The Air-to-Air Tanking operation was carried out from a RAF Voyager plane flying from the Falklands Islands. The Atlas was flown from RAF Brize Norton to the Ascension Island, earlier than then flying on to the Falklands. Through the flight the transport plane was met by a RAF Voyager over the South Atlantic, that had earlier taken off from Mount Nice Advanced, the principal army base on the Falkland Islands. The Atlas plane was refuelled utilizing what is named the probe-and-drogue system. The refuelling probe extends from the entrance of the transport plane above the cockpit. The pilot then has to dock this probe into the basket of the drogue that has been prolonged from the Voyager to permit refuelling.
“It was an incredible privilege to Captain the Voyager on the primary operational re-fuel of an Atlas, after efficiently assembly them some 900 nautical miles south west of Ascension Island and 2600 nautical miles north east of Mount Nice Airfield. The Voyager’s functionality to increase the worldwide attain of our plane is outstanding,”Flight Lieutenant James, Captain of the Voyager plane.
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“The execution of long-range Air-to-Air refuelling by frontline crews is a significant milestone for Atlas. The flexibility of this plane to function at important vary from the UK, demonstrates our enhanced and resilient power sustainment capabilities. This has been a complete power effort that reveals what we are able to obtain after we mix the strengths of our belongings throughout the Air Mobility Drive,” Wing Commander Patton, Officer Commanding 30 Squadron mentioned.
Air-to-Air refuelling is without doubt one of the most tough manoeuvres that pilots perform and requires intense focus from each the crews. The operation requires the pilot of the receiving plane to take care of shut formation with the tanker plane in the course of the exercise whereas gas is transferred by the Mission Programs Operator, flying within the Voyager. The RAF Voyager that’s primarily based at Mount Nice airfield is maintained by an engineering assist staff that ensures the plane is able to fly one year a 12 months in a few of the most difficult situations confronted throughout the globe. The profitable completion of this sortie will increase the potential of the RAF Brize Norton primarily based Air Mobility Drive to ship important cargo proper to the place it must be. The flight demonstrated that elevated functionality to ship freight and personnel to the South Atlantic when required.
The Airbus A400M Atlas is a European four-engine turboprop army transport plane. It was designed by Airbus Army as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to switch older transport plane, such because 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 could possibly carry heavier masses than the C-130 and is ready to use tough touchdown strips. The UK lowered its order from 25 to 22 plane. With a helpful most payload capability of 32t, the Atlas will substitute the RAF’s already-retired Lockheed Martin C-130K Hercules. The Airbus A330 Multi Position Tanker Transport (MRTT) is an aerial refuelling tanker plane primarily based on the civilian Airbus A330. The Voyager KC is a Royal Air Drive designation for an A330 MRTT with two Cobham 905 under-wing pods, primarily used for refuelling quick jets.
