VFR flights allowed again

Well, it seems the powers that be are finally relaxing the rules after having realised that the ash cloud will not affect VFR flights. 

KLM sent up a 737 on Saturday evening and flew up to FL041 (41,000 ft) and came back with no reported problems. Likewise Lufthansa have sent up two flights from Frankfurt to Munich and back and also reported nothing untoward going on, so the pressure is on Eurocontrol to re-open the airspace across Europe.

My only concern now is that the gorgeous weather remains long enough for us to go flying this Sunday. Plan is to have a fly-in BBQ again at Lelystad and take two groups of friends up to find the tulip fields.

Fingers crossed

Below is the NOTAM update with the VFR restrictions being revoked

A0471/10 - DUE TO VOLCANIC ACTIVITY IN ICELAND AND THE 

RESULTING ASHCLOUDS IN THE AMSTERDAM FIR, ALL IFR 

OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED. 
VFR FLIGHTS ARE ALLOWED AT OWN DISCRETION. 
IN ADDITION OF NORMAL APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND RULES, 

PASSENGERS TRANSPORT IS ONLY ALLOWED IF THE FOLLOWING 

RULES ARE ADHERED TO:
1)9 OR LESS PAX SEATS IN THE AIRCRAFT, 2) MAX TKOF WEIGHT 

5700KG OR LESS. 

AFTER COMPLETING EACH VFR FLIGHT A PILOT REPORT SHOULD 

BE FILED IMMEDIATLY TO VULKAAN(AT)KNMI.NL CONTAINING 

FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
ROUTE, ALTITUDE, DATE AND TIME OF FLIGHT IN LOCAL TIME, 

OBSERVATIONS REGARDING (ASH)CLOUDS. EVEN WHEN NO 

OBSERVATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE A PILOT REPORT IS MANDATORY. 

WHEN EMAIL IS NOT AVBL A PILOT REPORT CAN BE MADE TO 

LOCAL ATC BY RADIO OR AIRPORT AUTHORITY. 

ALSO, CAA-NL STATES THE PITOT TUBE SHOULD BE CHECKED 

CAREFULLY BEFORE AND AFTER EACH FLIGHT AND ALSO INCREASED 

MONITORING OF FLIGHT SPEED AND HEIGHT INDICATION AND 

WINDSCREEN TRANSPARENCY DURING FLIGHT IN THE RISK
AREA.