Sidenote: some pictures have an individual description to give some specific details. All reports are best viewed on your laptop or PC.
Finally, the day has come. After years of waiting and recruiting six pilots and six loadmasters for their new military flagship, Luxembourg received its first Airbus A400M, arriving as "Belgian air force 665" on the 7th of October 2020.
The former as EC-400 test-registered transport aircraft was ferried from its Airbus Military production site in Sevilla, Andalusia in Spain directly to Luxembourg-Findel airport. The aircraft's assembly was finished in April 2019, before it performed many test-flights over southern Spain and received last modifications.
The new A400M with serial number MSN104 and registration CT-01 will futurely be based at Melsbroek air base in Belgium and will be operated by the there based 15th airlift wing of the Belgian air component.
On the day of arrival, the aircraft arrived approximately twenty minutes ahead of its schedule. Before a visual approach into runway 24, the seventy-seven tons heavy four engine powered turboprop aircraft performed a low-pass over runway 06.
"Belgian air force six-six-five, cleared for the low approach runway zero six!"
Light conditions were not the best unfortunately. Who cares though!
Nice to see this beast flying by that low.
At approximately 100ft above the ground, the Grizzly veered right and continued into the left hand downwind of runway two-four for a visual approach.
Banking into left hand downwind.
First time on Luxembourgish soil! Welcome home, beast!
Eye-to-eye with the brand new Grizzly.
The A400 vacated via D1, a bad taxi route to get decent photographs.
After a kiss landing on RWY24, the A400 vacated right via Delta one, disadvantegous for all spotters standing on this position.
The Luxembourg airport's fire department welcomed the new propliner with a water canon salut on parking two.
What a welcome for the beast.
As the prevailing weather at the time of the first arrival was not the best, I decided to catch it a few more times when it would come back to ELLX for some training flying and touch and go's. Bad light nevertheless, as autumn is in full swing.
Allthough the weather seems bad for photos, the mostly small spread between temperature and the dew point in the morning create some awesome conditions for vortex and wing condensation!
Enjoy the monster in all its glory in its natural habitat!
Prop and wing vortex, thats how I like turboprops the most.
Pure epicness.
Seconds from touchdown.
Full power and off to shoot another approach.
If you ever ask me what it looks like beeing perfectly on centerline, I'll show you this.
This guy simply nails the centerline.
Crappy weather, although it may reward your efforts of shooting in the rain by some awesome effects.
Raw power.
See you next time!
The A400 will return to Luxembourg regularly for training flights in the future. Another eight A400M for the Luxembourgish - Belgian air force will be delivered soon. The second delivery is scheduled for mid November, however, deliveries may be delayed due to the Corona virus still endangering our population.
