Iceland Volcano Eruption Part II (Merged)

Yes, I know exactly what you mean.

I was sober too!

I posted the Mail link to see if it would create any comment from the met and aviation professionals. Interested to get thier view to compare it to the tabloid journalists.

I’ve often found a ‘disparity’ between reality and the press reports, especially on aviation matters, – ‘The glider crashed after it’s engine stalled’ type of thing.

Sorry, Stuart H, I had missed the link – from the Mail!. I read a more sober report in either the Telegraph of the Times, I forget which. Is there any substance in the report?

Red hunter -the link from my last post, #52, goes there. Definitely broadsheet though. I was being mischievous posting it.

There was an article in one of the broadsheets today claiming that at no time had the dust density been more than 10% of the agreed minimum concentration. Is there any corroboration of this?

It looks like at least one civil aviation authority is trying to obtain data also (see attachment). Seems a little late to me.

This link describes what the Met research aircraft have found. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/volcano/plane.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268794/Remember-ash-cloud-It-didnt-exist-says-new-evidence.html

I’ll ask my pals at Roll Royce if they can supply the data on the repairs/extra washes etc. I used to get all the data on Bird Strikes on Blades, but there was too much! At least 1 lump a day gets the benefit if slicing a bird up.

Anyway, I LoL’d at your comment about if the AL were allowed to fly they’d know where the ash was.

“Damn, there’s one down in Blue 1”
“Well don’t send the next one through there”
“It’s Ryanair”
“Send it”

Kabir

I have asked on this website numerous times for anyone who has read of any civil aircraft ash encounters as a a result of this event to post the link…..no takers yet. I would love to see some information that some air carrier had an actual encounter somewhere. There were a lot of “test flights” that occurred a couple days into the event, and it has been documented in various news accounts that none of them encountered ash.

The only encounters I am aware of were both military, one an F-18 and one an F-16. I haven’t seen any hard information regarding those encounters such as date/altitude/duration of encounter…..there isn’t much info out there.

Considering how many hundreds of ash encounters there have been in the last 20 years or so, it’s rather remarkable that there were none in the civil fleet in this event. Furthermore, if the airplanes had been allowed to operate, it would have been much more easy to validate where/when ash was present. The knee-jerk over-reaction to ground the fleet actually contributed to keeping it grounded longer.

In short, there was no “stuff” they flew through because the civil airplanes were all on the ground.

Interesting comment Cking, there has to be some sort of advanced wear and tear on the engines of aircrafts flying through the stuff. The Finnish F 18s showed the damage in their engines clearly and I am sure some sort of irregularities must have been found in some airliners in the affected areas.

An interesting side effect of all of this for me was having to write the word “Volcanic” in aircraft’s tech logs. NEVER in my thirty two years in the industry have I ever had to do that or imagine that would have to either!!!:confused:
Yes we are doing special checks for the stuff and no we havn’t found any or any suspected damage caused by the stuff.
The rumour mill has been working overtime though. Every time a cowl is opened we hear that “The XXXX’s engines are full of it” Only to see the thing fly away with passengers about an hour later!!!
We all still Boo when the Iceland Air 757’s come in:D

Rgds Cking

From the original thread:

I believe that sand melts at a higher temperature than the components within volcanic ash.
So assuming that I would expect the heat generated by a jet engine is lower than the temperature needed to melt sand but is higher than the temperature needed to have an effect on volcanic ash.

I think volcanic ash melts at around 1300-1400 degrees Celsius. The temperature in some parts of a jet engine combustion chamber can reach approx. 2000 degrees C.

Some information on sand:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_temperature_for_sand_to_melt

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4834912.html

Pity they could not double up on one flight and send in a A380.

It would have put Emirates nose out of joint a bit, considering all the hype they had had for being the first 380 operator into MAN!

Rgds Cking

At last… a news website I might actually read every day!
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/met-office-finally-blamed-201004202655/

I’m not sure I believe all of it.

Singapore Airlines going triple daily to MAN for the next 5 days!

Pity they could not double up on one flight and send in a A380.

Oh, that’s interesting.

Thanks, David.

No, it’s going to be SQ328, SQ8318 and SQ8328 (some person didn’t spot the “8” in front of the 328 when broadcasting these flights elsewhere!). Missed out on a Cathay 777 as they decided to operate the “rescue” flight there and send the freight service normally going to LHR through MAN instead.

Singapore Airlines going triple daily to MAN for the next 5 days!

I thought it was twice-daily, David?

Here’s an interesting report over on AvWeb about an incident in 2000 when the NASA DC-8-72 inadvertantly flew through a volcanic ash cloud.

http://www.avweb.com/pdf/volcanic_ash_cloud_encounter_nasa_grindle.pdf

Note also that AvWeb reports that:

Shifting winds gave North America a taste of what Europeans have been enduring for five days as volcanic ash reached the easternmost point of the continent, canceling flights from the Newfoundland and Labrador capital of St. John’s. At least nine flights were cancelled in a precautionary move by airlines. Transport Canada has not imposed airspace restrictions but a spokesman told CBC News they’re a possibility of the department believes safety is at risk.