The impressive footage in this post features an airbus A400M Atlas from RAF Brize Norton making a rare visit to Pembrey sands in Wales to conduct “natural surfaces operations.”
Filmed by our friend Dafydd Phillips on Jul. 14, 2020, the impressive video in this post features an Airbus A400M Atlas from RAF Brize Norton making a rare visit to Pembrey sands in Wales to conduct “natural surfaces operations.”
As Phillips explains “With the weather being wet prior to the aircraft arrival the pilot conducted some low approaches then some touch and go’s before the all clear to land the 76-tonne aircraft on the beach.”
The A400M Atlas combines the capability to carry strategic loads with the ability to deliver even into tactical locations with small and unprepared airstrips and can act as a frontline-tanker.
Moreover, the A400M is the only large airlifter that can fly heavy and outsize equipment directly to the point of need, able to land virtually everywhere. The A400M is designed to operate efficiently from austere airfields, with unpaved airstrips, short runways, limited space for parking or manoeuvring and no ground facilities – conditions that present severe constraints for any tactical airlifter.
The A400M is able to land on and take-off from any short, soft and rough unprepared CBR 6 (pavement classification) airstrip under 750 m/2,500 ft, while delivering up to 25 tonnes/55,000 lb of payload and with enough fuel on board for a 930 km/500 nm return trip.
Photo credit: Dafydd Phillips
