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Planes grounded by volcanic ash
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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #1
16-04-2010 09:08 PM

Well, hasn't it been nice the last two days without the background noise ? So unusually quiet I woke up at 5am wondering where the planes were. A pain for some, but heaven for the rest of us.

Thumbsup volcanoes!

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #2
16-04-2010 09:25 PM

.. apart from the loss of homes and life that they cause for others, of course, she said trying to be a little more tactful...

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #3
18-04-2010 11:40 AM

Yes great to be without air travel. Maybe some of the people trapped in exotic places with take their next break in our United Kingdom and help our economy rather than helping other economies.

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sandy


Posts: 191
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #4
18-04-2010 11:55 AM

Not all are on their hols. Some people travelled for work.

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robin orton


Posts: 716
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #5
18-04-2010 12:49 PM

....or to visit relatives, as in the case of my daughter, son-in-law and infant grandson who are in Peru.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #6
18-04-2010 03:13 PM

True Sandy
but a lot of these could be conducted by video conferencing.

I agree some people travel to see relations , although doubt many go to Lima )
Before the second world war people went by boat to Australia and USA for instance. So much more civilised.

I would imagine the vast majority of people caught up in this are tourists.

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #7
18-04-2010 03:28 PM

lol dear oh dear, yes its great having clear skies, quite wierd actually, but also crippling for the economy in so many ways.

As for going to the USA by boat, that will keep the holiday industry on its feet im sure.

Its crippling the company I work for. Thumbdown

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #8
18-04-2010 05:16 PM

Yes I understand. I used to work for an International Logistics Company and about 30 % was air freight.

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #9
18-04-2010 07:50 PM

I work for Fedex, which happens to have one of the biggest air fleets in the world, so you can imagine this is crippling. For is, UPS,DHL etc. Ours is 100% air frieght.
Air flight is almost a neccesary evil,and the average person does not realise how much they are affected by this, until its halt starts to take effect.
Passenger flights are subsidised by the cargo capacity of the aircraft. So the 2 industries need each other.

There are appeals left right and centre now from the passenger carriers to get flights going again now. But personally I would stick with caution rather than hurried return to travel.

Im sure the first day back will seem rather noisy.
If you want to know when that will be, watch http://www.nats.co.uk

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kingkong


Posts: 61
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #10
19-04-2010 07:28 AM

All nice and quiet for folk in SE23 but I am stuck in LA unable to get home after a business trip!

Stuck in an airport hotel at LAX with the runways on one side and a large motorway on the other - it is a bit on the noisy side here.

Really want to get home to see daughter and pregnant wife - no idea when this will happen so finding it quite hard to keep chin up.Sad

KK

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #11
19-04-2010 09:44 AM

Sorry to hear that mate. Certainly up late aint ya! lol
Bad news is that the ash is heading west now, and expected to arrive on the US east coast by this evening (UK time)

Hope you get home soon. Thumbup

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kingkong


Posts: 61
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #12
20-04-2010 02:15 AM

Spent hours at LA airport earlier today and the good news is that there will be two flights to London in the early hours of this morning, and I am on standby for both of them. Thumbsup

Don't know if I can get on either flight but spirits much higher now! if we do take off it is likely we'll have to land in Scotland or somewhere in the north of England but getting from there to SE23 shouldn't be too hard.

wish me luck

KK

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Elizabeth25


Posts: 212
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #13
20-04-2010 06:31 AM

Good Luck! As of this morning, London still not opened, but Scotland and Paris are.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #14
20-04-2010 07:43 AM

Good luck with getting home, Kingkong!

Official figures of people stranded abroad seem to be 100,000 but as I personally know about 25 of them I would suggest that statistically that may be a little underestimated. I know a few headteachers who are likely to be out of the country for another two weeks as they can't get on long haul flights, and a friend whose family can't get a flight from Asia until mid May as everything is so booked up and they are family of 4 so can't rely on standby. Another was an elderly relative who took two whole days to travel overland to his home in southern France, where helpfully, the French railway services were again on strike.

Sympathy to everyone out there who is affected, as it cant be much fun especially if the cash runs out and everyones putting the prices up.

As Snazy said, the reality is probably going to be extremely difficult for the economy as Europe has lost billions and some businesses will find it hard to swallow the cost.

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #15
20-04-2010 08:48 AM

Quote:
Yes great to be without air travel. Maybe some of the people trapped in exotic places with take their next break in our United Kingdom and help our economy rather than helping other economies.


Of course, this is entirely a one-way process. Whoever heard of tourists coming to London?

Still, someone MUST be at fault.

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Cidered


Posts: 50
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #16
20-04-2010 09:39 AM

The Maily Telegraph headline today says the blame lies squarely with those overpaid, lazy civil servants at the Met Office (well of course it does).

Personally, unlike their leader writer, not being an expert on volcanoes, ash or jet engines I don't feel qualified to comment on whether it's safe to fly at the moment so happy to trust the experts in their caution - and I'm rather selfishly enjoying the lack of aircraft noise.

I did spot a more amusing headline about the ash problems on the NewsBiscuit website though: "Cancelling anything nice over the holidays?" asks volcano aware hairdresser.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #17
20-04-2010 04:21 PM

Can you believe it? There are loads of airline jokes on the internet already. I think its outrageous! people should wait at least until the dust settles..

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #18
20-04-2010 10:10 PM

This is a great series of photos-

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04...okull.html

Dustfully yours..

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #19
21-04-2010 09:34 AM

They are incredible pictures Roz.!

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kingkong


Posts: 61
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #20
21-04-2010 01:43 PM

I made it back home!

I managed to snag a seat on a flight leaving LA at 0135 on Monday night (along with Mrs. Gordon Ramsey and Tim Vincent), and arrived back at Heathrow on Tuesday night around 1015pm. The flight was jam packed but everyone was in good spirits and I must say that BA staff at LA airport were very polite and well organised.

We were told beforehand that the flight may not land at Heathrow, and that it was not certain where we would land. Once we took off, the captain told us that our flight plan was "incomplete", and that a final decision on landing would be made as we approached the British Isles. We then spent around 30 minutes circling Cornwall as we waited for Heathrow to open. There were spontaneous cheers and clapping as we touched down.

I think we were incredibly lucky - I beleive some earlier BA flights from North America had to land in France and Spain as they couldn't wait any longer for Heathrow to open with fuel running low.

feels really good to be home, and the weather is warm and sunny too.

KK

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