I have read on another forum that everything had to be on the ground by 1200.

I wonder if the Russians know this?

Phil

Huh? Without any IFR traffic, I'd have thought there'd be plenty of capacity for ATSOCAS for VFR traffic!! :bored: Or maybe all the NATS guys are going home to sit it out! :D

Andy

no the Russians won't be affected.

they could still continue their illegal flights in to UK airspace to push diplomatic relations that little bit further !

Apologies for the delay in replying...busy day.
You can use this:
EUMETSAT IPPS animation - Meteosat 0 degree Ash Iceland
Which will show the most recent one for public display (public display is about 30-60 minutes behind realtime). You can also get various animations and stuff going on there.
I think there's a video on our frontpage too, but I seem to have lost it.

The worst of the ash has bypassed Britain I think, but there's still quite a lot of it around that doesn't show up too well (as it's incredibly thin). Short-term I doubt it would do aircraft any harm, but over the course of several hours (or repeated flights) even this very thin stuff is a real pain in the ass.

Air travel could be curtailed repeatedly
 

The previous eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, whose ash cloud has shut down airspace over Britain, lasted for more than a year, according to an expert. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted for the first time in 200 years on March 20, in a dramatic display that sent fountains of lava spewing into the air.

All flights to British airspace have been suspended after ash caused by the eruption forced air traffic controllers to restrict take-offs and landings.

Professor Bill McGuire, of the Aon Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London, said the previous eruption, in December 1821, lasted until January 1823.

He said air travel could be curtailed repeatedly if the current eruption lasted the same amount of time.

However, he added: "There is no way of knowing for certain how long this eruption will last based on previous events. The level of disruption would also depend on how much gas and ash is produced."

Surely the widely dispersed ash particles experienced at present are not the same as flying through Captain Moody's ash plume?

We won't even have a blue moon with this stuff.

Impact on piston engines ??
 

We are now sitting in Denmark with perfect weather, forecasts show CAVOK and a closed airspace.

I can see the impact the ash has on jet turbines at high altitiudes, but how does it affect a Cessna 172 at 1000 ft ??

And finally - if the ash can damage a piston engine at 1000 ft - shouldn't I then worry about my car as well ?

...just had a satcom call from your citation, over Paris, they departed VFR from Luton at around 1330, at low alt. no problems so far. He could see a very thin layer at high alt. which might be ash.

Biggin ATC were this morning informing aircraft that Farnborough would be offering a basic service only after 1100Z. Can anyone tell us why Atsocas are affected by this on a sunny (if hazy) VFR day when pilots still want to use them?

There were a lot of people pushing to get airborne this morning to beat the deadline!

Jep - The airfilter on a car will prevent ash entering and causing damage, however if it becomes blocked (unlikley on the ground) the engine will stop. Not so bad in a car but in a C172 and the like could be intersting. of course you could use the carb heat in a C172 but thats not filtered

Part of Brest FIR might closed tomorrow although it is not not yet sure.
Some airfields in northern France might close tomorrow according to the situation.

Too Much Health and Safety?
 

Is it not just possible that the ATC authorities are over-reacting to this ash cloud?

Eric Moody's incident happened at night. I seem to remember keeping my distance from a fairly dramatic volcanic ash cloud being emitted from a volcano in Alaska using a Mk 1 eyeball. Similarly did we not quite often spot erupting volcanoes whilst en route to Oz via Indonesia?

Was one of the aircraft TF-ASH? :ok:

Suzeman

The Thames Valley Police chopper is still flying as its hovering over the remains of the Cherwell Valley Services which has been generating its own plume for the last couple of hours :eek:

Will people be getting refunds for cancelled flights? Afterall I thought "acts of god" were not covered?

^^

Ryanair are offering it:

This is why we have public service broa^w websites:
Volcanic ash alert: Air passenger rights

Right, shall we bring the winch and gliders down to heathrow then? I rekon I could easily get a 3000ft winch launch from that runway! Depends how long the cable is!

Anyway, whats the big deal, i was in Newcastle recently and saw this, did this stop the flights


http://www.fotosearch.com/bigcomp.as...26/1828476.jpg

FRA airport management meeting again at 1800 to decide whether to close airport.

Is it coincidence that National Geographic are showing BA009 flight on Aircrash Investigation right now???

BRU FIR closed
 

Brussels FIR has been closed as from 14h30 z.
One controller told EBBR might be closed until tomorrow 16 Apr 18h00 z...
Tough times !

Chris

Question.....
 

So hundreds of UK outbound flights are cancelled today and maybe tomorrow. What happens to the flights on Saturday? Are todays and tomorrows pushed back to another time or will they take the place of the weekend flights?

Also, how does a charter flight fair? Are they easier to cancel and re-schedule or harder than scheduled flights?

JEP @174
 

Yes, if ash falls on the ground where you are, you would have to be concerned about vehicles, home mechanicals and the like.

This link discusses how to deal with ashfall.

@tilos

Volcanic ash is apparently microscopic in nature and not easy to see (so the BBC weatherman was saying), if so it's really insidious and you can see why it can cause problems.

WP

Here at 60 deg N we can both smell and taste the sulphur.

Shall probably have to have recourse to whisky to refresh the palate :)

All engines are not alike when it comes to the effects of ingesting ash, anymore then saying that all volcanic ash is alike.

The variance is due to the various melting points of the particles of ash (vary with the volcano) and the operating temperatures of the engine when they ingest the ash. This is in regard to the largest risk which is the loss of power at altitude. Wear out modes due to errosion and blocking cooling holes take place over multiple flights and can be addressed by overhaul.

The gas turbine engine risk being dependent on its operating temperatures (in cruise) has been steadily going up as the engine designs get more efficient by running hotter.

To my knowledge there has never been a ash cause multiple engine loss of power for the likes of a B727, DC9, DC8, B707 etc. (perhaps explaining why some engines seem immune)

Disclaimer: The comments above are not meant to conflict with published procedures and are only general in nature for the benefit of casual questions.

Small exec jet has just passed south of Aylesbury low level heading probably towards Luton. Hasn't seized up despite Comical Gord saving the nation from flying.

I've got a thin layer of fine grey dust on the cars and on my window sills - I can't remember if they were already like that and needed a wash or if it's the ash!
Hope it's all cleared up by next Thursday as I'm off on hols. Guess today would've been a good day to be at work after all - right until the airspace re-opens!

louby

Does anybody know if there has been any sampling of the atmosphere to determine actual concentration of particulates?

Serious
 

:mad:

I do not think this is over reaction at all. :ok:

A gentle reminder here:

YouTube - Airsidetv.com - Interview With Capt Eric Moody BA Flt 9 Part 2/3

Apprently Brussels is covered with this stuff and the airport is closed. However, the weather is glorious and there is no sign of any dust.

Reminds me of Y2K.

Imperator1300 ( who is now going to venture outdoors :eek: )

Airborn Sampling
 

KiwiBrit,
a research aircraft is due to take off in the next hour or so to try and sample the plume over the UK.

Understand it is the NERC Do-228 ?

Well, we've just had a Spitfire launch from Duxford; perhaps it's a re-enactment of the THUM flights!

Interesting stuff here:

http://acweather.********.com/2005/1...-airports.html

You can have a look at the "High Level SIGWX Forecast" and see the volcanic ash (Eyjafjallajokull) forecast for tomorrow 16-04 0000z. It's going South...
The URL is not accepted by my browser or the site . "*****" should be replaced by " b l o g s p o t" without spaces!

Well those blowjobs never were up to much. It's back to Spits in these days of crisis. This much be perfect for GA and anything VFR. They would love this to last into the weekend. Imagine circling over Heathrow in your para glider?

Here's a link to a real time ADS-B readouts over Europe. Notice how empty Northern Europe and the British isles is. Spooky! Give it a moment to load.

*Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI7DAR*

Spitfires aren't invulnerable to volcanic ash. The RAF had a few problems with piston jobs in Italy in 1944 when Mt Etna erupted.

WP

Re Heathrow

Is it Closed as we speak ??

If it is I Think someone should tell Air India,Thai,Korean and EAT who according to Radar Virtuel are all en route to Heathrow or is it the Flight Plans are still as filed and they are diverting .

The Korean is going the wrong way as a natter of fact but why change the habit of a lifetime

Nature's Gritblaster
 

Lomapaseo

I think that the operating temperature of the engines would not be a factor.

If an aircraft were to fly through a cloud of volcanic ash at 500kts it would be equivalent to flying through a giant gritblaster...

The entire aircraft would be thoroughly abraded, including the turbine blades :sad:...

Have a look at this; Airline captain recalls flying through volcanic ash - Telegraph

and this;
The story of BA flight 009 and the words every passenger dreads ... | Mail Online

CJ

Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted after 0700, saying saying it was "very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future". BBC have also said, the airspace will be close indefinitely. Until the situation has passed.