UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

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pako-2008
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Re: UK Air Travel Disrupton Due to Ash Cloud

Post by pako-2008 »

Havoc wrote:Dornier 228 D-CALM on rotate from Cranfield now.

Just flown OTT of me now, heading towards Luton
Cheers
Aaron

Loopydeloop
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Loopydeloop »

Going to be a great year,No Reds,No Vulcan, No more planes,Wrens all killed in cold,pigeons all short by farmers,Lenny Henry on his own ah well can always get my "Piece of Cake" videos.

"Watch out Moggy,Huns on your tail" dagga,dagga,dagga

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Hellfire
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Re: UK Air Travel Disrupton Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Hellfire »

HuwJHopkins wrote:
Hellfire wrote:
Kip Casper wrote:Previous eruption lasted over a year according to this

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/trave ... -year.html

Great news for those of us booked in to go to Iceland in June then :roll: .


It could well calm down by then, I stayed 6km from the volcano 2 weeks ago whilst it was still erupting.

Could turn out to be more adventurous a holiday than I imagined then. Just hope it does calm a little and the ringroad is in some state of use by then. Badly wanted to visit Seljalandsfoss, which at the minute lies within view of the flooded section of road.

Rory76
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Re: UK Air Travel Disrupton Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Rory76 »

HuwJHopkins wrote:
Hellfire wrote:
Kip Casper wrote:Previous eruption lasted over a year according to this

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/trave ... -year.html

Great news for those of us booked in to go to Iceland in June then :roll: .


It could well calm down by then, I stayed 6km from the volcano 2 weeks ago whilst it was still erupting.


Had an interview with someone based in Reykjavik on BBC News24 about an hour ago, basically Iceland is unaffected by the volcano, there are literally just a handful of farmers who have had to be evacuated from the area. Elsewhere sounds pretty much like business as usual. So shouldn't really affect you, unless you were going on a working farm holiday to the volcanic area. Always assuming you can actually leave these shores to get there....
Ricoh Caplio R5

Sony A300 ('L' Plates Fitted)

farnboroughrob
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by farnboroughrob »

Looks like Scotland and Ireland are flying limited services. Plane plotter at 16:45 shows two Ryanairs looking to be routing DUB-PIK plus two Iceair 757's going into GLA. Looks like all of Germany,Denmark,Belgium,Holland and the northern half of France are also closed. Plenty of light aircraft and a few low level bizjets flying still.

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skyhigh
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by skyhigh »

Living near Heathrow airport without any air traffic must feel quite strange.
For anyone who has not seen this before.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVI0yLxFdHM[/youtube]
Last edited by skyhigh on Fri 16 Apr 2010, 6:56 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Spiny Norman
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Spiny Norman »

farnboroughrob wrote:Looks like Scotland and Ireland are flying limited services. Plane plotter at 16:45 shows two Ryanairs looking to be routing DUB-PIK plus two Iceair 757's going into GLA. Looks like all of Germany,Denmark,Belgium,Holland and the northern half of France are also closed. Plenty of light aircraft and a few low level bizjets flying still.


Looks like Scottish airspace is now pretty much open from 7pm tonight. Three Icelandairs plus Benbecula and Barra flights too. Be interesting to see just how busy it gets tomorrow. (I do think it ironic that flights can come in from the very country that started it).

I think these chaps are the only commercial flights to have continued operating throughout though!

http://www.lochlomondseaplanes.com/

ppgstf
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by ppgstf »

Ryanair has cancelled all flights from UK to Northern Europe until Monday morning.

Look East showing Ryanair staff handing out sandwiches at Stansted.....whatever next!

FGR2
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by FGR2 »

It is wierdly quiet here in Essex.

There is usually something overhead, be it Stansted traffic heading south, London City 146's & F27's, Heathrow stuff to the North and high level 30,000 feet+ aircraft from Europe.

It is by no means noisy here, but last night it was really quiet. Even typing this now it is really quiet. It just shows how much background noise from aircraft there is, and you just don't normally notice it.

Vulcanhopefull
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Vulcanhopefull »

At times like this it makes you realise that with all our hi tech gizmoes and highly stressed way of life - nature comes along and reminds us all that we are but a pin prick on the landscape. Kind of puts you in your place i think.
Hope it all clears up by the time Abbingdon comes along and does not affect this years airshow calendar - which i know sounds a bit sellfish but ............

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Hellfire
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Hellfire »

Spiny Norman wrote:Looks like Scottish airspace is now pretty much open from 7pm tonight. Three Icelandairs plus Benbecula and Barra flights too. Be interesting to see just how busy it gets tomorrow. (I do think it ironic that flights can come in from the very country that started it).

I think these chaps are the only commercial flights to have continued operating throughout though!


To be fair, looking at the ash cloud projection, the airport in Iceland isn't subjected to any ash in the atmosphere. Ironic still.

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londoncabby
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by londoncabby »

FGR2 wrote:It is wierdly quiet here in Essex.

There is usually something overhead, be it Stansted traffic heading south, London City 146's & F27's, Heathrow stuff to the North and high level 30,000 feet+ aircraft from Europe.

It is by no means noisy here, but last night it was really quiet. Even typing this now it is really quiet. It just shows how much background noise from aircraft there is, and you just don't normally notice it.


I know, I'm under (some) arrivals and departures for LCY, and cutting the grass this afternoon, i noticed it unusally quiet, it's just eery silence! I did notice 3 GA aircraft in the sky, presumably from Stapleford, in the sky at once? Would these be under the same ATC rules? ie no LCY restricted airspace?

Enjoy the silence (whilst it lasts!!) :biggrin:

Kip Casper
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Kip Casper »

Flightglobal picture report on effects of the ash on a Finnish F-18.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... canic.html
http://www.gcse.com/english/there.htm - learn how to use 'their', 'there' and 'they're'.

FGR2
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by FGR2 »

Interesting interveiw on BBC News a moment ago with Dr Grayson from NERC.

They have been up in the Dornier 228 and have flown around the edge of the dust/ash cloud. Apparently there are 3 layers.

From 1,000 - 4,000 feet it is mainly very small particles, up around 6,000 feet it is more sulphorous with some sulphuric acid, then higher up 7,000 - 8,000 feet it is the heavier particles such as pumice.

Their laser equipment was picking all this up, but regular radar was not.

ian172
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by ian172 »

Hello
Does anyone have any idea when would the RAF and USAF start their normal flight ops again?
Looking on going down to Lakenheath and Coningsby Tues/Wed.

ian

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PorkScratching
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by PorkScratching »

londoncabby wrote:I did notice 3 GA aircraft in the sky, presumably from Stapleford, in the sky at once? Would these be under the same ATC rules? ie no LCY restricted airspace?

The controlled airspace is still there, but it's a lot easier to get an ATC clearance to enter it at the moment due to the lack of commercial traffic (due to low controller workload, and no jetliners and biz to maintain separation from).

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londoncabby
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by londoncabby »

PorkScratching wrote:
londoncabby wrote:I did notice 3 GA aircraft in the sky, presumably from Stapleford, in the sky at once? Would these be under the same ATC rules? ie no LCY restricted airspace?

The controlled airspace is still there, but it's a lot easier to get an ATC clearance to enter it at the moment due to the lack of commercial traffic (due to low controller workload, and no jetliners and biz to maintain separation from).


Makes sense, looks like they were making full use of it! Thanks for the info. :smile:

Unknown74
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Unknown74 »

Just thought I should report that I've just seen on Teletext that All UK Flights, Airports etc have been closed until 7pm BST Today. Sorry to bear the bad news.....

Is there anybody out there who would have a big stone or rock large enough to take it to Iceland and through it into the mouth of this Volcano so it will stop spurting this crap out?

DrBenR
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by DrBenR »

Just wish flights had been cancelled after this morning - was due to go to Monaco for the Top Marques show with VIP tickets! I can think of worse places to stay than Monte Carlo!! :biggrin: :biggrin:

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Cruise Control
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Cruise Control »

This is going to go on for days as not hardly any wind around southern Britain to blow it away, just laying around in the sky - gathering and spreading around more by the little wind current that is blowing it down to here. Monday might be a day where improvements might start wind wise.

Was very suprised to walk out from work yesterday to see all the cars covered in a fine brown dust/ash and that's in Oxfordshire.

People seem to be flying around VFR and some companies trying to take advantage of this - thinking more in money than safety. Have heard reports of a few aircraft that have flown across the channel only to be grounded and awaiting further investigation as to why they flew. One I also heard was someone flew VFR into Paris and then wanted to depart VFR but when they went to call up for the VFR departure - they were told they can't as they can only do IFR or something like that and they are now grounded until airspace has re-opened.

Also heard that if crossing the channel (mostly for operators) they will need to complete a risk assessment and will then be investigated and audited for that flight. If deemed a non-emergency then serious action will be taken.

These aircraft flying around at low level VFR when airspace closed (including jets) will only cause one thing - an accident. Another thing is dust may not effect them now but give it a while and see what damage was done a few weeks/months later to their aircraft.

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PorkScratching
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by PorkScratching »

Under normal circumstances there are plenty of air taxi, biz-jet and even commercial air traffic operating outside of controlled airspace, sometimes VFR, sometimes with a radar service, sometimes without. There may be more doing so now, but the risk is similar to normal, i.e. very low. No crew is going to launch VFR into Class G if they think there's a high chance of a mid-air, and everybody except Farnborough are reportedly offering a radar service as normal. I say this as a private pilot who has a healthy concern regarding mid-air collisions.

The problem with flights to Europe is that some countries appear to have banned all flights, not just IFR (the ICAO recommendation is just to stop the latter). Whereas here in the UK we're free to fly VFR if we wish. Airspace closure to VFR traffic should be NOTAM'd though, so I'm surprised anybody attempted cross-channel flights to the affected countries!

You are right to be concerned about engine damage - there are particles in layers below 10000ft over southern England. If I owned a jet I certainly wouldn't want it flying through that (see the borescope inspection pics of the Finnish F/A-18 on Flight Global to see what can happen).

foxfour
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by foxfour »

Cruise Control wrote:These aircraft flying around at low level VFR when airspace closed (including jets) will only cause one thing - an accident. Another thing is dust may not effect them now but give it a while and see what damage was done a few weeks/months later to their aircraft.


I don't think any pilot is going to fly if he/she thinks there's a risk to the engine of the aircraft and hence the crew. The GA aircraft you will see flying about at low altitudes will almost certainly have internal combustion type engines which are far more resiliant to this type of air pollution than jet engines, they have an air filter on the inlet to the carburettor for a start.

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Re: UK Air Travel Disrupton Due to Ash Cloud

Post by SEMAE »

farnboroughrob wrote:Hi Martin there were a couple of VFR jet departures from Farnborough but nothing else
13:37 G-OZAT H25B HGR849
14:28 G-CROO C525 HGR836

I did a circuit of LHR on the way home,strangeley the runway lights were still on but it looked quieter than Christmas Day.



Thanks for that. Another quiet day yesterday apart from a few GA. Saw a Cherokee Warrior reg G-BSBA circling the area. So far today have only heard one thing flying about. No clouds above and 'clear' blue sky.

Like like most other vehicles at this time of year, my car is covered in dust, probably mostly pollen but if I had a microscope it would be nice to take a closer look.

Thanks

Martin

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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by voodoo »

According to Wikipedia,the last major eruption of this particular volcano lasted from 1821 to 1823 !!!

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Martin the Martian
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Re: UK Air Travel Disruption Due to Ash Cloud

Post by Martin the Martian »

Skybus are operating their normal services to and from the Scillies. I've had their Twin Otters overhead several times in the last couple of days, albeit a little lower than normal. I believe the S-61s are operating from Penzance as normal.
50 Shades of Grey: sounds like a paint chart for modern jets

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