Volcano Grounds 'Planes

[Adam]

Flights will remain grounded until at least 7 am UK time tomorrow at which time they'll advise what will apply up to 13:00.  

Nothing stopping light aircraft though, provided you remain clear of controlled airspace by staying below a certain height, or clear of major airports.  Below 10,000 ft anyway, I shouldn't think there'd be much if any effect on piston engines.

Not sure about the last bit, Adam.

Our information is that all UK airspace is effectively closed.  Even the air ambulances have been grounded.  Only military aircraft are able to be used in extremis.  Even the RAF Harrier Squadron at RAF Wittering has been grounded.

"no flights other than agreed emergencies are currently permitted in UK controlled airspace".  Controlled airspace is basically major airports or airspace subject to ATC clearance such as control zones or airways plus anything above FL195.

They can't stop me flapping my wings.

[nuttycyclist]

....

"no flights other than agreed emergencies are currently permitted in UK controlled airspace".  Controlled airspace is basically major airports or airspace subject to ATC clearance such as control zones or airways plus anything above FL195.

They can't stop me flapping my wings.

TWF63 is a naughty plane probably just about to land in Southend (where it lives?)

I recall a presentation some time ago where they commented that Southend airport controlled airspace is now pretty much "inside the perimeter fence".  It got reduced a lot because the London airports were getting so much and the pleasure craft users wanted to retain some space they could fly in uncontrolled (e.g. gliders and microlights don't want controlled airspace due to the issue of requiring radios and other such equipment).

It's so small now that planes needing a long approach to the runway are in uncontrolled airspace for most of the final approach!

[bikenerd]

I'm supposed to be flying to Beijing tomorrow (at 16:35) for a conference starting on Monday.

YACF poll as to whether you think I'll get there or not?

My current prediction: no.

[Tewdric]

I'm supposed to be flying to Beijing tomorrow (at 16:35) for a conference starting on Monday.

YACF poll as to whether you think I'll get there or not?

My current prediction: no.

No.

[LindaG]

Another no.

A friend of mine is now stranded in Turku.  He's driving to Norway to catch a ferry.  It'd be a very long option for your Chinese conference.  

[nuttycyclist]

I'm supposed to be flying to Beijing tomorrow (at 16:35) for a conference starting on Monday.

YACF poll as to whether you think I'll get there or not?

My current prediction: no.

You'd better get the bike out now and start pedalling.

[Zoidburg]

We must sacrifice Reg to our god!

Will it be one of those pervy, sexual sacrificial ceremonies?

Please!   

Nope.

Just your standard panicked inceneration of a scape goat.

[Rapples]

I'm supposed to be flying to Beijing tomorrow (at 16:35) for a conference starting on Monday.

YACF poll as to whether you think I'll get there or not?

My current prediction: no.

You'd better get the bike out now and start pedalling.

But would that be quicker than a slow boat - Boom Boom

[Chris S]

You gotta feel sorry for the plane spotters.

I mean, it must already be tough being spotty and the owner of multiple duffel bags.

Once you've knocked one out to the well thumbed pages of an Eye Spy book of Commercial Airliners - what is there to do with your day?

[Zoidburg]

You gotta feel sorry for the plane spotters.

I mean, it must already be tough being spotty and the owner of multiple duffel bags.

Once you've knocked one out to the well thumbed pages of an Eye Spy book of Commercial Airliners - what is there to do with your day?

Internet forums.

[rogerzilla]

I blame Wowbagger.  He's been fighting the EVIL FLYING MACHEENS for years, and now he's worked out how to tap a magma reservoir.

[Bledlow]

It's easy to see where they have closed the airspace.
http://www.flightradar24.com/

Copenhagen and Stockholm will close within a couple of hours.

Can't see it.

Doesn't work with NHS steam-powered browser.

Or it could be because it's currently saying  -

Users online: ≈Too many

[pcolbeck]

I saw a helicopter over the high bit of the M62 this afternoon at about 4:00pm.

[Zoidburg]

Are we sure that this "volcano" story is not just a cover?

How do we now that rage infected monkeys haven't been released by animal rights activists?

Zombies.

Quarantine.

[Regulator]

Are we sure that this "volcano" story is not just a cover?

How do we now that rage infected monkeys haven't been released by animal rights activists?

Zombies.

Quarantine.

Either that or Gordon's got the Icelanders to stir the volcano up, so he can declare a state of emergency here, postpone the election and cling on desperately to power for a few more weeks... 

[Rapples]

Either that or Gordon's got the Icelanders to stir the volcano up, so he can declare a state of emergency here, postpone the election and cling on desperately to power for a few more weeks... 

I think David Bowie saw it in a dream some time ago

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/louXPUW7tHU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/louXPUW7tHU&rel=1</a>

[matthew]

Are we sure that this "volcano" story is not just a cover?

How do we now that rage infected monkeys haven't been released by animal rights activists?

Zombies.

Quarantine.

Either that or Gordon's got the Icelanders to stir the volcano up, so he can declare a state of emergency here, postpone the election and cling on desperately to power for a few more weeks... 

No he just wanted to stick a spanner in Cameron's campaigning travel plans. 

It levels out the transport budgets of the parties.

[Zoidburg]

The ironic thing is that the volcano has a bigger carbon foot print than the planes it has grounded.

[andyoxon]

A geophysicist in Iceland warned the chaos caused by ash drifting from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier about 75 miles east of Reykjavik could cause trouble for days or weeks. "It is likely that the production of ash will continue at a comparable level for some days or weeks. But where it disrupts travel, that depends on the weather," said Einar Kjartansson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office. "It depends how the wind carries the ash."

Gruniad

Where the wind blows...

Professor Bill McGuire, of the Aon Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London, said the previous eruption, in December 1821, lasted until January 1823.

He said air travel could be curtailed repeatedly if the current eruption lasted the same amount of time.

  Teleg.

Erupted for a year last time.

[pcolbeck]

The ironic thing is that the volcano has a bigger carbon foot print than the planes it has grounded.

But paradoxically will probably cause a net cooling. The dust particles reflect light back into space and the sulphur emitted combines with water to form sulphuric acid droplets in the atmosphere that also scatter light back into space.

[Zoidburg]

It could very well.

Europe has been known to experience crop failures and famine due to volcanic debris in the atmosphere.

[TimC]

The ironic thing is that the volcano has a bigger carbon foot print than the planes it has grounded.

Maybe not. ISTR that the total CO2 output from Mt St Helens back in the '80s was about 1/100th of the current annual man-made CO2 emissions. I'll see if I can find a link.

I should have been on my way to LA this afternoon. Looks like I won't be flying for a few days. Last time this volcano erupted (1821), it kept going for over a year! That'll see me out of a job...

[Zoidburg]

The ironic thing is that the volcano has a bigger carbon foot print than the planes it has grounded.

Maybe not. ISTR that the total CO2 output from Mt St Helens back in the '80s was about 1/100th of the current annual man-made CO2 emissions. I'll see if I can find a link.

I should have been on my way to LA this afternoon. Looks like I won't be flying for a few days. Last time this volcano erupted (1821), it kept going for over a year! That'll see me out of a job...

It's only UK flights and for a short period so I bet the volcano wins.

Anyhooo....if they can't operate jet aircraft what exactly are we doing for interception and defence in UK airspace right now?

 

[Jakob]

The ironic thing is that the volcano has a bigger carbon foot print than the planes it has grounded.

Well, we better hope that all volcanic companies fail then!

[frankly frankie]

Are we sure that this "volcano" story is not just a cover?

Beat me to it.  It's a hoax.  Air authorities flexing their muscle, fancied a long weekend.