A guess these are an unusual sight at Northolt?

We had an A400M doing practice sweeps at Norwich airport today with the Ascot call sign. Anyone know what the Ascot flights are?

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao...amp=1623662830

RAF: Air Support Command Operational Transport

ASCOT - Air Support Command Operational Transport, basically allocated to any transport flight

For those near to the flight path of Brize Norton the big Antanov 225 will be landing there around midday today.

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=508035

Interesting, thanks for that. ETA now 14:10 BST. Just about to leave Egypt at Alexandria and head NE over the Med.
Flight is ADB3859 for reference, Flightradar : https://www.flightradar24.com/ADB3859/282a0d87

Coming from Karachi, I wonder what it was delivering or collecting there?

It left its home Kyiv for Kabul then Karachi.

Obviously it will be something quite large!

Edit, it went from Kyiv to Kabul then Karachi.

And time-sensitive, or it could go by sea from Karachi.

I've just updated my post as I've read it landed at Kabul before Karachi.

First trip out in about a year according to some sources, grounded due to Covid. Just passing over Elba.

In a press release from the MOD they said it delivered Puma helicopters.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/r...om-afghanistan

Had this video pop up on my YouTube recommendations. The link is where the video gets interesting as it's leaving Brize Norton: https://youtu.be/BPu1Dj81-EE?t=149