigs will be paying passengers in the back.

Seen this:

Volcanic Ash Gives Jet Engine a Turbocharge : Discovery News

As usual the Eurocrats know exactly what is going on!
 

Last updated: April 19 2010 15:17
European officials on Monday acknowledged weaknesses in the computer models that guided their decision to ground thousands of flights during the past week following a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Many of the flights would have gone ahead under US aviation standards, they said, and urged that these be considered in the future.“The science behind the model we’re running at the moment is based on certain assumptions where we do not have clear scientific evidence. It is a black box in certain areas,” said Matthias Ruete, director-general for mobility and transport.
Mr Ruete noted, for example, that authorities were unsure what density of ash was hazardous for plane engines.
He also noted that early results of the 40-odd test flights conducted over the weekend by European airlines, such as KLM and Air France, suggested that the safety risk was less than the computer models had indicated.
“We looked at the engines and we also looked at the lubricated parts of the plane and windows and we found that there was no trace of ash,” he said.
Mr Ruete’s comments highlight the lack of technical expertise that has hamstrung European policymakers as they try to manage the consequences from a rare act of nature.

Things looking up it seems

BBC News - Scottish airspace due to reopen

Can we please have a transparent assessment made public of those aircraft that have and have not suffered though flying in the ash, irrespective of whether there is a reduction in ash tomorrow.

Then we can assess how to react if and when ash levels are high again.

Surely a few days to get more data and analyse it won't cripple the industry.

Peoples lives should not be subject of cost benefit analysis (they are in the NHS of course but don't start me.............)

Although I only fly recreationally, I do as a tug pilot have the guy on the back in my hands and I only fly is I am statisfied that (1) the aeroplane and I are fit and (2) the conditions are suitable; I resepct professonals who take the same attitude

Helsinki, Turku and Tampere airports are temporarily open this afternoon but will probably be closed again for the night. Finnair´s JFK-HEL flight has already landed and will depart again later tonight and another flight from Madrid is expected to arrive later today, but that´s it as far as Finnair is concerned. Blue 1 will operate two flights. It´s not much but at least they´re trying to get some sense out of this mess..

Well I have just had a call to say I'm flying on my hols tomorrow... Manchester to Calgary. Depart at 13.00 Not sure how I feel about it yet....:uhoh:

When the airspace opens in stages tomorrow, will they then shut it down again at night?

THat way if the volcano does kick off again, aircraft won't blunder into a dense ash cloud at night.

If it is only day time, then crew can still see and avoid.

Or will it be all crews scrambled to move as many people as possible as soon as possible?

Bear in mind that the guys up front won't fly unless they feel safe and happy to do so - hopefully!

louby

Financial news channel CNBC is reporting the airline loses due to the airspace closure are $200 million per day, and air cargo losses (including losses to non-aviation businesses that cannot deliver products) at $100 million per day. $1.5 billion over the 5 days so far.

(which sounds a bit low given the individual daily losses reported by BA, KLM, Emirates, etc., but perhaps those have "ramped up" as the crisis deepened).

In viewing the arguments on either side here, my sense is they boil down to "airspace should be open until it is proved unsafe" vs. "airspace should be closed until it is proved safe."

I'm not sure it will ever be possible to prove either case. 100 successful test flights are no guarantee that the 101st won't glide home with fused engines.

BBC news just flashed that the Met Office stated the volcano has just erupted again, ash cloud up to FL080

Peter We:

Mmmhh, just for ONE airport area? I did ask about statistically sound data for the entire affected area. Sorry, this hardly falls into that category. There is also no mention of concentration of potentially harmful substances.

Failed, mate.

F-WWCA
 

Any info concerning F-WWCA A346 demostrator flying today from France all the way to Norway and back?
Near Berlin now at 35000 ft.

Could it be an Airbus Industries test flight?

lomapaseo,

here's a pic of the T1 with the blade damage from an overtemp off wing from a 737, this engine still made egt's within limits in the test cell...

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/x.../DSC00842s.jpg

I have about 40 b-scopes on my shelf behind me some of engines i didnt own, some i did. btw i still have an engine stand down in ft. lauderdale, couldn't be a dear and pick it up for me could you ? :ok:

Skylight :

That is correct - Lufthansa will fly home to FRA up to 15.000 pax from Asia, US, S. America on a temporary exemption of the flight ban.

50 wide-bodies will be used, taking off later this evening from what the German press/TV is reporting.

Guess it's also pressure applied to the transport minister by the LH CEO Mayrhuber who pressed his views on national tv last night - the minister didn't look too good.

Well done / Gut gemacht, Lufhansa :ok:

radarvirtuel.com are showing quite a few planes in the air over france, I thought their airspace was closed too

Nah I've got a better plan!
Someone should strap a 737 to their ass and go out to fly a full night of simulated air carrier operations around Europe for the night. During the day the boys in maintenance get the plane.:p

Lufthansa VFR
 

Re Lufthansa flights


"The planes will fly to Frankfurt, Munich and Duesseldorf under visual flight rules, he said, noting that air traffic control is still keeping its restrictions on German airspace.
"We have an exception that allows us to fly so-called visual flight rules,"

As of 1545 according to Eurocontrol NOP:

LFMM Marseille- open
LFEE Reims - open FL210 and above
LFFF Paris - open FL210 and above
LFRR Brest- open FL210 and above
LFBB Bordeaux- open, except LFBLM sectors FL145-195 closed until 20-0600z

At hour 0 a pilot is taught to use his instruments flying VFR :ugh:

I'll do it and have no issue with performing it within given regulatory requirements.

Have other pilot associations gave a view ? Seems the Finnish ones are being more cautious (and as a joke it is not brilliant summer house weather so they are not "happy" to be on holiday.

From STT.

The Finnish Pilots' Association (FPA) issued a statement Monday warning that it would not be wise to rush into restarting air traffic in spite of the volcanic ash cloud covering Europe.

According to the statement, FPA exhorted authorities in European countries to make decisions on opening their national airspaces on a safe and consistent basis.



STT also reported:

Finland's government is preparing for weeks of disruptions in air traffic but is confident that no threats to the citizens' safety are on the horizon, Matti Vanhanen (centre), Finland's prime minister, said at a news conference in Helsinki on Monday.

The prime minister assured reporters that for example medicines would not run out. "We have good existing reserve supplies so this is not a threat," Mr Vanhanen said.

Finland's National Emergency Supply Agency is investigating what would happen if the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland remained above northern Europe for several weeks. However, nobody knows for how long the ash will cause problems, Mr Vanhanen added.

Dr. Richard North is a professional politician.

Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) is heavily opposing the current VFR plan, that is being set up by LH.

Gut gemacht, VC! First good move after a long time!

Well it's been a while, but I seem to recall that while I was taught to scan essential instruments from time to time (airspeed, altitude & engine mainly with the ball added in turns), I was also taught to keep my head outside of the cockpit as much as possible and to use the real horizon, not the AI, as my attitude reference. Are things done differently these days?

Mind you it's been 30 odd years. My memory may be fuzzy on this. The effects of doing spins with a hangover, however, are seared in my memory for life! :}

News for France
 

There's a meeting with our PM presently. It has been decided to re open the airspace tomorrow at 0600z and resume the air traffic. Lyon should reopen this evening. Some "corridors" should be open between Paris and southern France. EU stated that France is now out of the risk area. Don't know exactly what we have to understand by "corridor".

Legal AND Safe. Certification and Flight Manual limitations on known flight into volcanic ash of any amount?

I hear manchester is opening at 0900 tomorow all being well

From Airport Website
 

NATS has confirmed that UK airspace will progressively open tomorrow.

Consequently, Manchester Airport will be open from 09:00 on Tuesday 20 April 2010 unless there is a deterioration in conditions.

The abrasion characteristics are rather similar actually. Most W. Oz jet aircraft ended up with painted leading edges, to stop the sand abrasion making holes in the leading edge - that's how bad the problem is.

The real difference, apparently, lies in the melting points.


.

Large plumes indicate that a second Icelandic volcano has begun erupting (Hekla) - watch LIVE http://bit.ly/hekla

Edit: Bogus news reports - Reuters first reported this...:ouch:

DHL launched a LEJ-JFK today, VFR for 80 miles on an approved routing then towards Spain before heading across pond.

Beautiful, nothing could better demonstrate the incompetence of them politicians than having them open up when the BIG one fires up :ok:

ehm..no this is not correct - it's taken from a camera that usually monitors Hekla - the most active volcano in Iceland.

here is a nice flyby over the glacier and down to the valley the water flows.



pilot is Siguður Ásgeirsson not quite sure what heli he is flighing probably AS 350 or a jetranger.

That is not what we were calling for - but it may well happen due to the idiocy of those in power.

What we were calling for was daily test flights, even with knackered old Nimrods running on two engines (two at idle), to test the conditions out fully. With two airframes we could have collected 48 hours of running experience by now, in the thin and thick parts of the ash.

But no.

The 'rabbit in the headlights' powers that be were so scared of their own shadows, they would not allow anything to fly. Now, however, they cave in to pressure from big business and say - "ok, you can all fly".

So they have done the very worst thing - not do the testing, as we were calling for, and then fly anyway.


Lions led by donkeys.


.

R22 & tcmel

Note that this camera was aimed at Hekla volcano but now it is aimed at Eyjafjallajokull glacier where the eruption is ongoing. That is what you are looking at.

Please check your information before posting, otherwise you may cause unnecessary concerns. :cool:

If you like to follow up on what is going on with the Icelandic volcanic eruption you can check the Civil Protection Departments website.

Irish airspace reopening Wednesday 20th
 

Aer Lingus are expecting to operate a full trans-Atlantic service from tomorrow, flights to Spain and Portugal expected to operate as normal up to 1pm. They are awaiting further news about the afternoon services.

Looks like it's "Press to Test" time ... OMG, I might fly tomorrow :eek:

I accept the enormous Rumsfeld factor of "known unknowns" and all that, but I will admit to a degree of 'nervous' anticipation. Still, I can only die once. ;)

Switzerland LIDAR and balloon data
 

ETH Zuerich performed LIDAR and special aerosol-detecting balloon measurements:
http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_a...g_l3.jpg?hires
http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_a...llon.jpg?hires

Amazing similarity to the data obtained in UK although the distance to Iceland is 1360 nm.. Looks like well defined, relatively thin aerosol layers that descent over time.
The lead scientist was quoted saying that it smelled like the exhaust of a steam engine when perfoming a measurement flight during the weekend.
Maybe a web of observation posts may in the future be able to detect contaminated layers real time and allow for flight level based avoidance. Certainly distance/dispersal alone does not seem to suffice.