Article

2010-04-18 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Pictures: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust

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Posted by gromky 2010-04-18 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Ash damage in turbine engines has been well documented for 20 years. Nice little expensive mistake.

Posted by Alaska Paul back home 2010-04-18 01:50|| 2010-04-18 01:50|| Front Page Top

#2 PARIS Air France says it's safely carried out a test flight over France for the first time since a volcanic ash plume shut down aviation over Europe.

The plane traveled from Charles de Gaulle airport to Toulouse in southern France. Another test flight is under way in southwest France, it said, and three more will follow, for a total of five test flights Sunday.

European airlines are pushing national regulators to reopen airspace across Europe, saying the ash appears to have diminished enough to make flying safe.

Dutch airline KLM said it safely flew aircraft without passengers through a window in the cloud of volcanic ash over Europe Sunday, and pressed for an end to the total ban on commercial air traffic that has paralyzed travel across the continent.

Posted by tu3031 2010-04-18 10:58|| 2010-04-18 10:58|| Front Page Top

#3 It doesn't do your lungs a hell of a lot of good either.

Posted by mojo 2010-04-18 15:31|| 2010-04-18 15:31|| Front Page Top

#4 So remind me not to fly Air France or KLM for the foreseeable future; even if they did get away with this stunt (this time) with no significant damage, it is cumulative; sort of like icing on the wings of an aircraft. At it builds up, performance degrades and at some point you pass the point of no return. Turbine damge from erosion is like that, as the engine degrades so does performance. While still active duty, we had to track engine parametrs for our SH-60s and wash them to remove salt deposits; that build up was not predictable; we might be doing it every night or be able to go several days or weeks. I think volcanic ash damage would be like that. Couple that with the Airbus fly by wire that disregards pilot input if that input violates the softawre logic and you are setting up for a disaster.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2010-04-18 18:04|| 2010-04-18 18:04|| Front Page Top

#5 5 days ago a Cathy Pacific Airbus had a rare twin engine failure. What are the chances the plane had recently flown to Europe.

The Airlines are losing big money and most will be bankrupt within weeks unless they get flying.

Desperate people do reckless things.

Posted by phil_b 2010-04-18 19:51|| 2010-04-18 19:51|| Front Page Top

#6 phil_b I smell another bailout

Posted by Hellfish 2010-04-18 21:14|| 2010-04-18 21:14|| Front Page Top

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