Icelandic Dust Cloud

[S3_Graham]

Affected anyone on here??

We just had to cancel 2 flights out of farnborough... and we are being predicited that by lunchtime UK airspace will be closed!!

[bob1179]

Got a couple of lads flying back to the UK tonight.

They aren't happy....

[Lefty Two Drams]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

and

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[S3_Graham]

Lefty Two Drams said:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

and

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

never thought of looking there... thanks!

[Lefty Two Drams]

I got up at 4am for no reason

Posted once in News and once in the Scotland forum, didn't think of BP&T!

[eharding]

Second NOTAM just published showing ash coverage of the entire UK from 12:00UTC onwards - no IFR clearances, hence pretty much all commercial air transport grounded.

[stu67]

Stuck in Dubai at the moment, 2 options for tomorrow either Emirates to Paris and Eurostar or poss Etihad from AD to HTRW later in the day

Who knows, could be worse places to be stuck

[Somewhatfoolish]

eharding said:

Second NOTAM just published showing ash coverage of the entire UK from 12:00UTC onwards - no IFR clearances, hence pretty much all commercial air transport grounded.

What do you guys do in a situation like this? Catch up on paperwork?

[john_p]

Somewhatfoolish said:

eharding said:

Second NOTAM just published showing ash coverage of the entire UK from 12:00UTC onwards - no IFR clearances, hence pretty much all commercial air transport grounded.

What do you guys do in a situation like this? Catch up on aerobatics?

efa

[thatone1967]

Looks like most of Europe also affected... Paris and 27 other French airports now closed.

[Vlad the Imp]

Does this no flying business affect private aircraft and helicopters? I haven't seen/heard any at all this evening and there are usually loads round here. Surely if this dust is up at 8000m your average Cessna isn't going to be too badly affected?

[Pvapour]

yip, trying to get back to sotton then onto Nice, no go! stuck here in 22 degrees by the pool, its murder

[RichB]

If they are still grounded on Monday that will be good, weather looks like fantastic for gliding, a possible 500k with no comercial air traffic, bliss!

[scarebus]

Haha great got the day off again (sorry to all that are stuck here)

[Jonny671]

Vlad the Imp said:

Does this no flying business affect private aircraft and helicopters? I haven't seen/heard any at all this evening and there are usually loads round here. Surely if this dust is up at 8000m your average Cessna isn't going to be too badly affected?

Think it also effects Radar?

[eharding]

Jonny671 said:

Vlad the Imp said:

Does this no flying business affect private aircraft and helicopters? I haven't seen/heard any at all this evening and there are usually loads round here. Surely if this dust is up at 8000m your average Cessna isn't going to be too badly affected?

Think it also effects Radar?

Plenty of light General Aviation (GA) going on today - NATS has imposed an embargo on IFR clearances into controlled airspace - which means the airlines, basically - but outside of controlled airspace things just continued largely as usual - if the ash actually puts in an appearance at low level though I suspect people might become more circumspect regarding the effects.

NATS stated that ATSOCAS - discretionary Air Traffic Services provided to aircraft operating outside of controlled airspace - might be affected by the dust situation - not that the dust has any effect on radar, but because the ATS units have largely poked off home early because there is no commercial traffic. Ironically, ATSOCAS is generally limited because of controller workload dealing with the traffic in controlled airspace - today it was limited by the lack of controller workload.....

Edited by eharding on Thursday 15th April 23:53

[Geneve]

Good day for a Special VFR clearance through the Heathrow overhead then (in a piston heli)?

[boobles]

Visually how do you tell the difference between clouds & volcanic dust clouds?
I want to see it when it does appear over the uk.

I am also confused as to why we have no military activity going on (i live just down the road from Middle wallop airbase) & always see helicopters etc flying extremely low. If the dust cloud is reportedly 50 thousand feet above us, how would this effect low flying aircraft?

Edited by boobles on Friday 16th April 12:14

[Munter]

We have a director (and assistant), currently in a holding pattern around heathrow. Should have flown out last night but currently shacked up in their flat nearby. More $$$ down the drain. But at least it's not something deliberate.

[callyman]

boobles said:

Visually how do you tell the difference between clouds & volcanic dust clouds?
I want to see it when it does appear over the uk.

I am also confused as to why we have no military activity going on (i live just down the road from Middle wallop airbase) & always see helicopters etc flying extremely low. If the dust cloud is reportedly 50 thousand feet above us, how would this effect low flying aircraft?

Edited by boobles on Friday 16th April 12:14

It's above cloud level, 30k+