Stranded in Dallas

- Thanks Iceland

[Receptional]

Thank you to Brett, Jeff, Matt, Vanessa and all the team for a great Pubcon event in Dallas.

Unfortunately, looks like it could be some days before I can get to fly back to Blighty! Ironically, the sun is apparently shining brightly in the UK... whilst Texas is having record rainfalls.

Ho hum - when it rains it pours :)

[vordmeister]

It's lovely here close to Luton International Airport. We've had blue skies all week and no hint of ash.

I can see why ash might be a problem, but wonder why they don't allow a few planes to take off from Luton and just fly around it. I could make a killing selling sandwiches. If it were UK only it would be political, but it's the rest of Europe too and we aren't that politically connected, so it seems more like error trapping gone wrong.

Have you thought of emigrating to Texas?

[Receptional]

LOL - I would emigrate... but the rumours of sunshine here are a myth it seems.

Plus the wife and kids at home might be a bit cheesed off.

[grandpa]

Britain said Sunday it was looking at whether to draft in the Royal Navy to help those stranded.

Maybe your next port call will be Houston or Galveston.

[dreamcatcher]

Looks like this could go on for days. It is funny with the blue skies though. Probably the best weather we`ve had for a few weeks and there are no flights. Go figure.

dc

[jecasc]

What is a little surprising is that - at least to some newspaper reports - the closure of the airspace is entirely based on a computer calculation. It seems nobody has actually measured the concentration of the ashes and the threat it actually poses.

[rj87uk]

Better safe than sorry? :p

[engine]

>It seems nobody has actually measured the concentration of the ashes and the threat it actually poses.

Depends which newspaper you read. ;)

I agree with rj87uk, safety has to be the main concern. I know I wouldn't fly if they said, "we're not sure, but we're going to send you up to see if you come back!"

Sorry to hear you're stuck in Dallas. I'm sure that they are making your stay as pleasant as possible.

[jecasc]

I agree with rj87uk, safety has to be the main concern.

This is of course true. You can't send anyone up, before you know it's safe. However I would have expected they send some weather balloons or propelled airplanes up there to confirm the computer calculations.

[engine]

>weather balloons or propelled airplanes up there to confirm the computer calculations.

But they have!

Airlines Lobby Governments to Lift Flying Bans as Some Take Experimental Flights to Test Effects of Volcanic Ash on Jets [online.wsj.com]

Hard-hit airlines stepped up efforts to show regulators that flying is safe. KLM and Air France said several jetliners that they flew as high as 41,000 feet showed no ill effects from the abrasive powder. British Airways PLC said it also conducted a test flight that found no problems. The airlines passed their analyses of flights to their national aviation authorities, which make decisions on airspace closure.

"We asked the authorities to go up there and make real tests," said a spokesman for Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which flew 10 wide-body jetliners within Germany on Saturday beneath controlled airspace to reposition them but didn't collect atmospheric data.

[jdMorgan]

Spain has announced that they're willing to serve as a 'hub' to get stranded passengers home, if you fancy a rail trip...

This isn't just some minor problem like a 'cloud of smoke' or something. This is highly-abrasive material suspended in the air -- and invisible to normal airborne radar. This stuff can "sand-blast" windshields (windscreens) and internal engine parts, clog fuel injectors, melt and then redeposit on engine parts as a layer resembling glass, and cause engines to shut down. And because the cloud is huge, it makes no difference how many engines you've got -- all will be affected, and the plane is likely going down...

The airlines are evidently more concerned about their weekly revenue than about safety. How the story will change if they lose a 747 or an A380 because they rush back into the air before it's clear... or even if they just damage a few dozen engines...

Jim

[timster]

Military planes that have flown through the ash have suffered engine damage. The danger is clearly real.

[examiner.com ]

What's worse, these eruptions might go on for months or years.

[newsblaze.com ]

[Receptional]

Since it's me that needs to fly, I'm with all the "better safe than sorry" guys! :)

I hear that (as my wife puts it) the good news is that Gordon Brown has called out International Rescue. But the bad news is that International Rescue is three navy ships going to Spain. well... if that's where I end up then so be it.

On the plus side... I have a Ferry site which was riding high and is now doing record business. Go Google :) It should pay for me to take the Queen Mary back from New York if it cones to it. Let's face it... if the other volcano blows, I'll be wanting to start up ferry crossings of the Atlantic for a few years anyway, so better start on some research :)