На самолетах Epsilon, используемых в качестве учебных с 1983 года, пилоты проходили 23-недельные (66 часов налета) первичные курсы летной подготовки.

The Epsilon has been used to equip the Groupement Ecole 315 of the Armee de I'Air at Cognac, where some 70 examples of the Aerospatiale trainer are now in service. The illustration shows Aerospatiale’s demonstrator, the third production aircraft.

22 декабря 1979г.: появилась вооруженная учебно-боевая версия стандартного учебного самолета Aerospatiale ТВ 30 Epsilon для начальной подготовки ВВС Франции.

The Epsilon, in its armed version, has four wing strongpoints, stressed to carry 353 lb (160 kg) each inboard and 176 lb (80 kg) each outboard. Typical loads include the Matra twin-gun pod, Alkan 500 rocket launcher, bombs or Servaux Samar 910 survival packs.

To provide air experience for cadets, and officer continuation training, the Ecole de I'Air operates five TB.30 Epsilons.

The TB-30 Epsilon will be retired over the next few years as the PC-21 will be delivered from 2018 onwards.

The TB-30 Epsilon is currently the type for the pre-advanced fighter course but will be replaced in the next few years.

F-HEXI is one of the TB-30 Epsilons previously used for training by the French Air Force and now in service with Apache Aviation, a civilian pilot training company

17 из 18-и португальских самолетов Epsilon были заказаны компанией OGMA. Изначально служившие в 104-й эскадрилье в Синтре, сейчас они находятся в городе Беджа на юге Португалии в 101-й эскадрилье.
The first of 18 Aerospatiale Epsilons for the FAP which uses the type for elementary and basic training.

Two ESQ101 'Roncos' TB-30s blast down Beja Air Base’s runway on a formation training flight

Two TB-30s of Esq101 blast down Beja AB (AB 11) runway during a formation training mission

As an ageing platform, the TB-30 has received a recent upgrade which sees the TB-30 gain new sensors on the engine and a new digital panel in the cockpit

Serial 11402 wears a special scheme to celebrate the Portuguese Air Force surpassing 100,000 flight hours with the TB-30 training aircraft

The TB-30 is the primary trainer operated for the FAP for training new pilots destined for either fixed-wing transport, helicopters or fast jet careers

Following the loss of the Alpha Jet, Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and Instruction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) on the USAF’s T-38 Talon II has been done by the USAF in the US. Pilots attend after qualifying on the TB-30

A crew chief awaits the student’s command to release the chocks for taxi with a land away mission ahead

A student performs a pre-flight check on the TB-30 observed by the IP of Esq101

An IP and student prepare their aircraft for a night-flying mission

Night flying is part of the syllabus during a student’s training at Esq101

From France came the Aerospatiale Epsilon TP, a turboprop-powered variant of its original piston-engined trainer. The prototype Epsilon was fitted with a Turbomeca TP 319 Arrius powerplant, as seen here at the 1987 Paris Air Salon, to be rebranded as the Omega.

Aerospatiale’s TB30 Epsilon trainer prototype made its maiden flight from Socata airfield in the Pyrenees on December 22, 1979.
The Epsilon 01, first prototype, on its first flight, showing the original tail unit and "VD" marking.

A completely revised tail unit and temporarily-modified canopy on the first prototype, with marking changed to "VO"

The Epsilon 01 has been extensively used for development since the initial flight programme was completed. This photograph shows it with underwing armament

The second prototype Epsilon 02, completed to the same standard as 01 after its modification. The modified wing tip can be clearly seen.

The first Epsilon delivered to the Armee de I’Air. in July 1983 was used at first by the Trials Squadron at Mont-de-Marsan, in whose markings it is seen here. It later went to GE 315 at Cognac as 315UA.

The flight line of Esquadra 101 at Beja, which operates the TB.30 Epsilon for screening and primary training.

The prototype Aerospatiale Epsilon trainer has been converted to take a 450-s h.p. Turbomeca TP 319 turboprop and thus powered first flew at Pau on 9th November 1985.

The view of a student undergoing a first flight (while flying a low level mission ???) in the Portuguese Air Force TB-30 Epsilon

Aerospatiale Epsilon

Since publication of a drawing of the TB-30 in Air Data File/November 1978, Aerospatiale has issued revised data showing the span and length to be identical at 24 ft 3 in (7,40 m) each; as the revised drawing shows, the cockpit structure has also been changed. Construction of a prototype has now begun and first flight is expected by next September.

Modifications are being made to the Aerospatiale TB-30 Epsilon to overcome a pitch-yaw coupling problem revealed during flight testing of the two prototypes (which made their first flights on 22 December 1979 and 12 July 1980 respectively). The first prototype was expected to resume testing last month (October) in the form depicted in this drawing, with revised wing-tips and a completely new rear fuselage and tail unit. Overall dimensions of the Epsilon are increased by these modifications to a span of 25 ft 11 1/2 in (7,92 m) and length of 24 ft 10 1/2 in (7,59 m).

Aerospatiale TB-30 Epsilon

Aerospatiale TB.30 Epsilon