Volcanic cloud casts long shadow over US travel

[tonado]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100415/ap_on_...land_volcano_us

 

A lot of cancellation due to the volcanic clouds.

[knloregon]

when you think about the speed air flows through a modern turbine engine, it becomes clear the damage ash, (pulverized volcanic rock----not sand, with all the sharp edges worn off) ---can have on moving parts. Small percentages become magnified very quickly.

 

When I was working for the Corps of Engineers after the Mt. St. Helens eruption in the early 1980's we went in to place arial photographic points for the re-mapping of the area, and used contact helicopter services, (BTW, flown by absolutely crazy VN vets, Tsap) ----and all had blades scoured down to the metal (sort of a dull aluminum sheen) from the ash kicked up in take offs and landings. These crazy ass guys had a refueling station cut out of the wilderness-------no access in or out except by air... and on one of the sheds was a tail rotor scoured all the way through ---- those guys must have flown hundreds of hours, knowing full well the situation before they finally replaced it..