Volcanic ash discussion here please!

highlydebased

The IAA are saying no flights will be accepted today so the american flights are unable to leave

WalterMitty

Anyone see what looked like a black lear jet over dublin city yesterday(5pm)? I thought the airspace was shut

robinph

Is ths ash as dangerous to the prop planes engines? Thought it was something to do with the dust going though the jets and melting into the engine, but that shouldn't be an issue for the props.

highlydebased

robinph wrote: »

Is ths ash as dangerous to the prop planes engines? Thought it was something to do with the dust going though the jets and melting into the engine, but that shouldn't be an issue for the props.

Not as dangerous, no.

WalterMitty wrote: »

Anyone see what looked like a black lear jet over dublin city yesterday(5pm)? I thought the airspace was shut

There is no airspace "Shut", its just not accepting most flights.

donkey balls

robinph wrote: »

Is ths ash as dangerous to the prop planes engines? Thought it was something to do with the dust going though the jets and melting into the engine, but that shouldn't be an issue for the props.

yes, the ash also damages the planes leading edge, windows etc could block the pitot tubes.

Andrew33

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Not as dangerous, no.




There is no airspace "Shut", its just not accepting most flights.

I reckon Weston was open, saw a Cessna heading that direction.

robinph

Andrew33 wrote: »

I reckon Weston was open, saw a Cessna heading that direction.

Yep, saw a small one go overhead about 5 minutes ago. Nowhere near as busy as it usually would be on a nice clear sunny day though when there would be a plane going over the house every couple of minutes.

tricky D

Somewhere's open. This was doing loads of sporty stuff for a while around Howth about an hour and a bit ago.

Our man in Havana

Unrestricted airspace folks.

Dacian

If you look at the Met Office charts they show mainly high level ash (green lines) over Ireland, so 'in theory' its OK for low level private flying. Saying that the lower level ash (red) is moving towards us.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271508253.png

RadioRetro

IAA has now closed Irish air space until 13.00 Sunday.

therecklessone

Bond-007 wrote: »

Unrestricted airspace folks.

Weston and Howth are both contained in the Dublin CTA and are class C.

RadioRetro wrote: »

IAA has now closed Irish air space until 13.00 Sunday.

I wish the IAA would provide a better explanation to the general public. The airspace is not closed, they have implemented a zero flow rate into the airspace. That means no flights conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (essentially ceasing all commercial flying), however flights conducted under Visual Flight Rules are not prohibited even in controlled airspace (hence the presence of light aircraft mentioned above).

In theory, airlines could choose to operate VFR flights out of Irish airports then change to IFR once in unregulated airspace.

RadioRetro

therecklessone wrote:

I wish the IAA would provide a better explanation to the general public.

Quote from IAA email received 14.41 17/04/10:

"...has extended the closure of Irish airspace to commercial traffic"

So apologies for the misdirection there.

That would explain why I heard a pilot talking about 24 POB and 2,000ft on his way into Waterford Airport this morning!

Beeker

RadioRetro wrote: »

Quote from IAA email received 14.41 17/04/10:

"...has extended the closure of Irish airspace to commercial traffic"

So apologies for the misdirection there.

That would explain why I heard a pilot talking about 24 POB and 2,000ft on his way into Waterford Airport this morning!

Don't know who you heard but no aircraft with 24 people on board came into Waterford today

therecklessone

RadioRetro wrote: »

Quote from IAA email received 14.41 17/04/10:

"...has extended the closure of Irish airspace to commercial traffic"

So apologies for the misdirection there.

Hence me saying:

I wish the IAA would provide a better explanation to the general public.

No bother :cool:

Su Campu

That plane near Howth earlier was Eddie Goggins' Extra 300, G-IJMI. It saw it take off from Weston, then routed Chimneys, Howth, DUB and back to Weston. I was listening on the scanner. Plenty of activity at Weston.

DB74

Thanks to DonkeyBalls & EchoIndia for their replies

Wife is stuck in Marbella and doesn't look like she'll be home until next weekend at this stage

tricky D

Su Campu wrote: »

That plane near Howth earlier was Eddie Goggins' Extra 300, G-IJMI. It saw it take off from Weston, then routed Chimneys, Howth, DUB and back to Weston. I was listening on the scanner. Plenty of activity at Weston.

That makes sense. He was certainly having some fun doing some of the maneouvres and playing to the crowd of racing boats north of Ireland's Eye and tourists on the pier.

adamski8

Plane crash killing two in england http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0417/uk.html
They dont know if its because of the ash, scary is it is!

DOCARCH

Apparantly, reading some other forums, KLM did a test flight yesterday and are currently inpsecting that aircraft for damage now. Again, apparantly, they intend to do another test flight today.

There's an interesting article about some finnish military jets who flew through the ash on thursday morning, and the damage that was done to them.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

DOCARCH

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/18/340745/klm-737-test-flight-indicates-no-volcanic-ash-risk.html

Would it be worth it???

pclancy

I think there are just too many unknowns with volcanic ash particles being loose in the air that mean you can't take any chances. Has anyone been testing closer to the volcano where it would be more dense as in North of the UK/Norway?

Makes me wonder what would happen to New Zealand if one of our 60 odd volcanos decided to pop. If air travel was impossible during a long lasting eruption we'd be pretty screwed until marine transport arrived

castie

DOCARCH wrote: »

Apparantly, reading some other forums, KLM did a test flight yesterday and are currently inpsecting that aircraft for damage now. Again, apparantly, they intend to do another test flight today.

There's an interesting article about some finnish military jets who flew through the ash on thursday morning, and the damage that was done to them.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

I saw that plane on radar virtuel and was wondering what the hell it was doing alright. It was a 737 http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=PH-BGB&distinct_entry=true

Mr Benevolent

I'm getting suspicious about these airlines doing test flights. If this was EASA sponsored it'd be fine, but it looks like KLM is trying to convince the world and the media that there's no risk. I'd say they're losing millions every day, but one crash because of this volcano would set public confidence in airlines back to the 70's.

castie

Hmm

Departure : FRA - Frankfurt, Rhein-Main - Germany
Arrival : SPC - Santa Cruz de la Palma, - Spain
For d-abua im seeing on radarvirtuel

Surely there cant be commercial flights operating n that area?

highlydebased

KLM have received approval now to fly stranded aircraft from Dusseldorf back to Amsterdam

Flyer1

Confab wrote: »

I'm getting suspicious about these airlines doing test flights. If this was EASA sponsored it'd be fine, but it looks like KLM is trying to convince the world and the media that there's no risk. I'd say they're losing millions every day, but one crash because of this volcano would set public confidence in airlines back to the 70's.

And let them convince the world there's no risk ? I'd love to see the results of the test flight.

Mr Benevolent

Flyer1 wrote: »

And let them convince the world there's no risk ? I'd love to see the results of the test flight.

I suspect problems will show up that can't be recreated by one flight or ten flights.

EchoIndia

castie wrote: »

Hmm

Departure : FRA - Frankfurt, Rhein-Main - Germany
Arrival : SPC - Santa Cruz de la Palma, - Spain
For d-abua im seeing on radarvirtuel

Surely there cant be commercial flights operating n that area?

A test or ferry flight may have used a flight number previously used for a FRA-SPC flight and been spuriously tied up by someone or their computer database as such a flight.

icom

A BA 747 (G-CIVC) currently off the Wexford coast cruising at 30,000 feet on a test flight..