Posted on 08/08/2025 7:47:09 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Airbus A400M Atlas isn't your typical passenger plane
An unusual-looking military aircraft has been flying over California this past month, baffling spectators who say they witnessed it from the ground in the Bay Area.
According to Flightradar24 records, the aircraft, an Airbus A400M Atlas, is part of the United Kingdom’s air force and has been flying out of Oceanside, Blythe and Yuma airports for the past several days. Two weeks ago, several people said they saw an A400 flying low by Morro Bay, while another said it passed over Cupertino.
This strategic military aircraft isn’t your typical passenger plane, either.
Often transporting heavy-duty equipment like armored vehicles, helicopters and humanitarian aid, the four-engine airlifter is uniquely capable of carrying outsize heavy loads over long distances, as well as descending on unpaved landing strips that are inaccessible to traditional jet-engine airlifters. It’s also equipped to survive conflict zones: Its bullet-resistant windscreens and armored cockpit, as well as its defensive flares, make it a challenging target.
However, the UK aircraft is likely circling America’s skies for far more mundane reasons.
In 2023, the Paso Robles Press reported the British military had been using Fort Hunter Liggett, a military base just outside the town, for parachute training. At the time, a British air force squadron leader told the outlet that the area provided the perfect terrain for challenging troopers.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Aviation Ping!....................
Aviation Ping!....................
I’ve heard of these planes. They’re like a C-130 only bigger.
Picking up avocados.
Holy crap!
Unusual? A Euro style C130. Probably nothing more than some joint training mission. This certainly does not inspire any conspiracy theories.
I believe I saw this aircraft flying out of Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona yesterday. It was at some distance from me so, indeed, I thought it might be a C-130.
Why do they call it “Airborne” when the whole purpose is to hit the ground without getting killed in the process? ..............
Humanitarian evacuations out of California to Arizona.
Do you have a link for that? Or, did you forget your /s tag?
Thx.
The Airbus A400M Atlas is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military, now Airbus Defence and Space, as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
The A400M is sized between the C-130 and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. It can carry heavier loads than the C-130 and can use rough landing strips. In addition to its transport capabilities, the A400M can perform aerial refueling and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment.
The A400M's maiden flight took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville Airport, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support for the project. A total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification and the first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.
California and Arizona are about to be invaded by Britain! The bastards! /s
Borne=carried or transported by the thing specified.
Air—borne.
A good friend of mine dropped into the Falklands.
Looks like a C-141 Starlifter with props
“The A400M is sized between the C-130 and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.”
They weren’t proud in their assessment of size. With that stretch they can count on a few aircraft in that category, the first being the C-141 Others include the the C-390 and the C-360. There is a C-130 bigger than a C-160 called the C-130J-30. All other C-130 aircraft are smaller. Lockheed also has an aircraft about the size of a C-130 the L-100.
wy69
“Why do they call it “Airborne” when the whole purpose is to hit the ground without getting killed in the process? .........”
Because their method of travel to their eventual destination is by air.
Why do they call it “Airborne” when the whole purpose is to hit the ground without getting killed in the process? ..............
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Because they have to get “Airborne” before they can jump.
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