Volcanic Cloud?

[David Morton]

Jack - in the mid 80s I worked for Maersk Air out of Kastrup (Kobenhavn) and the Maersk Company Ltd was a massive concern (then about 180,000 people). One of their interests was a container service from Boston(U.S.A.) to Felixstowe (U.K.) and there was about four or five cabins spare in each direction at the Skippers discretion. Michael Pailin used the service in his T.V.documentary (Around the world in 80 days). Apparently the food was five star (as was everything in Maersk) and the ship was well equipped with I.T. and a Gymn and a comfortable 1/4 deck and lounge. I had often though of using it and take about 10 -15 books to while away the time.
I can't remember the regular price because as a Maersk Air employee is was considerably discounted and I think the payment then was only admin charges and food.

 

[David Sturch]

Keith,

Sorry I got wrong. I watched the story on QMII shake down on Discovery Channel last year. IF this keeps up (Ash) there maybe a market for for Trans Atlantic crossings again. Maybe dirvert some of the Cats for Alantic crossing. They are high speed ferry's made in Oz. They could do it in three days if converted for more fuel and only passenger travel.
Dave

 

[David Morton]

EThe The eight engine Eight NK87 turbofan engines give ample power as the Ekranoplan seen below accelerates across the ocean at terrific speed, notice also that it is bristling with long range ballistic missiles.

​

 

[David Morton]

Oh well.
never mind. Vince sounds like a spotter......
His website is quite amazing- Earthmovers , pistols, Strange facts and so on.
What floats your boat ??



Lun Ekranoplan




And now the very latest news form the Air Traffic Service :

NATS

 

[Ian Anderson]

Surely this is now workable!

Surely "they" the met office NATS or whatever know where the "dust" is and at what altitude.

Surely with this information aircraft should be flying - using the airspace abofe , below and around the "dust"

Take off from Gatwick / Heathrow head south at low level until out from thunder the cloud and then move up to normal cruising altitude.

Russia to USA Take off and fly above the problem.

Either this is possible or the information given out that the dust was between 20 and 30 thousand feet only is incorrect.

David I think you're right until some airline says we'll fly the rest of the sheep will be parked up.

IAn

 

[Keith]

Travel by Freighter

Freighter Travel - How to Travel by Freighter Boat - Freighter Travel

Has some links there. I bet some bad shit can happen to you depending on where you end up....

About.com: http://www.geocities.com/freighterman.geo/fares.html

Just don't drop the soap in the crew showers. I'll be buggered if I ever let that happen again... :shocked:

 

[Anthony]

just heard from Radio 5 Live that NATO sent up a dozen F16 to 'feel out' the problems.
.
.
11 landed with engine trouble.....make up your own mind

 

[Ron Earp]

The Associated Press: NATO: F-16 fighters damaged by volcanic ash

 

[Ian Anderson]

Yes they went and flew into the heart of the dust and got some damage. All returned so how dangerous?

Did any just skirt the outside
Did any have a low ceiling say 9000 feet
Did any only fly 40 000 feet and up when over the "dust"

Too easy to say no not safe where is the "dangerous bit" and where does it end?

As David said earlier in this thread Jakarta did not stop flying and some planes returned with sandblasted leading edges - Hell at this stage who knows where the sand storm starts?

Ian

 

[David Morton]

I think we are all talking bollocks - well a few are. What some people are assuming is that you can change height and heading at will. Well, that is the way of mid air collisions. What used to be called Rule 21 Airspace is a block of air with defined dimensions. Aeroplanes enter it and exit it and exact positions and are confined to flying at exact speeds, altitudes and headings to achive exact tracks. These are often called airways and around large airports also know as TMAs(Terminal Manoeuvring Areas) The is ABSOLUTELY no latitude for a pilot to do what he wants
in Rule 21 Airspace. So how the hell do you think he can suddenly climb or descend
or turn left or right to avoid a dark grey cloud. Now, this airspace has no time constraints - it exists 24hours 7days 365 - it is there all the time - and that includes
in the hours of darkness. Most transatlantic flights from the west coast U.S.A. to Europe take off in day light, fly into the night, and emerge again into the daylight.
Q.E.D.
Everyone is saying the on board radars do not detect the volcano dust.
Everyone of Speedbird 9 escaped with their lives - just.
A lot of people are saying lets get flying again.
Go ahead Gunga Dhin.
Just make sure you carry some corks to plug up your anus in the last few thousand feet and make sure it happens out to sea. It all makes a terrible mess when it happens overland. A sort of Lockerbie style accident again.
Who the hell really cares about getting flying again. Everyone will end up being repatriated - it may take a couple of weeks and lots of shreiking but it will get done.
As soon as it's safe, we'll be told. There is no real conspiracy in spite of what some people think. Those of you shouting the loudest - are you flying somewhere soon?
I was - but I've made other plans - it was something I sort of learned in life. Time to spare - go by Air.
This is one of the densest bits of airpace around this area that exists in Europe. I don't want a 400 tonner in my back garden as I've just got the lawn nice.

 

[Doug S.]

Agreed, David....my friend is still hoping to be able to make her connection to Paris, but her itinerary has her returning on April 23rd, so IMHO it's almost not even a good idea with so little time left. I'm sure she'd rather be certain she could arrive there safely than take chances.....and your prior comment about the insurance companies having such control makes good sense, they aren't going to take undue risk, that's for certain!

A bigger issue, as I understand it, is that if this seismic activity in Iceland sets off that other volcano, as some are predicting, the ensuing eruption could be 10X as severe as the current one. OK, so they are predicting the jet stream will change soon and the winds will carry the dust clouds into more northern Eurpope, but the bigger picture is the economic devastation Europe as a whole will suffer if that second volcano is as bad as predicted.

What I've wondered is why people aren't flying into northern Africa and then taking low-altitude flights into southern Europe and then using ground transportation.....but, then, I'm no genius so I'm certain there is a good reason why that won't work.

What a mess.....

Doug

 

[Ron Earp]

Q.E.D.
Everyone is saying the on board radars do not detect the volcano dust.
Everyone of Speedbird 9 escaped with their lives - just.
A lot of people are saying lets get flying again.
Go ahead Gunga Dhin.
Just make sure you carry some corks to plug up your anus in the last few thousand feet and make sure it happens out to sea. It all makes a terrible mess when it happens overland.

Yep. Better safe than sorry. I wouldn't be hankering to be flying to Europe right now.

R

 

[Wally]

Hope this from GE Aircraft engine Helps explain there concerns . After reading this I'm not sure I would want to be traveling in A plane that had been subjected to these conditions. Leslie McVey on volcanic ash and jet engines : Innovation : Audio & Video : GE

 

[Mike Christian]

some cool pictures coming out of this situation...

 

[Scott Calabro]

Now there's a static shock!!!!!

Also a good article (although boorish) on how jet engine high pressure turbine blades are "cooled."

http://courses.ucsd.edu/rherz/mae221a/reports/OGrady_221A_F07.pdf

 

[David Morton]

Well, the situation did seem to improve a little in the last 12 hours until later this evening when it all seemed to reverse again and this volcano started erupting even more.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

As one of the major gases emitted in a volcanic eruption is CO2 maybe the World leaders should have a summit meeting to stop volcano's.:idea:

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Nobody wants a 400 tonner forced landing in their back yard on top of the freshly polished 40.

 

[David Morton]

Dalton - a forced landing would indicate some degree of control and I think that would be wishfull thinking. I don't think the APU that would try to provide hydraulics and electrics below 20,000ft would last very long operating if you could not get clear of the dust. Combined with no forward vision through the now opaque flight deck windows , and trying to fly on the standby instruments you may as well put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye.

 

[Simon]

I love these people getting angry and wanting compensation....WHO FROM YOU AR5HOLES!
5hit happens!

Simon

ps David, loved the line about the lawn, brilliant!:thumbsup: