So today it was time to check out the reputation of Japans "greatest airbase"
JASDF Nyutabaru
F-4EJ Kai, 301 Hik:
27-8305, 37-8308, 47-8329, 47-8331, 47-8334, 47-8341, 57-8353, 57-8367, 57-8369, 77-8399, 77-8400, 87-8408, 97-8423, 07-8436, 17-8438, 17-8439
F-15J, 23 Hik:
22-8812, 32-8827, 42-8834, 72-8886, 22-8936 (no aggressor anymore...)
F-15DJ, 23 Hik:
12-8054, 32-8060, 92-8070, 02-8072, 12-8075, 32-8083, 72-8090, 82-8093, 92-8097
F-15DJ, Hiko Kyodotai:
12-8051, 92-8068, 02-8071, 82-8091, 82-8092, 92-8095, 92-8096
88-4586 UH-60J no mks, blue c/s
96-5623 T-4 301 Hik
06-5632 T-4 23 Hik
16-5665 T-4 301 Hik
16-5672 T-4 301 Hik
36-5695 T-4 301 Hik
46-5714 T-4 204 Hik
46-5719 T-4 Hiko Kyodotai
46-5722 T-4 Hiko Kyodotai
96-5773 T-4 301 Hik
96-5778 T-4 301 Hik
75-3252 U-4 402 Hik
42-3022 U-125A nn
62-3024 U-125A nn
37-8313 F-4EJ Kai std (near QRA), 301 Hik mks
47-8348 F-4EJ Kai std (near QRA), in cocoon, 301 Hik mks
57-8360 F-4EJ Kai pr, 301 Hik mks
63-3228 Mu-2S std (near QRA), "Air rescue wing 50th anniversary" mks (to be pres.)
04-4852 KV.107II-A5 std in hangar
04-8187 F-86D pr, 202 Hik mks
92-7916 F-86F pr, 6 Hik mks
36-8535 F-104J pr, 6 Hik mks (real id 46-8656)
69-5127 T-2 pr, Hiko Kyodotai mks, coded 27 rd
72-0169 T-6G pr, no mks (real id 72-0178)
91-5410 T-33A pr, no mks
We started with a quick look at the QRA shelters on the west side of the base. There's a small dirt road which leads to some farming land, and from this land you can see the QRA shelters. When we arrived here very early in the morning a Japanese lady was already working in the field, and she greeted us very cheerfully. She also pointed towards the left of the QRA shelters, and there we saw the three stored aircraft in front of the old QRA shed. Obviously she has seen more spotters here.... Be aware by the way that if you do want to check out the QRA aircraft you have to be early (around 7), because after the daily changing of the aircraft the shelters are closed and you can't see anything anymore. When we were at the other side we noticed a Phantom taxiing to the QRA and another coming back soon after, so we decided to drive back there to read it off, and then found all doors closed!
Well, needless to say that the base is indeed a must-do when you are going to Japan! There's a hughe amount of flying, all day long, photo opportunities are great, and where else can you see so many Phantoms and those Eagles with aggressor colours?? Impressive! And with all this fighter action around it's easy to forget the visiting Gulfstream. We had just started a walk along the fence on the southern side to read off the stuff on the platforms, but had left our camera and stairs in the car. So a quick run back to the car and then back to the fence followed, and luckily we were just in time. And that's good, since this turned out to be out only chance to graph one! Finally, inside the shelter with the stored KV.107 (a nice surprise) was a yellow UH-60. According to the Scramble database the only yellow one based should be 68-4564, but can someone confirm this is still the right one? A long shot, I know...
You can easily spend a whole day here, but we had another mission: yellow OH-6's! So early afternoon we went back to Kanoya.
JMSDF Kanoya
P-3C, 1 Kok:
5004, 5012, 5017, 5018, 5027, 5028, 5037, 5044, 5052, 5072, 5073, 5083, 5084, 5085, 5090
5009 P-3C 2 Kok
5049 P-3C 2 Kok
8244 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8246 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8247 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8249 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8250 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8254 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, new c/s
8258 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, new c/s
8264 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, new c/s
8284 SH-60J 211 Kyoiku Kok, old c/s
8776 OH-6D 211 Kyoiku Kok
8777 OH-6D 211 Kyoiku Kok
8778 OH-6DA 211 Kyoiku Kok
8780 OH-6DA 211 Kyoiku Kok
8781 OH-6DA 211 Kyoiku Kok
87xx OH-6D std, no tail
8966 UH-60J 72 Kok
8976 UH-60J 72 Kok
8978 UH-60J nn
9042 YS-11M 61 Kok
8081 HSS-2A std, 211 Kyoiku Kok mks
Obviously many aircraft we already saw last Saturday, but also many new ones were seen. And we succeeded in our main goal: photographing some OH-6's. And we even got one old but still operational OH-6D (with the round nose instead of the pointed one), great! Inside the hangar was another D (8776), which might have been wfu but also just undergoing maintenance, and an unknown stored one without tail and rotor blades and also part of the engine cover removed (of course the part with the last two digits of the serial....). Photo opportunities are great here, and there is also a spot on a hill nearby which could get you some extra serials if you have a good scope and a tripod (31 21 11.70 N, 130 49 13.70 E). This is also the only spot outside from where you can see the stored HSS-2, but the other dumped aircraft are hidden. With last sunlight we photographed a few Orions that came back and made a few touch & go's, and then we headed to our hotel near Tsuiki. Last Saturday we already got some of the W&R along the way, and the rest was too far off the main road. So straight inbound hotel we went!
As always additions, etcetera....
That's all folks!
Frank Mink & Patrick Dirksen
Tristar Aviation
