http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

would be a good time for BA staff to go back on strike to minimise passenger disruption…

I think British Airways learnt enough from the Flight 9 incident in 1982 when they unknowningly flew into volcanic ash and all 4 engines off the 747 shut down. Brown trousers a plenty.

'whats that cloud up ahead???'

uh oh…

it did prove that a 747 has a relatively benign glide path, though.

Yay! No more Australians arriving for a few days!

It's all a ploy. They're trying to get us to let them off the debt. Stand firm!! And give us back our cod!!! *shuffles off dribbling + rustling a Daily Mail*

Nah – the ash is just a decoy – it's the attack of the lizard people – don't say you weren't warned! Quick everyone, grab those tin foil helmets and you'll be as safe as me

Can anyone provide a radar link that shows this "cloud"

aberdeen this morning.

the bloke on Radio 4 this morning said that it wasn't visible to the naked eye but because the particles were so abrasive they didn't want aircraft ingesting them.

Serious risk to aircraft? Then how did the Beeb film that video?

BA Flight 9

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them under control. I trust you are not in too much distress.

Aberdeen? well still looks grey and miserable – so no change there then… 😆

he's a bit of a card that Moody, the landing;

"a bit like negotiating one's way up a badger's arse".

3-5K up apparently. Would be interesting to see evidence of it.

Hopefully most non military planes have "benign glide paths"?

Sky News have reported a cloud of dust has closed UK airports. Police have arrested the Emirates trophy cabinet cleaners in connection with the incident.

+1 hainey! An amazing story.

was expecting my family home today but not looking likely now. 🙁

Serious risk to aircraft? Then how did the Beeb film that video?

Because thats filmed at ground level, looking at a small dense cloud (which you cant fly into). Make that cloud several hundred miles accross and it susddenly becomes a lot harder to fly anywhere near it?

guys before you get carried away arguing. that aint aberdeen.

really?

Oh.

Yep. Aberdeen generally looks a bit more grim.

Should maybe see some interesting sunsets if its clear enough.

Take a look at this: http://www.radarvirtuel.com/

*looks out of window*

it doesn't look that crowded over the Sussex coast.

Er….where's the cloud? 😆

Cool link Andy, cheers!

Those cheeky Bjorkers, trying to pay us back in dust 🙄

Andy's link is forbidden – what's that all about?

plant… they've probably run out of bandwidth as I would imagine an awful lot of people have been looking at sites like that today..

Either that or [\tinfoil hat mode on] that site has only just come to the attention of the authorities and the black helicopters have swooped in to shut them down[\tinfoil hat mode off].

I'm stapling milk bottle tops to my skull as a write.

clear skies on the sussex coast and not a condensation trail in sight.

all the people making historic dramas must be rushing to get their outdoor shots done…

Best thing i heard today was them banging on about it on the NZ radio and some bloke (didn;t catch who or what he was representing) said "Who cares ? I mean, its not really that important that flights to and from that area can;t get to NZ lets just enjoy a few days of relative calm". I laughed. The bloke from TourismNZ was having an aneurism about 'lost revenue' and how unfair it all was blah blah. Its like all natural phenonomenomonomomoms – nowt you can do about it so just relax!

No more Australians arriving for a few days!

Yeah, but we can't send home the ones who are already here.

I live under Heathrow flight path…. this is bliss

I'm currently in Washington at a conference and there are a lot of stressed people who can't fly home.

I'm stuck in Goteborg and it doesn't look like I'll be going home today 🙁