10 years since the Ash Cloud
Discussion
Already 10 years ago since UK and most European airspace was shut down for 5-6 days during the ash cloud.
And now here we are again with an almost empty sky, but for entirely different reasons and with an unknown end date in sight, but definitely longer than the next 6 days!
At the time I just remember how bizarre it felt to be going in to work at Gatwick and doing nothing but sorting out a huge pile of paperwork, and walking around a bright, sunny day but having no passengers in the terminals and no aircraft taking off.
And now here we are again with an almost empty sky, but for entirely different reasons and with an unknown end date in sight, but definitely longer than the next 6 days!
At the time I just remember how bizarre it felt to be going in to work at Gatwick and doing nothing but sorting out a huge pile of paperwork, and walking around a bright, sunny day but having no passengers in the terminals and no aircraft taking off.
Today..
There are 2 more arrivals today and 2 more departures. Ryanair from Dublin and then going back, and Belavia coming in from Minsk and then going back again. I don't know what may have come in earlier today though.
Normally they'd have nearly 60 flights per hour at peak time and perhaps 800 aircraft movements per day.
(I don't work full time at Gatwick anymore though so I'm not quite as on the button as I used to be)
There are 2 more arrivals today and 2 more departures. Ryanair from Dublin and then going back, and Belavia coming in from Minsk and then going back again. I don't know what may have come in earlier today though.
Normally they'd have nearly 60 flights per hour at peak time and perhaps 800 aircraft movements per day.
(I don't work full time at Gatwick anymore though so I'm not quite as on the button as I used to be)
I was literally climbing the stairs of a flight from Bali to Kuala Lumpur when the chap in front said you know we won't be going straight back to the UK as planned because of a volcano going up.
My first thought was oh great, 5 hour delay at KL.
We landed and KL airport was pretty crazy anyway but on that occasion was absolutely mental.
I said to my misses, let's grab a coffee and try and work out what was going on. Luckily my brother had leant me a very early Samsung tablet so we could keep an eye on things.
We ended up staying in KL for 5 extra nights. Not the worst thing to happen.
My first thought was oh great, 5 hour delay at KL.
We landed and KL airport was pretty crazy anyway but on that occasion was absolutely mental.
I said to my misses, let's grab a coffee and try and work out what was going on. Luckily my brother had leant me a very early Samsung tablet so we could keep an eye on things.
We ended up staying in KL for 5 extra nights. Not the worst thing to happen.
As I mentioned on another volcano thread, at the time all the volcanologists were saying that the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull was always the precursor for a much bigger eruption of a neighbouring volcano... still waiting for that to happen.
I also remember at the time of the ash cloud I had a persistent dry hacking cough that lasted for the duration, it was pretty much the only time in my life I've ever had a persistent cough, even as a kid I never seemed to catch coughs.
I'm convinced it was related even though there was no visible ash in the sky. Anybody else have similar?
I also remember at the time of the ash cloud I had a persistent dry hacking cough that lasted for the duration, it was pretty much the only time in my life I've ever had a persistent cough, even as a kid I never seemed to catch coughs.
I'm convinced it was related even though there was no visible ash in the sky. Anybody else have similar?
I got lucky. I was on stand duty for my employer at a week long trade fair in Germany. My stint was Monday to Wednesday only. I flew back to the UK on the Wednesday evening without giving it a second thought. The next day all European flights were cancelled.
It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
LotusOmega375D said:
I got lucky. I was on stand duty for my employer at a week long trade fair in Germany. My stint was Monday to Wednesday only. I flew back to the UK on the Wednesday evening without giving it a second thought. The next day all European flights were cancelled.
It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
I read that people on the continent couldn't get on a ferry as a foot passenger, they had to have a vehicle so they then went and bought cheap pushbikes to get on. It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
Not sure how true it is.
LotusOmega375D said:
I got lucky. I was on stand duty for my employer at a week long trade fair in Germany. My stint was Monday to Wednesday only. I flew back to the UK on the Wednesday evening without giving it a second thought. The next day all European flights were cancelled.
It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
The biggest trade show of the year is NAB held in Vegas & it was on just as the volcano blew. Thousands of exhibitors & attendees were stuck without flights & hotel rooms as they were being turfed out at the end of the week. Some of our guys ended up getting back to parts of Southern Europe & then struggling to get any sort of transport north. Singapore basically filled up as flights kept coming in but none of the European ones could leave. It took some of my stranded UK customers until the middle of the following week to get home by hook or by crook (expensive hire cars, taxis, ferries, Chunnel, hotels etc.). They still reminisce about it every two years when the fair is on. But not this year: CV-19 led to a postponement.
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff