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Hi guys, I just wanted to share with you some events from the above mentioned flight that may be of interest.
When we arrived at our aircraft, Boeing 767-338(ER) VH-OGT, after flight planning we were advised that a volcano had just started erupting near our air route North of Papua New Guinea. The previous day an earthquake had shaken Japan so the 'Rim of Fire' was again active. After some deliberation it was decided we would still track via our planned airway, but 4,000kg of extra fuel would be loaded to allow diversion around the area if it became necessary. The Volcanic Ash Advisory for Manam had the plume heading North-east up to 20,000'.
Once airborne we were advised by Brisbane Center that the VAA had been extended up to 50,000'. Moresby Center advised that the two previous aircraft on our airway did not require diversion so we passed Manam at a safe distance. This is the best shot I could get from so far away:
The other benefit of the planned airway is that it passes over 'Butterfly Island', a favourite of the Japanese that is associated with good luck:
It is incredibly beautiful and is often shrouded in cloud, so we were lucky!
The rest of the flight was uneventful. The next morning our hotel in Narita was shaken by an aftershock at 6:30am and we flew out that night. As visual contact with the ash plume is not possible at night we were planned over Gurney in the far East of PNG before doglegging back to Cairns, an extra twenty minutes flying time. As BA and KLM have taught us volcanic ash is not to be messed with!
Cheers!
When we arrived at our aircraft, Boeing 767-338(ER) VH-OGT, after flight planning we were advised that a volcano had just started erupting near our air route North of Papua New Guinea. The previous day an earthquake had shaken Japan so the 'Rim of Fire' was again active. After some deliberation it was decided we would still track via our planned airway, but 4,000kg of extra fuel would be loaded to allow diversion around the area if it became necessary. The Volcanic Ash Advisory for Manam had the plume heading North-east up to 20,000'.
Once airborne we were advised by Brisbane Center that the VAA had been extended up to 50,000'. Moresby Center advised that the two previous aircraft on our airway did not require diversion so we passed Manam at a safe distance. This is the best shot I could get from so far away:
The other benefit of the planned airway is that it passes over 'Butterfly Island', a favourite of the Japanese that is associated with good luck:
It is incredibly beautiful and is often shrouded in cloud, so we were lucky!
The rest of the flight was uneventful. The next morning our hotel in Narita was shaken by an aftershock at 6:30am and we flew out that night. As visual contact with the ash plume is not possible at night we were planned over Gurney in the far East of PNG before doglegging back to Cairns, an extra twenty minutes flying time. As BA and KLM have taught us volcanic ash is not to be messed with!
Cheers!
That island is awesome 
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