Enormous Airbus A400M Atlas executes dazzling beach landing

  • Check out this footage of an Airbus A400M Atlas landing in wet weather on a beach
  • The aircraft hails from RAF Brize Norton, UK
  • The landing was flawless despite the conditions

Published on Jul 11, 2024 at 8:50 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Jul 12, 2024 at 2:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

This footage of an Airbus A400M Atlas landing in wet weather on a beach is completely mesmerizing.

The military aircraft, which hails from RAF Brize Norton, made a rare visit to Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range in Wales.

In spite of the conditions, the landing was flawless.

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The landing

The plane was captured by Dafydd Phillips at Pembrey Sands to conduct natural surface operations in the wet weather.

And before the footage was filmed and the landing executed, the pilot conducted some low approaches and some touch-and-go operations.

The latter involves the aircraft landing before immediately accelerating and taking off without stopping.

That was before the pilot was given the all-clear to land the 76-ton aircraft on the beach.

In a similarly impressive display, people were left shocked after watching this video of a plane landing on the world’s shortest runway overlooking a cliff.

Meanwhile, from inside the cockpit, this Dutch pilot shared footage of a Boeing 737 landing in crosswind.

The Airbus A400M Atlas

The Airbus A400 M Atlas, named after the Greek mythological god of strength and endurance, entered operational service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 2014.

Atlas C.1 A400M ‘provides tactical airlift and strategic oversize lift capabilities complementing those of the Hercules and C-17 fleets’ per the RAF’s website.

These had been the tried and trusted workhorse of the RAF’s air transport fleet for decades.

The UK was the third country to operate the aircraft, after France and Turkey.

Dafydd Phillips

The $3.6 billion program saw a total of 22 aircraft delivered to the RAF over the years.

Its powerplant boasts four 11,000shp EuroProp International TP400 turboprops.

Its size is mammoth: 45.10m (147ft 11 inches) long, 14.70m (48 ft 2¾ inches) high with an impressive wingspan of 42.40m (139 ft 1¼ in).

Its heft can reach an altitude of 40,000ft and reach a maximum speed of 741km/h (400kt).

It can travel for 7,593km (4,100nm) without refueling, carrying up to 37,000kg (81,600lb).

Want to see more impressive aircraft in action? The world’s biggest plane with hypersonic launch is possibly the best thing you’ll see today.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”