Dear Lee
The clouds and ash goes up and blocks recognized air routes hence, the problems. If the ASH was a problem over BATAM etc we could see it with the naked EYE because it occured at low altitude or under 10,000 feet.
The A380 was according to the Quantas CEO an engine design flaw, the second incident not reported yet but possible bird strike.
Locke
Nope they are invisible even to radar!
They will take down planes even as invisible as they are.
http://www.routesonline.com/news/24...er-radar-presents-serious-danger-to-aircraft/
Volcanic ash, invisible to weather radar, presents serious danger to aircraft
Posted 19/04/2010
There have been 90 incidents over the last 30 years in which aircraft have encountered volcanic ash, invisible to weather radar and totally undetectable at night, and several of the encounters created very dangerous situations.
Made up of pulverized rock and glass, the ash gets into virtually every aircraft system and can paralyze engines in minutes. The ash turns molten in a jet engine's combustion chamber and melds with moving parts like spray paint. It blasts cockpit windows, compromising visibility in seconds, and also clogs vital speed sensors, rendering an aircraft's flight computers almost useless. The deposits additionally coat the fuel system's temperature sensors, creating a false and lower temperature reading that causes the automatic monitoring system to pour in more fuel. This makes the engine dangerously hot, damaging the turbine and potentially leading to a shutdown.
The two most famous encounters with volcanic ash involved 747s, one a British Airways flight over Indonesia in 1982 en route to Perth from Kuala Lumpur and another involving a 1989 KLM flight en route from Amsterdam to Anchorage. In both cases, all of the engines failed and eventually were restarted at much lower altitudes but later were scrapped because of the damage. The KLM 747's environmental control system was replaced, its fuel tanks were cleaned and the hydraulic systems needed repair.
When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, a 727 and a DC-8 encountered separate ash clouds. Both experienced damage to their windshields and several systems but both landed safely despite the damage.
The increased availability of satellites and the technology to transform satellite data into useful information have reduced the number of volcanic ash encounters. But extensive ash clouds, such as the one now hovering over Europe, still present an enormous challenge.
In 1991, Mount Pinatubo on the island of Luzon in the Philippines erupted just 90 km. northwest of Manila. Over the course of several eruptions, the volcano ejected 10 cu. km. of material, making it the second-biggest eruption of the 20th century. There were 20 volcanic ash encounters with aircraft. Despite the more advanced ability to predict where ash could be found, the wide extent of the ash cloud made it difficult to avoid.
The eruption of Mt. Popocatepetl in Mexico in 1997 and subsequent intermittent eruptions forced the Mexico City airport to close multiple times for up to 24 hr.
Scientists working with the University of Iceland suggest it is a distinct possibility that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano will continue to erupt on and off for months to come, as occurred during the last eruptive period in 1821-1823.
by Geoffrey Thomas
http://dorrie-westy.blogspot.com/2010/04/living-under-invisible-volcanic-ash.html
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Living under invisible volcanic ash....
That's what us Europeans are doing. Since last week the volcanic ash has been blowing toward Europe and because of it, all commerical airline traffic is on the ground!
This is a situation that no one ever predicted. Normally the winds would be from the south/south-west, blowing the ash AWAY from us. But, we finally have a stable high pressure system, which we would normally enjoy. This system has given us BEAUTIFUL spring weather, though still chilly.... and is sending the ash directly toward us!
The first countries to close their airspace for IFR flights was Scanadavia (hi Elin and Melody!), followed by Ireland, Scotland, England. Then the Benelux countries and Holland joined in (hello Wizardress!), followed by Germany, France, Poland, etc. etc. etc. Some countries have also forbidden all VFR flights, i.e. flights conducted unter visual regulations.
But in Germany those flights are still allowed.... and I even got to fly yesterday! Visibility was hazy, which is normal under high pressure systems. No sign of any ash anywhere, but the experts, including pilots that have flown into the muck, say it is so fine it can't be seen by the naked eye. The reason for canceling all flights.... the ash can cause the engines of jets to shut down! So, closing the air space is a necesssary precaution. Lufthansa did ferry 10 planes (B 747's and Airbus's) from Munich to Frankfurt, but they carried NO passengers and flew under VFR! At the lower altitudes they had to fly at (below the ash level), it is not allowed to carry passengers. Needless to say, those planes are going through a thorough inspection to see if any ash damage occured. Some ash has touched the ground in England from what I hear (take care Susannanne, Fakebrunette, Simon, Dave, Stig and all others on the Islands).
It looks like this volcano is going to be active for some time and will continue causing havoc over European air space.
As I mentioned, the ash is invisible, making a lot of people think it doesn't exist. But it does make for pretty sunsets..... this taken last night:
