Volcanic ash paralyses the skies over Europe!

[Airframes]

Got fine grey dust on my Jeep here too. I noticed a couple of the air lines have conducted trial flights, KLM being one of them, and have reported (so far) that all is normal. The questions/complaints about the flight restrictions have already started, and the air lines are saying that the European air traffic governing body are being over cautious, citing the steps taken in other parts of the World concerning ash fall-out.

 

[BombTaxi]

Any word on when this stuff is supposed to come south, and whether it will effect road/rail travel? Not that another layer of muck would be noticed on my car at the moment

 

[rochie]

Any word on when this stuff is supposed to come south, and whether it will effect road/rail travel? Not that another layer of muck would be noticed on my car at the moment

only noticed it on mine because its a different colour to the normal krud on my car

 

[Colin1]

got a very fine build up of what might be ash on my car bonnet up here in Middlesbrough...

So just another day on Teesside then...

Got fine grey dust on my Jeep here too...

Sorry guys
but I'm going to have to ground both of you until further notice

 

[rochie]

So just another day on Teesside then...



Sorry guys
but I'm going to have to ground both of you until further notice

wondered when i'd get the first bite !!!!!

 

[pbfoot]

Watch what you wash car with . That ash is fairly abrasive .

 

[36feet10inches]

Latest is the airlines are asking for urgent review of the flight bans.

 

[Airframes]

Good point PB. There's a place near me that cuts stone, and sometimes the dust gets onto my car. That's bad enough, as it abraded the glass and paintwork when I had the old Range Rover (improved its looks!), so volcanic ash will most likely be more abrasive.
BT, the dust shouldn't affect rail or road travel in any way, unless some tree-hugging, PC official decides it's a risk to butterflies or something equally crass!

 

[pbfoot]

when Niagara was a abrasives centre in the times before Air Quality concerns the cars here would get coated in dust nightly . My Dad used muriatic acid for washing the car

 

[timshatz]

, unless some tree-hugging, PC official decides it's a risk to butterflies or something equally crass!

...and promptly issues an EU Tax on all active Volcanoes.

"Effective Immediately, any active Volcano will encurr a 65% tax on all emissions. The Volcano will submit a clean air plan on how it intends to reduce emissions to the local EU official who will forward it to Brussels for due consideration by the Governing Body of Volcanoes.

Failure on the Volcano's part to submit a plan will encurr a Fine as well as a Tax.

Signed,

I.M. Useless
EU Official in charge of the Irrelevant, Mundane and Superfluous"

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

...and promptly issues an EU Tax on all active Volcanoes.

"Effective Immediately, any active Volcano will encurr a 65% tax on all emissions. The Volcano will submit a clean air plan on how it intends to reduce emissions to the local EU official who will forward it to Brussels for due consideration by the Governing Body of Volcanoes.

Failure on the Volcano's part to submit a plan will encurr a Fine as well as a Tax.

Signed,

I.M. Useless
EU Official in charge of the Irrelevant, Mundane and Superfluous"

That made me laugh! Thanks man!

 

[BombTaxi]

You guys give the EU too much credit, they are still debating whether Iceland has exceeded it's volcanic ash quota for the year

In all seriousness, Brown has tasked HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean to bring stranded tourists home, and I have no doubt the RN will seize on this mercy mission as a justification for holding on to both of their unfinished and overbudget carriers when they finally get round to completing them. I must admit to being sceptical that this is the best use of two the largest and costliest conventional weapons platforms we possess, but c'est la guerre i suppose

 

[dirkpitt289]

I remember back in 1980 when Mount Saint Hellens erupted ash was on our cars and we live in New Jersey. Its amazing the impact just one of these things can have on the environment.

 

[36feet10inches]

You guys give the EU too much credit, they are still debating whether Iceland has exceeded it's volcanic ash quota for the year

In all seriousness, Brown has tasked HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean to bring stranded tourists home, and I have no doubt the RN will seize on this mercy mission as a justification for holding on to both of their unfinished and overbudget carriers when they finally get round to completing them. I must admit to being sceptical that this is the best use of two the largest and costliest conventional weapons platforms we possess, but c'est la guerre i suppose

I am gutted that I am not stuck over there. It would have been cool to get a ride on the Ark.

 

[rochie]

and the U.K is still shut untill tomorow, despite airlines conducting test flights and finding no damage to aircraft

 

[36feet10inches]

I was due to fly out of Manchester to Bulgaria at 7:15 tomorrow, but I'm not even going to try it. Even if flights resumed tomorrow morning it would be absolute chaos.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The funny thing is, I could see the EU actually doing something like this. They would say that to many people farting caused the volcano to erupt and therefore the taxes will be increased to pay for the environment.

And back to a serious note. I read a report today that NATO F-16s went up to check out the situation, and both returned with engine damage because of the ash. Not sure if this is true, but I did read something about it on Yahoo News.

 

[Colin1]

I read a report today that NATO F-16s went up to check out the situation, and both returned with engine damage because of the ash. Not sure if this is true, but I did read something about it on Yahoo News.

that's an expensive way to get a met report
potentially dangerous too

 

[BombTaxi]

And the airlines are all whining that the ban is unnecessary and NATS should loosen up a bit. Glad to know customer safety ALWAYS comes first...

 

[RabidAlien]

News earlier was reporting the volcano puked another ash cloud, dark black (which supposedly indicates more ash content) instead of its more recent grayish plume. Apparently someone else in Europe farted and pissed the volcano off.