Seen that massive military plane flying over SLO County? Here’s what it’s doing

Kaytlyn Leslie
·1 min read

There’s no need for worry if you spot a massive military plane flying over Paso Robles this month: It’s just helping with some training exercises.

The British Royal Air Force will be conducting training at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett over the coming weeks, the city of Paso Robles said Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

As part of that, the military’s Airbus A-400M Atlas is parked at the Paso Robles Airport, the city said.

The plane is used as a transport for high-altitude parachute training at the two nearby military bases, the city added.

The plane is large enough to carry 116 fully-equipped troops, plus vehicles, helicopters and more, according to the British Royal Air Force website.

The British Royal Air Force will be conducting training at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett in January 2024.
The British Royal Air Force will be conducting training at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett in January 2024.

It last landed in Paso Robles in October 2022 for similar training exercises.

Late Mayor Steve Martin told The Tribune at that time that the British Royal Air Force chose Paso Robles for its training because it needed a base of operations for training high-altitude paratroopers.

“Paso Robles is geographically close to the training area at Fort Hunter-Liggett, has facilities that can accommodate the large A400 aircraft and enjoys favorable weather conditions most of the year,” Martin said.