Rare treat for Deeside aviation fans as ‘giant’ RAF A400 pays a visit

A rare treat for aviation fans on Friday as a **giant RAF Airbus A400 Atlas military transporter was spotted doing circuits above Deeside.

The RAF heavyweight, call sign Ascot 475 – was spotted flying low over Hawarden airfield, and around Flintshire on Friday afternoon.

The plane reportedly did four circuits of the area perfomromg ‘touch and go’ monaouvers at the Hawarden arifield.

Tristan Rochfort sent us this video of the plane at Airbus Broughton.

@DeesideDotCom Airbus A400M performing multiple fly pasts at Airbus Broughton pic.twitter.com/y6EstaZ3SX

— Tristan Rochfort (@TristanRochfort) May 11, 2018

Described as the ‘the world’s most versatile airlifter’ – the A400 is capable of carrying 25-tonne loads over 2000 miles – it has been to Hawarden a couple of times before touching down at the airport.

Hawarden Air Cadets posted this video of the giant transporter – some of those in the air cadets may even get to fly the plane one day.

It’s not just the @Airbus Beluga we see around the airfield near our HQ – this @AirbusA400M has just done a few circuits! pic.twitter.com/ic13yM9gTq

— Hawarden Air Cadets (@2247Hawarden) May 11, 2018

The wings for the military transporter aren’t however made in Broughton, Airbus Bristol has the honour of manufacturing them.

Video Producer Peter Simcoe posted this cracking bit of footage of the A400 as it passed over him.

Some footage of an #Airbus A400M I captured as it flew over my house near #Chester earlier today #ChesterTweets #aircraft #video #military pic.twitter.com/jLQyduf2sV

— Peter Simcoe (@simcoemedia) May 11, 2018

Track of the A400 flight path on Friday.

[Main picture: Corinne Elizabeth Reynolds]

**Philip got in touch to say the A400 was not a ‘Giant’ one but a normal size one! Thanks Philip.