Ash up your pipes

I'm glad that it looks like we're going to be able to re-open the airways tomorrow, even if it's not for all that long.
I'm more glad that no aircraft have fallen out of the sky.
I'm rather pissed off with the people saying that nothing happened so the precautions were excessive.
If someone plays Russian roulette and doesn't die, would you say there was no danger at the start or that they were lucky? Would you say "they were fine so I'll give it a go"?

There is ash in the atmosphere, it's nasty shit.
If you think I'm overstating that, consider that this is made of rock (generally between 0.1 and 1 mm but sometimes much bigger than that) that can rather damage windscreens and paintwork, not to mention potentially breaking the skin of the airframe; there's volcanic glass mixed in (more so in this case as the silicon dioxide makes up 58% of the tested ash at Lerwick) which can melt in the combustion stage of a jet engine and form a layer of glass over the insides of the engine (check Flight Global for images of what volcanic ash can do to the engine on a F-18) as well as the fact that the ash itself can build up on surfaces and stick, ruining airflow and making the aircraft somewhat heavier. Oh, and did I mention the sulphur? Yeah, it's sulphurous, too much of it and it becomes a danger to respiration, add water and it can become sulphuric acid, oh and it stinks!
Can be pretty though, the effects of the particles cause a static buildup that results in lightning at the volcano and St Elmos fire on the surface of aircraft flying through it. Cop yer whack at this:
from NASA for an indication.
More pictures (some amazing ones as well) from the Big Picture from the Boston Globe.

We've had recorded ash across the entire UK, you can't see it but it's there. Or at least you can't see it in the air but it becomes visible when it builds up on cars and other surfaces. We've seen this from Lerwick, Aberdeen, Boscombe, all across Devon and most of the south. They took samples from West Freugh in southwest Scotland and they found 2000 ft of ash at two different levels in the atmosphere today. Some parachute dudes found a couple of layers (they reported some weird visual effects and "a stinging sensation on the lips" as well as dark areas in the air) and before you say "but the BA and Lufthansa flights were OK", we knew that we don't know the exact areas of the ash, it's distribution or exact makeup so we knew there would be clear areas and not clear areas, the research flights that went up found both.
We had some satellites but they were obscured by higher cloud, our radar isn't good (expensive) enough to find the ash, we don't have enough actual weather balloons spread across country (or upwind - it's ocean, which isn't really conducive to weather balloons) to get detail of the atmosphere and our wind profiler/lidar network needs so much investment any political party that suggested funding it properly would be laughed off the stage. We do have some of the best observers and forecasters in the world, one of (if not the) best set of models in the world, although they could do with being a bit more flexible, which we could do with more funding and a bit more flexible approach. But we haven't had a situation like this crop up, we've no experience of this type of thing on this scale and it takes us time to get the required information. It might even take us a week.

I was asked "how much ash is too much, because I've heard there is no safe amount?" and I can't answer this because I'm not an engineer or a Rolls Royce specialist. They (Rolls-Royce) are saying you need to cover the aircraft, put them inside and don't turn on the engines. Preferably cover them with fine silks and satins. OK, I'm exaggerating slightly, but only a bit.

In the 1980s a couple of 747s hit ash clouds and had all their engines cut off. These clouds are one of the few things that can kill all the engines on a multi-engine aircraft within minutes. To clear the engines of the glass build-up you need to put LOTS of clean air through the engines which generally requires about 12000 ft of free-fall. Our ash layers were around 4000-8000 ft.

Yes, it's been an embuggerance for many, many people, our mail up here is stalled (the post is sent by aircraft then driven on), my girlfriend is stuck at Brize Norton until at least Thursday and we'd both rather she could have waited up here until she was needed, not to mention the financial implications and all the people stranded.
But let me put it this way, I would rather she spent ten years waiting at Brize rather than be in an aircraft that took the risk of flying through an ash cloud at 8000 ft and having the aircraft turn into a glider.

Have a look at this for more explanation.

Could different levels of reaction be used in the future? Yes.
Yes if we know the exact distribution of the ash.
Yes if we know the composition of the ash.
Yes if we know how fast it's being produced.
Yes if we know the winds at every 500 ft interval and the vertical motion of the air over the entire area of the ash cloud.

Until that point ask yourself if fire engines need to drive so fast to every call out, or if you want your doctor to take you seriously any time you have a sharp pain in your chest. Or would you rather the fire brigade assumed you were burning toast rather than stuck in a building, your doctor assumed you were over-reacting rather than see if it was an heart attack.
Are you happy with the airline assuming that they know best and that because "they didn't hit any ash areas" means "we won't hit any ash areas."
Or wait until we know more about the circumstances and can say "OK, we've had a check and we think this area is safe while this area isn't."
Even if it takes a week.

Or the volcano stops.

Drained

At work, regional guy went sick so I stepped up and took over the regional desk. Means I was working "above my level" again covering pretty much everything happening in Scotland. Actually not as bad a deal as it sounds, I've done a shift on the desk before, but this time I was also looking after the local stuff as well. Partly, this was a great challenge; partly this was a pain in the arse.
I like work that stretches me, which is part of the reason I went down to the Falklands, but conditions were grim. I ended up playing that plate balancing game of watching the weather, doing everything I could to keep the guys informed and try to find options for them. Isn't exactly difficult, it's just tiring.
I've just got home after a shift that lasted 12 and a half hours without proper break (my choice, so doesn't break the European time directive) and I'm on early shift tomorrow (which does). Again, my choice to do the early start, the other station forecaster offered to swap start times but I felt like holding the moral high ground.
Ended up riding home in a shower with wet roads kicking water all over, which wasn't all that much fun - the showers were due to finish an hour before I left but the low pressure went a bit too far north (gave us the stronger wind as well) and they continue now.
Doesn't help to get back to calls from banks, insurance agents and the like. There's a limit to how often I can say "no, I don't want to insure my house with you," or "yes, I sorted that out ten days ago, yes, with your company, yes it's on your records. Have a look, yes I'll wait.....yes, that's right, ten days ago. Yes. Goodbye."
On the plus side, it sounds like Obama is using Barlett's speech writer and the Prodigy are playing Rockness this year. Don't know if I'll be able to get tickets, or if Mr Obama will be able to carry out his plans, but I think he's got a chance.
But with the lack of better things to say I'll grab a bite to eat and hit the sack. Night all.

New Years Eve Eve.

Last year we (Tash, Chris and a few of Chris' relatives) were up around Loch Ness doing stuff. This year we thought we would head up to North Wales and do a two or three day jaunt on Calder Idris or something of the ilk. Just after Christmas Tash and Chris popped over and they (Chris especially) were looking grim. So we decided to bin the big walk but had plans to try a smaller hill for fun. We settled on Pen Y Fan, the highest hill in southern Wales. Neither Chris or myself had made it up, I'd almost got to the top with a Duke Of Edinburgh's group from uni but we (the supervisors) decided it was too windy to push right to the summit so we stacked early.
As it was, Chris was still too ill to join us so Tash, myself and her dad started off at 7 (which, given my love for mornings, is remarkable in itself), drove to the hill and walked up, starting boots wet at just gone 9.
It was cold and we were in cloud almost from the get go with about 50 m visibility, people heading down told us that the top was clagged in and frozen. I knew we were in an high pressure situation and was hoping that the inversion (where the temperature increases, the air dries out radically and the cloud is capped) would have been below the summit but ahh well. One fell runner passed us (still don't understand them) and many, many people, often with dogs.

It was cold enough that the dogs had ice eyebrows and my eyelashes froze together. We stopped for a break at the subsidiary top then carried on to the summit, at which point, things changed.
Just as we got to the summit the inversion dropped to our level, the temperature started to increase, the visibility increased to about 60 km and the cloud cleared. I'd never managed to be above the clouds like this before and the beauty was just sodding jaw dropping!

Apart from a "little" navigational mistake involving two paths and 20 minutes extra walking we made it down comfortably although there were SOOOO many people on the hill. Seriously, there must have been a couple of hundred people on the paths that day. Chris would have absolutely hated that part of the walk.
Next day being NYE I drove up to Tash and Chris', about 320 miles including about 1.5 or 2 hours stationary in a traffic jam on the M6. They were both still ill so I saw in the New Year with the cats and a few beers. Shame I couldn't make it down to London when Tris called, that would have been epic! I think next year I'll hit a city/biggish town for the parties. Might be working for Christmas, but if I am I'm going to bounce over to Inverness for Hogmany. Might be elsewhere, but we'll see what happens, neh?
So now I'm back home, with at least one of the viruses I've been exposed to making life less than pleasant at the moment and my bank still being a general arse and it's back to work tomorrow on an early shift. Still need to sort out a new bed (falling onto the bed while drunk shouldn't lead to a collapse of such disastrous proportions!) and still some unpacking to do but it's good to be home. And the fish survived, which is nice.

Tiny bit tipsy

Watching Bones, the new season on Sky, and a couple of things strike me, aside from the fact I've had a very nice bottle of wine (thank you Tesco) and a bit of a Martini-type drink (I'm using more vermouth than is standard). The series has about 12 producers/executive/assistant producers, two of them are the main characters and one is Kathy Reichs, upon whose books and life the series is modelled, but even so, 12! That's a bit over the top!
The reason I've had a drink or two on a week night is that I've just finish a shift pattern from hell. From Sunday night until 8 o'clock this morning I've been on a nominal 12 on 12 off pattern, except the two shift where I had to do 14 or 15 hours when the next guy couldn't get in on time. Not his fault, illness and planned activities related. Now I'm relaxing and enjoying the new season. My next comment may be a bit controversial, but I prefer the series to the books, although I've only read the first book, maybe the later ones are better, I'll have to find out.
I'm rambling, but I'm happy.
BTW, weekend looks a bit grotty (just showers in the south) and Monday could see a return to wintry showers as far south as Birmingham, but don't tell anyone I told you so!

And I've just found out that Martini's aren't improved by using Rossi. Although American Dad is always good.

But more importantly I've just realised that I'm going to miss out on my niece's life. I'm her uncle and I'm not going to be there. I know her mum and dad will be there for anything she needs but I think an uncle near-by, or at least reachable, is important. When Ellen was born Matt seemed a bit hesitant about the fact I wouldn't be a god-parent, but as I said at the time, I'm faimily, and I believe that god-parents shouldn't be family; but we should be available for the child. So when she gets older, I'm going to have to have to make sure she's got my number, just in case something comes up that she's not happy talking to her mum and dad about.
Having said that, she's three now, so I've got a bit of time, I hope....

Sometimes you see the most when you can't see what you're looking for.

At nights, like most forecasters, I’m alone in the office so I have to do the observations for cloud, visibility and anything else significant that the computer can’t pick up.
Once an hour I go outside and look for clouds. This is one of the few times that I like it when I can’t find what I’m looking for.

That's about it, had a mare of a night shift on Sunday when the communications died, and another (extra) on Monday night when I had to go to Kinloss to produce everything then drive it back to put it on our network, and have to wait an extra couple of days before I can get any fish for my bowl. Oh yeah, and got an expensive bill for getting the last bit of exhaust fixed on my car. Okay, admittedly when I say the last bit, I mean that the last bit fell off and it'll cost me much to get fixed but meh, do it up and sell it I think; supermini city car not quite what I need these days.

Weather music

I’ve been thinking about weather music, or, to put it another way, music that refers to the weather. Mainly as I’ve been thinking about putting together a playlist of met songs. With a bit of google and wikipedia, I’ve found some good ones. Note the "good" bit there, it’s relative, but there will be NO sodding "raining men!" B*Witched is in for the drunken memory of the drunken rendition in the mess.
Some examples, The Orb – "Little fluffy clouds," Guns ‘N Roses "November Rain," Berri "Sunshine after the rain," Metalica "Ride the Lightning!" Jimi Hendrix "Wind cries Mary," Dylan "Blowin’ in the wind," Feeder "seven days in the sun," Rolling Stones "Get off my cloud," Len "Steal my sunshine." B*Witched "Blame it on the weatherman," (the one they made me sing in the mess!) Eurythmics "Here comes the rain again," Garbage "Only happy when it rains," Zoe "Sunshine on a rainy day," RHCP "Snow (Hey Oh)," Doors "Riders on the storm," Soundgarden’s "Black hole Sun," Bill Withers "Ain’t no sunshine," Smashmouth "Walking on the sun," "Over the rainbow" – either the Eva Cassidy or the Israel Kamakawiwo’ole versions.
So here's the thing, I think I need more. Good ones, just because a song has a reference to the weather isn't good enough, it has to be a song you would choose to listen to normally.
Suggestions please.

New Year, or "Arrrgggghhhhhh!"

But at least I didn't have an hangover...
To expand. This Christmas I've driven over 1500 miles to spend Christmas itself with my family then hoofed it back up to Scotland to be with a couple of friends (I'll call them T and C) over New Year. We'd made plans to go walking/camping over New Year's itself, which we duly did. Up to the Cairngorms on a route called the Minigaig. The group consisted of myself, T, C and the dog, Rossi. We had to drop one car at the end and one at the beginning (Dear Daihatsu, I bought a city car from you, you'll never guess what I've been doing with it...) so by the time we were walking we ended up being faced with the choice, carry on walking to the bothy (stone hut usually open but basic) which we weren't sure was there or open so as the weather was coming in and sunset wasn't far away we decided to find a good spot and camp for the night, possibly reassessing the plan once we'd had some scran.
We camped, cooked and got into our bags, hell we were pretty much asleep by 6, after having a few wee drams each from the booze we'd carried in. Did I mention the fact that it's the middle of sodding winter and we were all carrying close our limits in safety kit and supplies? Well, I have now.
C's tent is a Lightwave 2 XT, which is a big two person tent. Three of us could sleep in relative comfort, with the dog it was a bit more of a squeeze. The porch area is a great size, it's big enough for all of our kit and it holds up in poor conditions rather well.
After a couple of hours kip we were woken up by a bit of wind. I say a bit of wind, there was a trough passing over head which means showers and strong winds. I would put the winds at about 50-60 KT, which is around 55-68 mph. The tent was great, we were a touch nervous. By which I mean bricking it. Nasty though the idea was we were all thinking about worst case scenarios, if the tent failed what would we do. None of the options were particularly attractive. Fortunately, the tent held and after 2300 (11 pm) the wind eased somewhat but was still strong. We knew we would have to walk over a high plateau the next day in very strong winds, and the weather was turning showery with a definite blizzard potential so we decided to have breakfast the next day and then walk back. I'm bloody glad we did. Not only was the kit soaked (although my kit did all I could ask of it), but the snow showers hit us as we were driving back, the wind did what we expected and we were all a bit out of shape.
So we did spend New Year's Eve on the hill, drinking and praying that the tent would hold (well, I was) and then we walked out the next day. This left us with a few days to fill. So we did what anyone else would do, we all slept in (except T, she had to go to work on the 3rd) and C and I went snowboarding at the indoor snow slope in Glasgow. It's pricey but good, there's one at Milton Keynes and another at Castleford. Was good to find out that I can still board, even though ever time I tried to turn heel to toe edge on the steeper slope I stacked, usually at the top in front of everyone. Ho hum.
After leaving my friends further south I had to transport more of my kit back to the mess. My little car holds a surprising amount of stuff. C was amazed I think (Dear Daihatsu...). Now in my room I have bows and arrows, diving, climbing, snowboarding, walking/camping and mountainbiking kit. And two of what I believe to be some of the best coffee table books around. These are "100 Suns," a book about nuclear explosions (hey, I did physics and I'm a geek) and Banksey's book "Wall and Piece." I disagree with his politics and his methods but I do love some of his work. All I need now is a coffee table.

Oh and it turns out that you can get the nagging GPS patch, and does say things like "You NEVER listen!" Legend.