Slashdot Mirror
Was Flight Ban Over Ash an Overreaction?
HaymarketRiot writes "Richard Branson has claimed that the flight ban, due to the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull, was an overreaction on the part of the authorities. Britain's government has even called for the airlines to be compensated. This does look like a perfect excuse for already greedy airlines to try and get more money ... any experts care to comment on the effect of volcanic ash on planes?"
this could not have ended well. 1982 & 1989 747 - all 4 engines shut down. Last week Finnish F-18 - major engine damage. This stuff does kill an engine.
But from the few risky flights last week...no crash. Just like a drunk driver. "Hey..I didn't crash!" (this time)
If the airlines had been allowed to fly, and there was just one instance of an engine shutting down, there would have been lawsuits all over.
Money really is more important than human life.
Back in the 80's, a KLM flight flew into the ash plume of Mt Redoubt near Anchorage Alaska. It fell from 25,000 to 12,000 feet before the pilots were able to restart the engines and make a safe landing in Anchorage. They were extremely lucky. Volcanic ash is an abrasive and nearly destroyed the engines on that plane.
Better to error on the side of caution than to have to scrape up the remains of a plane crash with all lives lost.
Richard Branson believes he should be compensated for losses caused by an act of god? What a pretentious dick!
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself." Mark Twain