Chilean Volcanic Ash Cloud

[Brock Little]

The Cordón Caulle Volcano in the Andes mountain range in Chile as you all have seen on TV or other media outlets has erupted, and its ash cloud has started to affect domestic and international Australian & New Zealand flights. Yesterday QF63 had to make a tech stop in Perth due to this ash cloud, and LAN and Aerolineas Argentinas flights have been severely delayed as well.

Today, JQ731 and 732 OOL-HBA-OOL have been cancelled, as the ash cloud is expected to be over Tasmania by noon today.

The Bureau of Meteorology has a regularly updated map of where the ash cloud is, in the Darwin VAAC area: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDD65290.shtml

The Wellington VAAC also shows the ash cloud over South Island in New Zealand here: http://vaac.metservice.com/vag/1507-141-2011_8

Hopefully we won't see this affecting alot of flights in our airspace!

[Jaryd stock]

ABC news has just reported that All QF flights to Tasmania are canceled. JQ, VA have not decided yet if there going to cancel flights.

[David Ramsay]

It has been interesting to watch the tracks that trans Tasman a/c have been taking today.

Both QF and NZ have flown tracks well north of normal. YSSY-NZWN flights have taken the normal YSSY-NZAA track as far as 200 DME NZAA then tracked to NZWN. An earlier NZCH-YSSY flight tracked to 200 DME NZAA on the NZAA-YSSY track and then joined it.

NZ175 NZAA-YPPH is tracking via YSSY. It normally tracks south of YMML.

However two SQ flights, NZAA-WSSS and NZCH-WSSS, are both tracking via YMML. SQ286 (NZAA-WSSS) normally tracks via YSSY or nearby.

[Andrew Somers]

Qantas have cancelled all flights out of Melbourne today that depart after 6pm

[David Ramsay]

JQ have cancelled all domestic flights within New Zealand today. NZ are still flying. There was a very arrogant sounding QF/JQ spokesperson on radio not long ago stating that other airlines may take the risk of flying under the ash cloud but QF and JQ will not.

I just noticed QF17 (YSSY-SAEZ) tracked north of LHI and then over the very northern part of New Zealand, currently about 300 miles east of NZAA.

[Brock Little]

Just saw on the news that JQ have now decided to cancel all flights out of MEL from 6pm tonight too.

[Gerald D]

Notice this morning ANZ501 AKL-CHC flying at 18000ft!

[David Ramsay]

SQ282 departed NZAA last night for WSSS requesting FL180.

More ignorant media reporting (not related to above) ...

The cloud was circulating above 6100m, meaning most planes could avoid danger by flying lower than normal.

A 737 will usually operate at about 23,000ft (7000m) so they will be able to fly but they will use more gas.

[Adam.S]

Originally Posted by Gerald D

Notice this morning ANZ501 AKL-CHC flying at 18000ft!

Last night's EK407, Auckland-Melbourne flight flew into MEL on what looked to be the normal MEL-AKL flight path however flying at 18,000ft also.

The few other flights into Melbourne from New Zealand yesterday and this morning are using a more northern flight path, entering/exiting the Australian coastline over Wollongong.

[Andrew Coggan]

VH-VOW is cruising at FL170 on a MEL-SYD run, just crossing the border now. But VH-VBY has just departed MEL for a MEL-SYD flight and its climbing through FL295 just overhead Bonnie Doon.