posted by Travel Cat on Apr 18
All this talk is of a ‘giant ash cloud’ over Europe, yet I am outside sunbathing?
At the moment, all flights over much of northern Europe airspace have been suspended due to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. This continuing volcanic eruption is spewing out a huge cloud of ash into the atmosphere and it is disrupting flights all over the place!
I heard that flights were being cancelled all over the world, with concerts, aid and business being affected because certain individuals or groups could not fly into or out of certain countries.
All this while I was walking along rivers and past ancient castles on a sunny day and without a cloud in the sky. So, why can’t planes fly?
The Hidden Story:
Firstly, as we all know planes fly way way up in the sky - which is a whole different place to down here. Yes, we would be able to see a huge grey cloud of ash floating over our heads, but not if it is a thin blanket of really fine particles several miles above our heads.
Where as flying at the usual altitude would put planes right in this cloud of ash, and bearing in mind what ash is made of (pieces of solid rock from within the earths crust) this will wreak havoc with the exterior of the plane.
Previous records of planes flying through ash clouds have left the pilot’s windscreen so scratched and damaged that visibility was reduced to virtually zero and the pilots had to land with instruments only. Not a plane that I would like to be on!
Secondly, the fine ash has to pass through the super-hot giant engines - and they are hot enough to melt metal, which is exactly what happens to the ash as it passes through.
Apparently, it turns the ‘ash’ into a type of glass material that sticks together and actually stops the engines from working. Again, this has happened in the past causing planes to fall from the sky. Although there are many cases where the engines have successfully been restarted after moving swiftly into ash-free air and ’shaking off’ of the particles - it really isn’t something the airlines or governments wish to rely on.
The Next Few Days:
Apparently many countries are refusing to consider any flights - incoming or departing - until at least lunch-time tomorrow (Monday) - and many have stopped taking bookings as well (no doubt to prevent more cancellations if this ban is extended).
Needless to say, getting people home from their travels is a priority, as well as recouping some of the money they have lost from this nature-induced standstill.
Other modes of transport are still in perfect working order, so many travellers are resorting to the ‘old fashioned’ methods, like trains and boats to move around the continent. And why not?
We all know that trains and boats can be more eco friendly (especially if they are running at capacity) - but they are a lot slower. But, if you can’t fly for another 24 hours minimum, then these will infact be the fastest mode of transport you can get at the moment!
So before you cancel your travel, look at the alternatives or stay home in the sunshine!
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