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Ground flights in Europe? update - Planes back in the sky on Monday!

No fly zone?

  • Yes, resume flights

  • No, too risky

Results are only viewable after voting.
FelixDeCat

FelixDeCat

Lifer
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Europ...html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Excerpt:

The announcement prompted some airline officials to wonder whether authorities had overreacted to concerns that the tiny particles of volcanic ash could jam up the engines of passenger jets. The possibility that the ash had thinned or dispersed over parts of Europe heightened pressure from airline officials losing hundreds of millions of dollars a day to end a flight stoppage that has thrown global travel into chaos and left millions stranded far from home.

"With the weather we are encountering now -- clear blue skies and obviously no dense ash cloud to be seen, in our opinion there is absolutely no reason to worry about resuming flights," said Steven Verhagen, vice president of the Dutch Airline Pilots Association and a Boeing 737 pilot for KLM.

"We are asking the authorities to really have a good look at the situation, because 100 percent safety does not exist," Verhagen said. "It's easy to close down air space because then it's perfectly safe. But at some time you have to resume flights."

Meteorologists warned, however, that the situation above Europe remained unstable and constantly changing with the varying winds -- and the unpredictability was compounded by the irregular eruptions from the Icelandic volcano spitting more ash into the sky.

Bodvarsson said the relative weakness of the eruption in Iceland also means the ash remains relatively close to the earth, while a stronger eruption would have catapulted the ash outside of the atmosphere.

In 1989, a KLM Boeing 747 that flew through a volcanic ash cloud above Alaska temporarily lost all four motors. The motors restarted at a lower altitude and the plane eventually landed safely
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I dunno, Im kind of torn on this one. I dont have to fly anywhere at this time (especially to Europe), but I feel for all the stranded peoples and wish they could just get home. :'(

I for one, however, would not risk going up 30,000 feet with a chance of comming down at a vertical angle at 500 miles per hour. 😱

Do you think flights should be allowed to resume or is it still too risky?


UPDATE: Giving in to pressure, the EU is relenting by 50%:

AMSTERDAM (AP) -- European air traffic could return to about 50 percent of its normal levels Monday if weather forecasts confirm that skies over the half the continent are clearing of volcanic ash that has thrown global travel into chaos, the European Union said Sunday.

Germany temporarily loosened some airspace restrictions before the EU announcement, allowing limited operations from Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Erfurt and Leipzig and some from Frankfurt and Hahn airports, but was closing them again Sunday evening. Other countries enforced closures on their national airspace through late Sunday, Monday or even Tuesday.
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They could put hepa filters in front of the engines. 😛

On serious note, I think this is something an aviation engineer should have a say in. Someone who knows a lot about how the engines work could probably tell for sure whether or not it's a risk.
 
RedSquirrel said:
They could put hepa filters in front of the engines. 😛

On serious note, I think this is something an aviation engineer should have a say in. Someone who knows a lot about how the engines work could probably tell for sure whether or not it's a risk.
Click to expand...

That's just engineering. We want science! Let the planes fly and see what happens, video rolling of course.
 
RedSquirrel said:
They could put hepa filters in front of the engines. 😛

On serious note, I think this is something an aviation engineer should have a say in. Someone who knows a lot about how the engines work could probably tell for sure whether or not it's a risk.
Click to expand...

From the article:

Ash and grit from volcanic eruptions can sabotage a plane in various ways: the abrasive ash can sandblast a jet's windshield, block fuel nozzles, contaminate the oil system and electronics and plug the tubes that sense airspeed. But the most immediate danger is to the engines. Melted ash can then congeal on the blades and block the normal flow of air, causing engines to lose thrust or shut down.

Scientists say that because the volcano is situated below a glacial ice cap, magma is being cooled quickly, causing explosions and plumes of grit that can be catastrophic to plane engines, depending on prevailing winds.
 
IronWing said:
That's just engineering. We want science! Let the planes fly and see what happens, video rolling of course.
Click to expand...

I think you have a point here. We need to send two similar planes in the same direction. One with hepa filters in front of the engines, and one without, and see how it effects the planes. We need to try it at least 5 times to get more accurate results. To simulate a real life situation they need to be packed with passengers. :awe:
 
Sure. I don't know anyone on the flights, I don't own stock in any of the airlines or their insurance companies...why not.

It might be a good way to study the effects of volcanic ash on aircraft turbines, paint, and windshields...and some population control at the same time...😛
 
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