The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) did not take long to demonstrate the transport capacity of its first KC-390 Millennium. Days after being delivered by Embraer, on October 19, the tactical transport aircraft flew to the United States to take a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to Europe.
At the beginning of November, the KC-390, registration FAP 26091, flew again to North America to bring another helicopter from the order of six aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force.
The trip between Portugal and the United States had a stopover at Lajes Air Base, in the Azores archipelago, and at T. F. Green International Airport, in Rhode Island, before the twin-engine jet arrived at Dothan Regional Airport, in Alabama.
Arista Aviation is located at the site, the company that holds the contract to equip Black Hawks for firefighting missions.
The return flight once again made a technical stop in Rhode Island, but continued from there to Ovar Air Base, in northern Portugal, to unload the Sikorsky helicopter.
The flight lasted 6 hours and 3 minutes and covered almost 5,200 km, demonstrating the aircraft’s good autonomy.
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The Portuguese Air Force is the first foreign customer of the C-390 Millennium, which has been in service in Brazil since 2019. Embraer will deliver a total of five aircraft to the FAP, which are distinguished by NATO standard equipment.
