Icelandic Volcanic Eruption - Significant Disruption to UK Flights

Associate
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13 Aug 2008
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Maybe this will provoke more research into developing new engines that can possibly fly through these dust clouds?

One if the main issue I believe is that Jet engines can melt the sand/glass particals as they get sucked through a jet engine.

The danger comes when this molten glass sets before leaving the engine (stopping stuff working)

Aparently volcanic dust can strip Car paint at 80-90 mph. So dread to think what happens to a 747 at 550mph with 4 engines full of glass.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Apr 2004
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Maybe this will provoke more research into developing new engines that can possibly fly through these dust clouds?

Sorry but no :p

I believe it's due to the ash having the component materials of glass. Heat + this ash = glass, which isn't healthy.

Look up BA 009 747-236 BA flight in 1982 to see why they don't allow flights in ash clouds.

Ironically Concorde would have been fine, seeing as it would sit at 55,000 ft all day quite happily :p Although it would have to fly through the cloud on its way to FL550 so hey ho...

As for flying below it, it's slower, use way more fuel and buggers up the schedule more than just grounding everything in place.

Piston engined aircraft would be fine i'd imagine in low density clouds, but why take the risk?

Edit:

Aparently volcanic dust can strip Car paint at 80-90 mph. So dread to think what happens to a 747 at 550mph with 4 engines full of glass.

See above, 1982 BA 747 flying over Java:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9
 
Soldato
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supposed to be flying to Iceland on next Sunday, done some googling but should everything be okay by then?

Impossible to say. Depends on the weather (wind speeds and direction) and what the volcano actually decides to do. Looking out ~8 day to Sunday, both quantities are essentially unknown.
 
Associate
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13 Aug 2008
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Will this eruption have a visible effect on our climate? Like, crap summer then another cold winter?

Interesting:
Iceland's Laki volcano erupted in 1783, freeing gases that turned into smog. The smog floated across the Jet Stream, changing weather patterns. Many died from gas poisoning in the British Isles. Crop production fell in western Europe. Famine spread. Some even linked the eruption, which helped fuel famine, to the French Revolution. Painters in the 18th century illustrated fiery sunsets in their works.The winter of 1784 was also one of the longest and coldest on record in North America. New England reported a record stretch of below-zero temperatures and New Jersey reported record snow accumulation. The Mississippi River also reportedly froze in New Orleans.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35988484/ns/technology_and_science-science/
 
Soldato
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26 May 2009
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5,415
Heard a couple of old women chatting about the lack of flights yesterday. I came in at a golden conversation point:

Well, what do you expect? First their banks collapse with all our money, and now this. And do we get an apology? Do we Hell!

Favourite old lady saying of the week.
 
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