Dutch airline officials have scheduled several test flights to ascertain the danger of flying in the volcanic ash clouds drifting east from Iceland. Air France, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines joined the low altitude experiments and their corporate executives have suggested that normal flight schedules might be resumed in the coming week. Government officials are more cautious about allowing travel at higher cruising altitudes of 25000-35000 feet with the increased exposure to the silica dust from the distant volcano. Travelers stuck in airports and foreign cities have expressed their concern, but living like a stateless refugee have the maroonees itching to take the risk.
Ronald Reagan was faced with a similar decision on whether to launch the Space Shuttle Challenge on Jan. 28, 1986. The rockets were ready for the count-down on several earlier occasions, but were delayed for weather, a broken door latch, and finally to allow VP George Bush to join the President on the stand on Cape Kennedy. The last postponement pushed the launch into the lower safety parameters for NASA engineers, as the weather dropped to near-freezing. The management of the booster rockets convinced President Reagan that the O-ring seals would hold during lift-off. Old Dutch believed them, but their hunch was wrong.
The Space Shuttle disintegrated 76 seconds into its flight.
Death was not instantaneous for the crew and neither will it be not any 747s flaming out in the upper atmosphere. They will have time to sing all the words to EIGHT MILES HIGH if they can regain some calm from the panic of facing certain death.
"There is currently no consensus as to what consists an acceptable level of ash in the atmosphere."
These words came from a spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency.
He is a doctor of something.
Maybe he's right, but I'm not getting in a plane to Europe.
Mostly because I'm heading to the Orient.
Where the only danger is beer and motorcycles and the love of my Mam.
No comments:
Post a Comment