AirTanker performs first airline operations with A330 Voyager

The UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) provider, AirTanker, has performed its first flights as an approved airline, having used a civilian-registered Airbus A330 Voyager to transport British military personnel to Cyprus on 5 January.

Registered as G-VYGG, the transport late last year joined the AirTanker fleet at the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire, which also currently comprises two military-registered examples: ZZ330 and ZZ331. They are among an eventual total of 14 A330s that will be made available to the service under the FSTA programme, including nine that will be held as a core fleet for air transport and tanker duties. The remainder will be made available at short notice if needed to support military operations, but also offered for third-party roles such as air charter operations for civilian customers.
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El futuro cisterna de la RAF realiza primer vuelo con percha extendida/ Airbus A330 FSTA performs its 1st flight with refueling hose extended

Han empezado las pruebas con la lanza de reabastecimiento del futuro avión cisterna de la RAF, con el prototipo FSTA1
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The first hose and drogue trials have now taken place for the Royal Air Force’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program.
The U.K. MOD advises that the trials of the fuselage refueling unit’s hose extension and rewind was tested in flight on November 26. The test aircraft involved was FSTA1
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Primer vuelo del segundo KC-30 para la RAF/ Second RAF KC-30 flies

El segundo A330 MRTT cisterna KC-30 de la RAF ha realizado su primer vuelo desde las instalaciones de Airbus Military en Getafe, Madrid, el pasado 26 de octubre.
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The second A330 MRTT Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the UK Royal Air Force successfully completed its maiden flight from the Airbus Military facility at Getafe, Madrid on October 26.
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Continúa programa futuro avión cisterna de la RAF/AirTanker: FSTA preparations on track

Los preparativos para continuar con el programa FSTA (Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft), continúan, con la contratación de pilotos e ingernieros para trabajar en los A330-200 modificados.
Un total de 14 aviones estarán basados en RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, desde finales del año 2011.
EADS UK ya ha construído un hangar para tal motivo en Brize Norton, así como oficinas e instalaciones de entrenamiento.
Cinco aviones estarán en servicio en 2013, y el total de 14 lo estará en a mitad del 2014, estando a pleno rendimiento a mitad de 2016.
Ya ha volado un prototipo, y el segundo realizó su roll out en la planta de Airbus Military en Getafe, España, el pasado ocho de Octubre. El resto será preparado por Cobhamm en sus instalaciones del aeropuerto Bournemouth, Dorset, desde el próximo año.
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Preparations to field the UK’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) are on track, with the first two sponsored reservist pilots recruited and 11 military engineers having recently been selected to support the Royal Air Force’s fleet of modified Airbus A330-200s.
An eventual 14 of the aircraft will be based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire starting from late next year.
The EADS UK-led AirTanker Services consortium has already managed the construction of a new two-bay hangar at Brize Norton, and associated office and training school facilities are also nearing readiness.
Five aircraft will be in use by early 2013, nine by late 2014 and all 14 delivered by mid-2016, when full service delivery will start.
The UK’s second modified A330 was rolled out at Airbus Military’s Getafe site near Madrid on 8 October, and is expected to be flown soon. Cobham will prepare the remaining 12 at its Bournemouth airport site in Dorset, starting from next year.
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