A Royal Air Force (RAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft has successfully delivered military supplies from Canada to Europe for use by the Ukrainian military.
The shipment was carried out on behalf of the Canadian Government.
The 99 Squadron aircraft from RAF Brize Norton collected the supplies from the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 8 Wing, stationed at the Trenton Canadian Forces Base near Lake Ontario. The mission was conducted as part of the ATARES (Air Transport, Air-to-Air Refuelling and other Exchange of Services) program.
The ATARES program facilitates mutual support between partner nations by exchanging air transport services.
The partnership consists of 28 European and NATO nations, including the UK and Canada.
Upon arrival in Europe, the equipment was delivered to the Ukrainian military. This C-17 flight demonstrates the continued efforts of the RAF’s Air Mobility Force in providing support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion, as part of the UK Government’s commitment to the region.
Seeing as Canada has 5 C17s, I do have to ask, Why?
yes I know about ATARES, but thats a lot of bloody air miles
And who is paying ? Not that i object.
At a guess a C-17 flew equipment or troops out for an exercise. And instead of returning empty flew the Canadian cargo across the pond.
There’s currently one doing loops around teesside airspace.
I hope you mean circles as a loop is a vertical maneuver in which the aricraft becomes inverted. A most unlikely maneuver for an aeroplane as large as a C17 to even attempt and I guess the owners would have something to say to the crew if they did try it, assuming they survived the attempt…
Cheers CR
CR, pickie 😀
Hope life is good, I was in the Coldharbour Office last week. Very quiet, I’ll let you know the next time I am going to be there.
OK, mate.
Doing OK all be it quiet…
Hope things are good with you.
Cheers CR
I see, yes it was just doing circles. I’m guessing it was doing practice runs at teesside airport, a lot of the time it’s the A400’s doing it or an easyjet plane.
Speaking of loops didn’t the original test pilot of the 747 do a loop or a barrel role when they first showed if the plane at an airshow.
Just to update it was Tex Johnston, he did a barrel roll in a Boeing 367 which was the prototype of the 707 and the KC-135 stratotanker.
Yeh, a barrel roll is more feasible in a heavy as the pull up isn’t anywhere as steep as a loop, obviously 😉
I’ve seen the pictures of the 707 upside down, there was a documentary I saw a few years ago – quite something.
I listen to a podcast about plane accidents and they mentioned it on there. He got a bollocking but they couldn’t get rid of him due to being the best test pilot if I remember correctly.
Certain second hand accounts have stated the B-1B, in a certain flight configuration, are capable of this maneuver, as well. 😉
…is capable…🙄
Quite possibly pilot proficiency (‘pilot pro’) exercise, often involving a number of touch and go landings. Typically, less than enthralling exercise for rest of crew.
The airport has basically been abounded by commercial planes apart from 2/3 flights a day and it’s got a pretty decent runway at 7500ft. See RAF and other airforces planes all the time around it as they don’t have to deal with much commercial traffic. You’ve also got Draken there as well so you see a lot of them heading off to the north sea most days.
The RAF name for the maneuver is circuits and bumps.
Huh…’circuits and bumps’…learn something new during each visit to this site.
Also called touch and goes.
Yes, usual term w/in USAF (and presumably USN/USMC) is rouch-and-go landing. RAF/RN use the same terminilogy? JohninMK indicated RAF uses ‘circuits and bumps.’ 🤔 in any event, never collected any frequent flyer miles for participation. 😁
A vulcan pilot got in alot of shit for doing a role at the Farnborough Air show …and the Russian TU144 proved it couldn’t do a wing over like concord did at the paris air show
From what I have read recently the Ukrainians need all the supplies they can get their hands on. Many of the heavy weapons units are having to ration their fire as they are running low on ammunition for their Soviet era weapons systems.
However, I am guessing that the West is still struggling to match consumption rates dispite the reported increase in production which means that the Ukrainians will still be short on ammunition even after they have transitioned to Western systems.
This war has now become a war of stamina and unless the West can step up Ukraine could yet be in trouble.
I can only hope the situation is keeping Western leaders awake at night, but I bet it isn’t…
Cheers CR
CR,
Have read accounts that state that it will require up to an additional 24 months to achieve increased rates of production of munitions from NATO based manufacturers. Presumably does not include hypothetical external sources (e.g, Israel, SK, etc ).
Goes to show just how hopelessly prepared European NATO has been for any major conflict. Stocks, manufacturing & funding all run down way too low. Manpower & equipment too for that matter.
So one minor mitigation of the tragedy in Ukraine is shaking awake our governments to the realities, the threats & our foolish weaknesses.
Have occasionally wondered whether Ukrainian conflict is a precursor to a larger event, in an analogous manner to Spanish Civil War foreshadowing WWII. Really intrigued by Mad Vlad’s hypothetical endgame. Continue WW I style attritional warfare and hope Ukrainians/West are bled white from personnel/materiel losses and sue for terms? Hope Ukrainians bargain away ‘Land for Peace’ during negotiations? Or simply say, “f**k it, going to take them all w/ me,” and initiate WW III? A definite puzzle…
It is perplexing, as we know that Russia still has large ground forces opposite China that haven’t been used. Plus those in Belarus, Kaliningrad and along the Baltic border. We have only seen a few T90Ms in Ukraine, with maybe 3 destroyed. According to the stats there’s over 400 of them somewhere. Yet they are pulling old T55s and T62s out of museums and stockyards to send to Ukraine as they’re running out of T64s, T72s and T80s.
The question is why? Why are they sending relics to Ukraine, with barely any modifications barring a hand held thermal imager for the commander? Especially as both the T55 and T62 use much older main gun ammunition to the “newer” tanks. So getting resupplied must be a nightmare.
A brutal answer is that Russia being Russia is using them to attrite Ukraine’s anti-tank stocks, life is cheap after all! We have seen how effective Ukraine has adapted to Western tactics in using modern ATGWs to slaughter Russian tanks. Knowing full well that Western manufacturers can’t keep up with demand.
The other scenical reason is they’re keeping back the T90Ms in case things kick off with NATO. Or they’re scared of loosing them in Ukraine.
With regards to kicking off a larger conflict. I’m not so sure. The evidence from Ukraine suggests they are overextended, having not learned the combined arms lessons from last year. Blindly repeating their previous mistakes. Plus their logistics are terrible. With the ammunition expenditure they are using in Ukraine. Would they have enough to start and sustain shenanigans anywhere else?
DaveyB,
Hmmm…you have triggered an uncomfortable thought…could the Orcs be capable of marshalling and camouflaging significant number of T-90Ms, awaiting an opportunity to ambush Ukrainians after a breakout during the coming counteroffensive? 🤔 One would hope Five Eyes would be able to provide advanced warning. It is just possible though, that the Orcs may have retained some of the tactical and perhaps strategic lessons learned from the Battle of Kursk. (Armo(u)r battles are outside my wheelhouse, only remember that flexibility is the key to airpower. 😁)
Agree, the Orcs probably would not initiate anything substantial elsewhere, unless they had decided to roll the dice on a hybrid nuclear/conventional operation. In that case, perhaps no one need be concerned for too long…😳
Sounds like the Run-up to Preparations for Building Anderson Shelters in Back Gardens and City Parks and Greenspaces in the months before September 1939,
And Dire Warnings from a certain Winston Spencer Churchill in the background,
About Sleep-walking in to Conflicts and placing ones Head in the Jaws of Lions, Apparently,
If memory serves………from Parents…..
Sadly the production line at Boeing has ceased to be. So no more new build C17s. An aircraft we originally got on lease, then seriously screwed that up by overflying the contracted hours by nearly four times in only a year. Which led us to purchase the aircraft. Then a few more for good measure.
It’s an aircraft that is in constant demand and one we could do with a few more of. If there’s an aircraft where there would be an interest in buying new frames, the C17 must be at the top of everyone’s wishlist.