Pilots: What do you think of the UK's grounding all flights?

[gtc]

To all the pilots out there, what do you think of the UK's decision to ground all flights in and out of the country because of the cloud of volcanic ash drifting over from Iceland?

I had a professor in college who used to design and test engines for at least three of the major engine manufacturers - Pratt, Rolls, and I think GE. He told us that they used to fly planes low over the desert to "clean out the engine" so to speak with windblown sand. BS? I suppose it's possible that he was just making up anecdotes. But if it was true, I can't imagine a little ash being any worse than this.

[m21sniper]

It's not a "little" ash.

[Rick Lee]

Ash is not the same as sand. I'd rather camp in an airport for a few days than plummet to Earth when all engines failed.

[cashflyer]

In spite of some of the conspiracy theories I have already seen (and in spite of the ones I started) I think it is necessary.

Volcanic ash is very, VERY abrasive.
Worse than airborne sand, unless you are trying to fly through a haboob.

[cgarr]

I see what just rain can do to my wood prop. can't imagine what those bits would do to a high rpm jet engine!

[tabs]

GLOBAL COOLING......Smoke and Ash block out the Suns rays and we will have several years of cooler temps.

[BeyGon]

What are Algor and Webb going to do about this volcanic ash?

Commercial airlines have had two close calls flying through ash from other volcanoes, Mt. St Helens and I think one in Indonesia, so they know the problems.

[jyl]

From what I've read, the amount of ash is not enough to cause cooling other than local and temporary.

The disruption to flights and travel is huge. Something like $200MM per day in revenue.

42 little kids from Paris spent two weeks at our school, being hosted by our families. They left for home on Thursday, got to Minneapolis, and are now stuck there, in a hotel with two no-doubt-frazzled teachers. Even after the airspace reopens, how long will it take for Delta to find 42 seats on a single flight back to Paris? Can't very well send them in ones and twos. Similar dilemmas are playing out all over the place.

[rattlsnak]

We cover this in recurrent training every year. Ash, is one of THE most dangerous things to fly through. A recent flight going through this one lost power on 4 engines but were able to get 3 restarted..

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63E4TF20100415

[pwd72s]

After Mt. St. Helens blew. wind blew most of the Ash East...Spokane & surrounding areas blanketed. One thing that instantly became impossible to buy was car air filters. One trick was to wrap the filters with panty hose. That kept engines running a bit longer.

I would NOT want to be in any aircraft flying through the ash...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

From what I've read, the amount of ash is not enough to cause cooling other than local and temporary.

In general or specific to this eruption? I assume you're saying this this particular eruption isn't large enough.

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by jyl

42 little kids from Paris spent two weeks at our school, being hosted by our families. They left for home on Thursday, got to Minneapolis, and are now stuck there, in a hotel with two no-doubt-frazzled teachers. Even after the airspace reopens, how long will it take for Delta to find 42 seats on a single flight back to Paris? Can't very well send them in ones and twos.

42 bored kids, only one other adult, and cabin fever.




Arrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! !!

My definition of Hell.

[rick-l]

My flight instructor told me it was much better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than flying wishing you were on the ground.

[Hugh R]

It's not "ash", which is soft carbonized organic matter, like burned wood ash in the bottom of your firepit; it's microscopic rock which is to say its abrasive sand-like material (quartz, silica, stuff like that).

[Garp]

Finnish Air Force flew through it with one of their F18's. Here's the resulting damage.
PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust-16/04/2010-London-Flightglobal.com
Yesterday noon there were 25,000 flights cancelled and the end of the Easter holidays is there now. The impact is huge and will cost an incredible amount of money.
People will be stuck for days if not weeks.

[Garp]

To give an idea on the size taking into account that we have about 28,000 flights per day.

Volcanic eruption of Icelandic volcano: Eyjafjallajokul.

Click here for a map of the forecast ash cloud issued:17-0600 UTC.
Next forecast to be published after 17-1200 UTC

Today (17-April) the ash cloud is extending.

Airspaces zero-rated/closed until:
(Aerodromes geographically located within these airspaces will be unavailable):

Austria : 17-1200 UTC
Belgium: 17-1800 UTC
Croatia: 17-1200 UTC
Czech Republic: 17-1000 UTC
Denmark: 17-2359 UTC
Estonia Talinn: 17-2359 UTC
Finland: 18-1200 UTC
France - Brest: 17-1200 UTC
France - Bordeaux: Sectors P and T 17-1200 UTC
France - Paris: 17-1800 UTC
France - Reims: 17-0600 UTC
France -Marseille: Sectors GY and MY 17-1200 UTC
France -Marseille: Sectors W 1+217-1800 UTC
Germany - Bremen: 17-1200 UTC
Germany - Frankfurt: 17-1200 UTC
Germany - Karlsruhe UIR: 17-1200 UTC, Available FL355+
Germany - Langen & Dusseldorf: 17-1200 UTC
Germany - Munich: 17-1200 UTC
Hungary: 17-1700 UTC
Ireland - Shannon: South sectors 17-1200 UTC
Ireland - Dublin: 17-1800 UTC
Italy - Milano - 17-1200 UTC
Italy - Roma (only Upper airspace above Milano (MEW sector))
Italy - Padua: 17-1200 UTC
Maastricht UAC: Available FL355+
Netherlands: 17-1800 UTC
Norway ENBD South: 17-1200 UTC
Poland: 17-1400 UTC
Romania: 17-2100 UTC Romania MOPUG 0300-2100 UTC
Romania BACAU 0300-2100 UTC
Scotland: 17-2359 UTC
Slovac Republic: 17-0600 UTC
Slovenia: 17-0400-18-0000 UTC
Shannon NOTA: 17-1800 UTC
Sweden Stockholm 17-1800 UTC
Sweden Malmo 17-1800 UTC
Swiss Zurich: 17-1800 UTC. Available FL355+
Swiss Geneva: 17-1800 UTC
Ukraine Kiev: 17-1200 UTC
UKBV airspace 17-1200 UTC
United Kingdom: 17-2359 UTC

Please note, these lists are not exhaustive.

[scottbombedout]

You can see it here now as a fine dust settling on the cars.
As soon as you rub it, the paint is scratched like you were using a very fine sandpaper.
What that would do to engines travelling at 500mph would be scarey.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by tabs

GLOBAL COOLING......Smoke and Ash block out the Suns rays and we will have several years of cooler temps.

This is mother nature way of fixing the global warming problem. LOL

[URY914]

[QUOTE=pwd72s;5300048]After Mt. St. Helens blew. wind blew most of the Ash East...Spokane & surrounding areas blanketed. One thing that instantly became impossible to buy was car air filters. One trick was to wrap the filters with panty hose. That kept engines running a bit longer.
QUOTE]

Can't you take a pair of Oprha's panty hose and cover the intakes?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Garp

Finnish Air Force flew through it with one of their F18's. Here's the resulting damage.
PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust-16/04/2010-London-Flightglobal.com
Yesterday noon there were 25,000 flights cancelled and the end of the Easter holidays is there now. The impact is huge and will cost an incredible amount of money.
People will be stuck for days if not weeks.

Off topic here, but the plane in that photo ain't a Hornet.