Ziggy Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 OH is crewed up ready to fly to Glasgow tonight! He may be home at lunchtime tomorrow! Wooo Hooooo! Fantastic news !! It will be a party lunch time at your side tomorrow!! We just had our party breakfast with DH who got home last night at 12.13... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Think it has been a very complex problem to sort and they were dammed if they closed airports and dammed if they didn't. With the manufacturers only just agreeing that planes can cope with some ash, what else could they do? It's not like if you get a knocking sound in your car and can pull over to the side of the road. When ash does get in engine (the amount of ash is what know one really knows is safe in an engine!), it blocks the air intake which makes the engine melt. Hope all of you with loved ones stranded/holiday/business plans on hold are sorted soon. At least (touch wood, fingers crossed) no one has been injured over this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Think it has been a very complex problem to sort and they were dammed if they closed airports and dammed if they didn't. With the manufacturers only just agreeing that planes can cope with some ash, what else could they do? It's not like if you get a knocking sound in your car and can pull over to the side of the road. When ash does get in engine (the amount of ash is what know one really knows is safe in an engine!), it blocks the air intake which makes the engine melt. Hope all of you with loved ones stranded/holiday/business plans on hold are sorted soon. At least (touch wood, fingers crossed) no one has been injured over this. I agree - and hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think a lot of accusations will be thrown around but until manufacturers were sure then it was better to err on the side of safety. I don't suppose volcanic ash tests were the first thing to be tested by manufacturers at the prototype stage......perhaps they will be included in future designs. We're so used to having what we want, when we want it that we're not used to delays of a prolonged nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Think it has been a very complex problem to sort and they were dammed if they closed airports and dammed if they didn't. With the manufacturers only just agreeing that planes can cope with some ash, what else could they do? It's not like if you get a knocking sound in your car and can pull over to the side of the road. When ash does get in engine (the amount of ash is what know one really knows is safe in an engine!), it blocks the air intake which makes the engine melt. Hope all of you with loved ones stranded/holiday/business plans on hold are sorted soon. At least (touch wood, fingers crossed) no one has been injured over this. I agree - and hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think a lot of accusations will be thrown around but until manufacturers were sure then it was better to err on the side of safety. I don't suppose volcanic ash tests were the first thing to be tested by manufacturers at the prototype stage......perhaps they will be included in future designs. We're so used to having what we want, when we want it that we're not used to delays of a prolonged nature. Well said both of you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I totally agree. So weird seeing con trails overhead again this morning when I was dog walking. Good to hear that loved ones are getting back home now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilda-and-evadne Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I still remain to be convinced that the ban was necessary. Unless I've read everything wrong, it was based on theory from computer modelling and not fact. Listen to this - an interview on Radio 5 Live on Monday, move slider to about 2 hours 6 minutes in - it might change your mind. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s1tqg/5_live_Drive_19_04_2010/ If an airliner goes down, now that the airspace is open but while there are significant amounts of volcanic ash in the atmosphere, it probably won't be on its first flight through ash: it will be after the turbine blades in the engines have been glassed over during a number of flights, and then all engines are likely to fail at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I certainly wouldn't be happy flying at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Well thanks for that cheery thought - part of the conditions for the airports opening is that each aircraft is inspected before and after each flight for damage from the ash. Which I imagine would find cumulative damage of that kind. But now if OH and MOg get a flight home, I can worry about that for the entire 12 hours too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Just heard that our MD is booked on a flight home. Aunty e, I think that those posts were just trying to provide information, not to worry anyone. I hope that OH and Mog are home safely soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sound arguments which I shall go away and think about. I knew I would be sailing against the wind with my views, but I can't believe I'm the only person who has doubts about how this has been handled, especially when it was disclosed that various authorities have been using different data and even different maps of the ash cloud, that doesn't sound very efficient considering how major this event has been. I don't dispute what damage the cloud could do to an engine, only that the information was used wrongly. It IS better to be safe than sorry and my argument isn't with the benefit of hindsight, I felt curious about things from the start. Thanks for the debate though, I shall go away and shut up about it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I couldn't agree more that they were right to suspend air flights while they werre unsure about the safety of flying. It's a shame though that no-one could get their act together to find comprehensive and accurate data to base their decision on. The alternative of keeping flights in the air, and the possibility of one or more flights being affected and possibly crashing doesn't bear thinking about. If nothing else, this past week has taught us to respect nature, be more resourceful and to think ourselves lucky for what we do have. The main thing is that no-one was killed by their plane coming down due to ash contamination. Personally, I am more worried for the folks out in Iceland than whether the planes are flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sorry, I'm a little snappy this morning - Cathay Pacific are still being totally useless and offering the 12th May as a flight home, because apparently pregnant women and infants aren't priorities, whereas students with exams are. I have no problem with other people being priorities as well, I just think that getting a small baby back to the UK (especially when Cathay Pacific aren't providing accomodation or ANY assistance) is just as important as getting a university student back to sit their sessionals. I missed one of mine once - I just retook it a couple of months later. Virigin are being much better, so the rest of the party is doing ok, given a hotel with free meals. I wonder if the non-EU airlines realise just how few people will be prepared to fly with them ever again given how badly they've treated EU nationals over the last week. Certainly I'm going to hold this grudge til it dies of old age and then have it stuffed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 12th May is an awfully long way away ... I hope something somehow brings their return closer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I hope they get it sorted Eirean. I've flown Cathay Pacific before; they lost my luggage and were total pants at trying to relocate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I've just heard from my sister as she was e-mailed by my Uncle. He and my aunt are stuck in New York and so he requested if Mum could phone Ben, my cousin, as he's been on his own for the past 2 and a half weeks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Oh Aunty E, you must be so frustrated - hope they are soon back with you. I'm sure no airline is going to risk flying without major safety checks. You are right though, it will make people look differently at which airline they choose. I bet RyanAir passengers havent had much support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Gosh this has brought a few things out of the cupboard this topic! - Safety must be the only issue here and I think that the long haul flights will be ok as they are coming such a long way not in the cloud of ash and only reach it nearer to the uk - its the ones flying in it all the time on short flights which may matter most and I do think they were right to stop flights and yes jobs may have been getting near to being compromised but in the longer term if there had been any air crashes - can you imagine the problems and job losses that would have caused. As said before it may have been innocent victims on the ground which were also killed in such an accident and the industry would have been slated beyond belief if it had happened. Happily things are getting back to normality now and it will be the end of it for this time till it happens in x number of years. Auntie E I hope that your family get home ok sooner than expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I am just so pleased that Oh flew back into Manchester yesterday morning and he is at last safely home. lets hope everyone else gets sorted out soon. Some excellent points raised on this topic. I read with interest . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Glad that yout OH is now back home with you, what a relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I am just so pleased that Oh flew back into Manchester yesterday morning and he is at last safely home. lets hope everyone else gets sorted out soon. Some excellent points raised on this topic. I read with interest . . . glad he is home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Really happy to hear your OH is back home AJuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
