to be really irritated by interviewees on the news moaning about flight disruption?

[kitcat1977]

It's not fair because ...

'... We're supposed to be going on holiday without the children for the first time.'

'... It's my birthday.'

'...I was supposed to be meeting Michelle Obama.'

OK, only half listening so probably misquoted, but that seemed to be the general jist.

So farking what? It's a volcanic cloud, whaddayawanna do about it?!!

of course it's annoying but I actually heard a woman on Jeremy Vine who said she was waiting in a ferry port 'with all the other air disaster refugees'.

Air Disaster?

Refugees?

seriously, get a life lady!

That would be Mrs "I am using overblown metaphors to try to get on the telly" would it?

kitcat1977 - "There was also a bloke moaning that he should be allowed to fly south. Er, why?!"

On Thursday (I think) there were some flights going south from southernmost airports (Exeter or Eastleigh, near Southampton) and a few departures going west from Scotland, as there must have been some routes clear of ash, at least up to 10,000 feet.

frasersmummy - "... the seaplane flies right over our house" ...and something like "could the other planes fly at lower altitudes"

Not sure what altitude the seaplanes go up to, but they're turbo-prop aren't they? Presumably their engines don't generate the same heat as the jets, and they could stay lower unless needing to clear mountains.

Apparently (research papers online) jet engines are far more efficient at high altitudes, because expansion of the hot air is greater (generating the thrust).

So at low altitudes, a jet may burn too much fuel to safely reach USA/Canada, and going to Europe wasn't an option from Scotland if there was risk of ash reaching lower levels.

I was surprised to see the planes at airports had their engines sealed with plastic sheeting to stop ash getting in.

I feel sorry for those who will miss once in a lifetime opportunities and have no other way of getting to their destination other than by plane. I have less sympathy for those stranded who can get to/from destination by other means but make no effort to actually do anything about it.

YANBU. Why this strange fetish of the news channels to want to debase the credible science, business and academic experts discussing an aviation safety issue, a dangerous situation for Europe's economy and a fascinating natural calamity, by interviewing some greasy trollops who are disappointed their hen's night in Malaga has to be cancelled?

YANBU. I don't blame people for being peed off, but I do blame the media for reporting it as news. It's hardly ground-breaking insights is it?

WebDude...

Other reasons commercial aircraft are required to fly at altitude are that there is vastly less turbulence once you get above the clouds (any half-frequent passenger will have noticed this), and if something does go horribly wrong with the aircraft, there is about half an hour of gliding time to fix the problem

Trillian Fantastic news! What a funny coincidence - she's one of my favourite posters. I'm glad she managed to get a berth - I kept hearing that all the boats were fully booked although perhaps that was the usual suspects (Dover-Calais).

Snobear4000 thanks for that. Had heard one of the crew from the 1982 incident over Indonesia, saying that after all 4 engines had stopped they went from 35,000 feet to 12,000 feet, and had been able to start some of the engines and pull out of the 'dive' after they'd gone down to 15,000 feet.

It's easy to see that they need as much height as possible to allow for some degree of gliding (given the wings and tail fins alone are incapable of keeping the plane in the air, unlike a true glider).

Had not thought of the turbulence aspect (10+ years since I've flown, even though I went up and down the USA West Coast in the second half of the 90s with one holiday trip from the UK each year, and then onward trips to/from LAX, SFO and down to San Diego one year), so not a "frequent flyer".

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skihorse on Friday one of the "usual suspects" (P+O) said that instead of about 3,000 calls, their call centre had 30,000+ which was the busiest day ever.