All is revealed!

The Royal Air Force has revealed to MyWelshpool why one of its huge aircraft appeared to make three failed landing attempts at Welshpool Airport yesterday.

Social media was buzzing with pictures and speculation as to why the giant A400M Atlas was circling the Welshpool skies at around tea time.

The aircraft had taken off from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the RAF’s largest base, and this morning a spokesperson revealed all.

“The A400M was conducting essential training,” she told us. “This is something we do on a regular basis at different airports across the UK.”

Flight path web sites confirmed that the aircraft did several low passes over Birmingham Airport before making three low passes over Welshpool Airport. It then headed north to Lake Vyrnwy before turning west to follow the coast down to Aberystwyth and back to base.

Local social media users speculated that the plane decided not to land due to the runway not being long enough, but the aircraft is made to be flexible enough to land and take off on short runways, or even fields if need be.

What its maker Airbus says about the A400M…

The A400M "Atlas" is the most advanced, proven and certified airlifter available, combining 21st century state-of-the-art technologies to fulfil the current and upcoming armed forces’ needs. The A400M 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. One aircraft that can do the work of three.

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.