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Don't Watch This Video if Bumpy Airplane Landings Freak You Out

January 10, 2012 at 5:05 PM | by | Comment (1)

There's been a truly amazing video hitting the rounds of #avgeeks on the internet this week and we couldn't resist sharing it as well.

The above video is a little more than 9 minutes of aircraft landing and taking off from Germany's Düsseldorf Airport during a storm, which brought with it some serious wind conditions. The crosswind landings are successfully executed by pilots from a range of airlines, excepting Condor, who had to make a second try at it.

Only uploaded a few days ago, the video from Cargospotter has already garnered over 67,000 views on YouTube, and for good reason; the HD quality and freedom from an annoying soundtrack are awesome. And, while we've never experienced landing in such severe crosswinds as this (and hope we never do), we have been to DUS and can say that, ordinarily, it's not a dangerous airport at all. Until you throw a storm into the game.

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There's a New Volcano to Worry About, and This Time It's in the USA

January 3, 2012 at 9:37 AM | by | Comments (0)

As you know we’re still in the first week of the new year, but there’s already a brand new volcano—complete with ash-cloud potential—getting ready to wreak havoc on air travel. Unlike the volcanoes over in Europe or down in South America, this one’s a little closer to home, and it’s a heck of a lot easier to pronounce.

Mount Cleveland—just rolls off the tongue—is located within the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, and scientists believe that it’s getting ready to celebrate 2012 by starting to shake, rattle, and roll. Just over a week ago there was a little volcano hiccup that sent a whole bunch of ash and other particulate into the skies, but things quickly dissipated and flights weren’t really affected. The concern still remains, as the tippy top of the volcano is right in the way of one of the main commercial flight paths between North America and Asia.

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What a Weekend! Updates on Qantas, Air France and the Freak Thundersnowstorm

October 31, 2011 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Wow. This last weekend was not commercial aviation's finest hour whatsoever. In fact, one could say it was a farce! Three events contributed to the stranding of thousands of travelers and the cancellations of flights originating from places as wide-ranging as Australia and Hartford, CT.

Today, air traffic should be running more smoothly, and here's the latest updates on each situation:

· The Qantas shutdown: Confrontations between the Australian airline and its labor unions reached such a level that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce shut down all Qantas mainline flight operations on Saturday, shutting out employees. Passengers boarding onto Qantas planes at the time were told to return to the terminal, and other airlines (mainly V Australia, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Air New Zealand) mobilized to run extra planes, special routes and limited pricing to essentially rescue the stranded.

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Hurricane Rina Heads for Cancun, Cuba

Where: Mexico
October 26, 2011 at 5:25 PM | by | Comments (2)

Update 10/27: Good news! Hurricane Rina should be downgraded to a Tropical Storm and will likely only make it as far as Cuba. Nonetheless, the projected path continues to change. Follow updates here.

Just in case you don't instinctively flip to the Weather Channel during TV commercial breaks, we should tell you that this weekend is probably not the best time to be vacationing in Cancun, the rest of the Riviera Maya, and even in the Florida Keys as Hurricane Rina bears down on the vacation destinations.

As a result of the impending arrival of 80-40mph winds and potentially damaging Category 2 hurricane, cruise ships in the area have shifted their routes and airlines are offering rebooking for those traveling into the storm. An example is JetBlue, who have the alert clearly stated at the top of their website, and the full rebooking details here.

The worst of the storm is due to land on Cozumel and Cancun tomorrow, while it'll take until the weekend to dampen the Florida Keys* (see update above). Thankfully it's only a Category 2 (for now), so tourists already enjoying the sun and who don't mind weather disruptions, shouldn't be worried for their lives. The real threat is to those still planning on travel during the storm days, as they'll likely just end up sleeping on airport floors.

[Photo: Weather Channel]

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There's Another Iceland Volcano to Worry About This Winter

Where: Iceland
October 18, 2011 at 9:04 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you remember back to the not that long ago time known as yesterday, we mentioned how there’s one of those pesky volcanoes causing a little trouble on the bottom half of the earth. Well back up on the top half there might be some problems too, and once again we’re ready to blame Iceland.

At least this year it’ll be a little easier to pronounce and discuss, as the problem child is the Katla volcano. This pesky little sucker is located towards the country’s southern coastline, and unfortunately it’s much larger than the Eyjafjallajokul that we remember so well from last year. Some scientists even think that if Katla gets a little feisty that it could make last year’s ash problems seem small by comparison—oh boy.

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Uh Oh. Volcano Ash is Back and It's Upsetting Parts of South America

October 17, 2011 at 8:51 AM | by | Comments (0)

Here we go again, as it looks like there’s some volcanoes getting ready to wreck travel plans all over the globe. Something is already brewing again in Iceland—more on that tomorrow—but the latest stuff flying out of the earth is coming from south of the equator.

Chile's Puyehue volcano already caused trouble earlier this year, but its ash is now on the loose again and is messing up flights. Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires suspended pretty much all its flights on Sunday, as there was just too much darn particulate in the air to safely operate some jets.

Plenty of domestic flights were screwed up, but there were still some international routes available out of the city’s other airport.

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For a Quick Winter Warmer, Pop Over to...London? Yes, London

October 3, 2011 at 2:06 PM | by | Comments (0)


Autumn leaves and... suntans?

People, if ever there was a time when you should hop on a plane and fly over to the UK, now is it. Exhibit 1 (above): Clapham Common in London, on October 2.

Exhibit 2: Brighton beach, yesterday:


Exhibit 3: Hyde Park, this morning, that we took as we lay on the grass in a maxidress getting a sunburnt chest. Let’s say this again, it’s October 3.


Yep, the south of the UK is basking in a heatwave right now with temperatures hitting 86 over the weekend, and apparently 80.6 right now in London. Which means you get all the beauty of autumn – golden leaves falling around you, a little bit of wind to whisk them round your ankles – with bikini weather. Perfect, and perfectly unlike London.

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Chile's Puyehue Volcano Eruption Grounding Flights Across Australia and New Zealand

June 13, 2011 at 8:49 AM | by | Comments (0)

Well this is getting kind of tired. In March Big Ash Problems caused by erupting volcanoes grounding flights throughout Japan. Then in May it was Europe's turn, with the ash cloud from Iceland's Grimsvotn eruption disrupting air travel first in Scotland and then in other parts of the continent.

Now the Puyehue volcano in Chile has blown its top. First the ash cloud first wrecked havoc on Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Then over the weekend it traveled across the Pacific and shut down airports from Melbourne to New Zealand. With some flights still grounded indefinitely, 2011 is shaping up to be even worse than 2010, the year of vengeful air travel volcano gods.

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Scotland Cancels Flights Because of Grimsvotn Ash Cloud; Is Europe Next?

May 23, 2011 at 3:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

We've already caught you up on the pronunciation, location, and identification of Iceland's erupting Grimsvotn volcano, so all that's left is to start ticking off the airport closures.

When the volcano started erupting on Rapture Day, experts at EuroControl, the European air safety organization, predicted literally zero impact on European airspace. Greenland had to cancel flights and Iceland's Keflavik airport was closed over the weekend, but the rest of Europe was supposed to escape a repeat of the Big Ash problems from last year's Eyjafjallajokull eruption.

Scientists pointed out that winds were blowing north rather than south, that the ash was large and coarse rather than fine and pointed (it matters for jet engines), and that the clouds were so heavy that the ash would fall to the ground. Gunnar Gudmundsson, of Iceland's Meteorological Office, insisted that the eruption would not "shut down airports abroad." Not so much, it turns out.

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Know Your Erupting Icelandic Volcanoes: Grimsvotn 101

Where: Iceland
May 23, 2011 at 9:47 AM | by | Comment (1)

As you're probably already well aware, the Icelandic volcano that blew its top this weekend was one with which we're not yet on cursing terms. It's name is Grímsvötn, and it's not even neighbors with good ol' Eyjafjallajokull.

The good news is that the ash cloud isn't big enough to majorly threaten European air travel such as Eyjaf's did in 2010, and Iceland tourism is about to take off again. The bad news is that the ash cloud already closed Reykjavik's Keflavik Airport for a short period, canceling flights, and it could do the same in a small way to Scotland soon.

Now for the big three things you need to know about the volcanoes: Pronunciation, Location and Identification...

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Watch the F-4 Tornado Hit St. Louis-Lambert International Airport (Videos)

April 25, 2011 at 11:47 AM | by | Comments (0)

Talk about a tarmac delay. When the F-4 tornado swept through St. Louis, MO late Friday night, its 111-165 mph winds wreaking havoc on Lambert International Airport, there were still three planes full of passengers at their gates. Luckily airplanes are made for such high winds and no one was hurt—although those who experienced it say they were scared at experiencing turbulence while still on the ground.

Meanwhile, in the airport, things got dangerous very quickly. In the videos above and below, you can watch as the storm approaches and travelers gawk at the funnel cloud through the high, floor-to-ceiling airport windows. In the next moment, a mass of the same people are powerwalking away from the windows to talk shelter in baggage claim.

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Cessna Developing Airplane 'Condom' to Protect Planes from Lightning

April 13, 2011 at 8:45 AM | by | Comments (0)

Most airplanes that get you from here to there are designed to withstand all kind of fury from Mother Nature, including lightning strikes. Commercial planes have to meet all kind of weather-related requirements, but it looks like some new technology from Cessna could make it pretty easy to pass all the necessary tests.

The aircraft maker is developing some kind of a magical skin—or series of skins—to protect prototype planes from all kinds of bad stuff found high above the earth. NASA is eager to see what they can figure out, as they’re funding part of the project to create a new super futuristic airplane. They’re looking for something that can sip fuel, be whisper quiet, and not worry about whatever the weather is doing outside the cockpit.

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