Kaboom!

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki spews volcanic materials into the air during an eruption, in Maumere, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 [AP]

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki

Shiveluch Volcano

Shiveluch Volcano

Volcano erupts on Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. NASA tells us why we care:

At least 60 large eruptions have occurred during the last 10,000 years; the largest historical eruptions were in 1854 and 1964. Because Kamchatka is located along the major aircraft routes between North America/Europe and the Far East, this area is constantly monitored for potential ash hazards to aircraft.

This eruption seems to be pretty big, ash has been spread over 40,000 square miles and is as much as five inches deep in some places.

Russia

This image makes it look much worse that it really is. This place is still covered with snow, so what we see here is just a layer of ash on top of snowdrifts.

Airplanes

Deicing an Airbus A300 at Appleton (Wisconsin) International during a heavy wet January snow storm.Top Beacon light gives "effect".

Airliner skimming the surface of the moon

Austrian Air Force Saab J35Oe Draken

B-25 bombers fly over Mount Vesuvius in Italy while it erupts in March 1944 during the Italian Campaign of World War II. Colorised.

September 19, 1962. Plot George Aird ejects from his English Electric Lightning. Photo by Jim Mead.

ASN Aircraft accident 13-SEP-1962 English Electric Lightning F1 XG332

Whilst carrying out a demonstration flight, there was a fire in the aircraft’s reheat zone. Un-burnt fuel in the rear fuselage had been ignited by a small crack in the jet pipe and had weakened the tailplane actuator anchorage. This weakened the tailplane control system which failed with the aircraft at 100 feet on final approach.

I came these across while skimming items on feedly. Failed to note where they came from.

Flying Horses

Ash and smoke from Popocatepetl volcano seen from Puebla, central Mexico

A KLM flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City turned back because of a volcanic eruption near Mexico City. You may remember when all flights over Europe were shut down a few years ago because of a volcano erupting in Iceland.

Eleven hour flight to nowhere

This one made the news because the flight was already over North America when they turned back which meant the passengers enjoyed an eleven hour flight to nowhere. You might think they could have landed in New York or some other big airport (I certainly did), but when you compare the inevitable hotel bills and the hassles with immigration with the actual cost of the flying the airplane, maybe turning around makes sense. Then you add in horses and all of sudden I have no idea.

Flying Horses

Seems they had a big cargo of horses as well as humans.

KLM Boeing 747-400 Combi Floor Plan

Mobil Oil Flying Horse Logo

If you remember ever seeing this sign on your local gas station, you might be old.

P.S. The Prague Zoo is flying horses to Mongolia. I do not know why.

Via Flight Aware

Volcanic Lighting

A lightning storm collided with an erupting stream of lava at Sakurajima Volcano in Japan. Photographer Martin Rietze.

Update December 2019 replaced dead Picasa slideshow with image and link.