 Image search results - "jets" |
ANA (All Nippon Airways) offers free tours of their maintenance facilities at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. You can see planes in a huge hangar being serviced.You have to make reservations at their website, but everything is in Japanese. They have four 90-min. tours almost daily, but only in Japanese. (Pamphlet has some English.) You should reserve weeks or months in advance because tours get booked up quickly. However, when people cancel their reservations, tours may open up. You have to keep checking. Children must be at least elementary school age. http://www.ana.co.jp/group/kengaku/outline.html
|
|
From Haneda Airport's International terminal, you can see ANA's maintenance hangars at the end of Runway A which is one of the airport's original runways.
|
|
After passing the JAL maintenance hangar, you will see this overpass connecting the ANA buildings.
|
|
On the left is the ANA Component Maintenance Building where you check-in for the tour. Show the security guard your reservations (printout of the email confirmation) to enter the building.
|
|
When you enter the building, you will be in the reception lobby.
|
|
Reception lobby of the ANA Maintenance Facility's ANA Component Maintenance Building. There's a gift shop, model planes, and other exhibits. At lunch time, they sold bento so we had lunch here after the tour.
|
|
Gift shop sells ANA goods.
|
|
Pose
|
|
ANA Gundam in the lobby.
|
|
ANA cockpit in the lobby.
|
|
|
|
ANA model planes in the lobby.
|
|
Panel about the 747. ANA retired its last Boeing 747 in March 2014. ANA first flew 747s in 1979. Will be missed.
|
|
In this lecture hall, ANA's tour started with a 30-min. talk and video about flight, their planes, Haneda Airport, etc.Part of ANA's talk was about how planes fly. They demonstrated how wind can lift the wings of a toy plane.
|
|
ANA's lecture hall has some exhibits like model planes.
|
|
ANA's whale plane.
|
|
ANA's Peanuts (Charlie Brown) plane.
|
|
Tire, cockpit window, lights.
|
|
Free souvenir of the tour. Cell phone strap with an ANA maintenance man.
|
|
After the slide show lecture, we wore a hard hat and walked on the overpass to the plane hangars. There were around 80 people in the tour and they divided us into around 15 people per group for the hangar tour. Each group had a guide explaining things in Japanese.
|
|
ANA's airplane maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport. Photography was permitted, but no videos. You can post photos online, but you need their approval. These photos here have been approved by ANA. They don't allow ANA personnel and the other tour participants to be pictured. Also cannot show any non-ANA plane.
|
|
|
ANA's Boeing 787
|
|
ANA's Boeing 787 inside the maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport.
|
|
Engine removed from the plane.
|
|
Passenger seats were taken out and the cushions replaced.
|
|
|
Where the tail fits.
|
|
Tires
|
|
Tires
|
|
Tires are not that huge. Tires are inflated with nitrogen, not air (one thing that they always mention).
|
|
They have to replace the tires quite often, every 2 months or so.
|
|
|
Extra hangar space.
|
|
|
Jet engine undergoing maintenance.
|
|
Jet engine undergoing maintenance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The hangar can get very noisy when they are testing an engine.
|
|
ANA plane
|
|
Always impressive to see a jet plane up close. We see it only on the outside, cannot go inside the plane.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANA plane parked outside the maintenance hangar.
|
|
Extra dock in the maintenance hangar.
|
|
|
Jet engine cowlings.
|
|
How workers get around. Enjoyed the tour.
|
|
Iruma Air Base is near Inariyama Koen Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (40-50 min. from Ikebukuro). This is the crowd leaving the train platform at around 9 am.
|
|
A record-breaking 280,000 attended the Iruma Air Show on Nov. 3, 2010. The festivities started at 9 am and admission was free. This was also a super sunny day.
|
|
They inspected our bags and even had a German Shepherd dog.
|
|
It would take maybe only 5 min. reach Iruma Base from the train station, but it took us at least 25 min. with numerous stop-and-go crowd control.
|
|
Trying to cross the train tracks. Another bottleneck as trains always pass by.
|
|
Finally getting nearer to Iruma Air Base, the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces' largest air base.
|
|
The first thing I saw was this YS-11 flying around. They had a parade and Miss Air Show contest, but I was too late for that.
|
|
This was the 42nd Iruma Air Show on Nov. 3, 2010.
|
|
YS-11 landed.
|
|
This is a U-125 plane which was also flying and had landed when we got to the air base.
|
|
Even at around 9:30 am, a huge crowd.
|
|
At the front line in front of the Blue Impulse Aerobatic planes.
|
|
Blue Impulse jets parked front and center.
|
|
Blue Impulse jet
|
|
More photos of the Blue Impulse later on below.
|
|
Next were three Kawasaki C-1 transport jets taking off.
|
|
C-1 flying over Blue Impulse.
|
|
Another Kawasaki C-1 military transport jet taking off. It has the Japan Air Self-Defense Force livery.
|
|
Kawasaki C-1 has been around since the 1970s.
|
|
The three Kawasaki C-1 in formation during a fly-by.
|
|
The Kawasaki C-1 return to release parachute troopers.
|
|
Kawasaki C-1 for a parachute drop at Iruma Air Show in Saitama.
|
|
|
|
The three Kawasaki C-1 jets dropped parachuters onto Iruma Air Base.
|
|
I've never seen so many parachutists in an air show before.
|
|
C-1
|
|
|
|
A squadron of T-4 trainer jets perform semi-aerobatics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T-4 trainer jets
|
|
|
|
They didn't release any smoke.
|
|
|
T-4 trainer jet lands.
|
|
|
|
UH-60J rescue helicopter demo.
|
|
CH-47J Chinook helicopter demonstrates cargo transport. They had something flying in the air almost non-stop all morning until around lunch time.
|
|
The crowd. Behind is a large hangar where they had aircraft displays.
|
|
The crowd waits for the Blue Impulse.
|
|
As 1:15 pm approaches, the crowd gets bigger and more eager to watch the Blue Impulse, seen here in the background.
|
|
I waded up to near the front row at around 12:30 pm to await the Blue Impulse to take off. Blue Impulse is Japan's foremost aerobatic team belonging to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
|
|
The Blue Impulse flies Kawasaki T-4 jets since 1995. They were established in 1960, inspired by the Thunderbirds of the US Air Force.
|
|
This ground crew of a Blue Impulse T-4 includes a woman.
|
|
Pilot putting on his helmet. This year in 2010 happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Blue Impulse team established in 1960.
|
|
Seven Blue Impulse planes were on display, but only six of them flew. Blue Impulse is based at Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture. They have a busy performance schedule from April to Dec. ブルーインパルスの曲技飛行
|
|
Ready to leave for the runway.
|
|
As the jets taxied off, the pilots waved to the crowd.
|
|
Blue Impulse Kawasaki T-4
|
|
Blue Impulse Kawasaki T-4
|
|
The jet blast from the T-4 wasn't so bad, but it did blow away a few caps on our heads.
|
|
Blue Impulse head for the runway at Iruma Air Base.
|
|
And now here they come in all their glory, the Blue Impulse Aerobatic Team.
|
|
All these formations and aerobatic maneuvers all have a name. This is the Diamond Formation.
|
|
Two more Blue Impulse jets later took off.
|
|
|
|
Spectacular formations.
|
|
|
|
Blue Impulse Aerobatic Team at Iruma Air Show.
|
|
Flying upside down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The smoke color was either white or gray.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thrilling show, but the element of danger is always present. The Blue Impulse have had a few fatal accidents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Star Cross: Smokey star in the sky. They also drew a Valentine heart, complete with an arrow. Also see my YouTube video here.
|
|
|
This Tack Cross has one jet flying straight while the other is spiraling around it. Quite spectacular.
|
|
The crowd cheers wildly as the Blue Impulse returns. They performed until around 2:30 pm. The festival ended at 3 pm when many of the planes on display took off for home.
|
|
Iruma Air Show Blue Impulse video 2010.
|
|
Sikorsky SH-60J Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopter
|
|
Sikorsky SH-60J Seahawk
|
|
UH-60J rescue helicopter is based on the Black Hawk copter.
|
|
This U-125A plane is for search and rescue operations. A good number and variety of planes were also on display. Some of them were flown during the air show.
|
|
U-125
|
|
T-7 trainer plane
|
|
|
|
F-2 fighter plane.
|
|
Tail of F-2 fighter plane.
|
|
F-2 fighter
|
|
|
|
RF-4E reconnaissance plane based on the McDonnell F-4 Phantom.
|
|
RF-4E reconnaissance plane is equipped with cameras for photographing disaster areas, etc.
|
|
RF-4E reconnaissance plane
|
|
Why is Woody Woodpecker on the tail?
|
|
|
YS-11
|
|
U-125A search and rescue plane
|
|
|
|
One interesting display were these Patriot missile launchers.
|
|
Patriot PAC-3J
|
|
MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system
|
|
Engagement Control Station (ECS) for the Patriot missile system.
|
|
The Iruma Air Show also had a VIP section for invited guests here at one end of the site. Prime view of take-offs and landings on the runway.
|
|
More helicopters.
|
|
|
Grumman E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft with wings folded back. It can serve on an aircraft carrier.
|
|
U-4 is based on a Gulfstream IV.
|
|
|
C-130 Hercules in sky blue.
|
|
C-130 Hercules for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force
|
|
|
The cockpit of this F-15J fighter plane was open for public viewing.
|
|
T-4
|
|
Chinook helicopter
|
|
Kawasaki C-1 military transport plane
|
|
Kawasaki C-1 military transport plane. We couldn't go inside any of the planes.
|
|
Fire dept. at Iruma Air Base.
|
|
Helicopter insignia
|
|
|
Iruma Air Base control tower
|
|
This aircraft hangar had a entertainment stage.
|
|
Entertainment stage inside a hangar.
|
|
Another aircraft hangar had aircraft displays and other things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T-4 trainer jet suspended above ground.
|
|
This aircraft is suspended so that the wheels don't touch the ground.
|
|
They held demonstrations of the T-4's landing gear going up and down.
|
|
Display of aircraft engines.
|
|
Aircraft engine
|
|
Aircraft engine
|
|
Pilot's ejection seat
|
|
Ejected pilot's parachute
|
|
Ejected pilot
|
|
Trying on parachute.
|
|
Life vests
|
|
Life rafts
|
|
Life rafts
|
|
Shopping area was also very crowded with food booths and souvenir shops.
|
|
Souvenir shop
|
|
Crowd going home. It's a good idea to buy a round-trip ticket at Ikebukuro Station so you don't have to buy a return ticket here.
|
|
Train station entrance.
|
|
|
JAL (Japan Airiines) offers free tours of their maintenance facilities and their Sky Museum at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. You can see planes in a huge hangar being serviced. You have to make reservations at their website, but everything is in Japanese. They have four 90-min. tours almost daily, but only in Japanese. You should reserve weeks or months in advance because tours get booked up quickly. However, when people cancel their reservations, tours may open up. You have to keep checking. Children must be at least elementary school age. Shin Seibijo Station on the Haneda Monorail. JAL's maintenance hangar is a 10-15 min. walk from Shin Seibijo Station on the Haneda Monorail running from JR Hamamatsucho. http://www.jal.co.jp/kengaku/tour/
|
|
Go to the JAL Maintenance Center 1 Building and show your reservation to the reception. They will give you a pass. You can arrive 30 min. before the tour starts. Use the time to see this Sky Museum.The tour pass is on a JAL cell phone neck strap that you can keep.
*Note that if you take the tour and take pictures and want to post pictures online, you will need JAL's approval. They don't allow photos of JAL personnel and tour guests in online photos. All these photos have been approved by JAL for posting here.
|
|
JAL's "Sky Museum" shows JAL's history, interactive exhibits like a cockpit, first-class seats, and a special room showing special plane seats used by the emperor before Japan got its own Japanese Air Force One. In Japanese only though
|
|
A visitor tries an interactive exhibit for directing a JAL plane to a gate.
|
|
Cabin attendant uniforms throughout JAL's history (including TDA aka Japan Air System that merged with JAL).
|
|
JAL's first cabin attendant uniform appeared in Aug. 1951.
|
|
TDA's (Toa Domestic Airways) cabin attendant uniform (left) and JAS (Japan Air System) cabin attendant uniform. Bot TDA and JAS merged with JAL.
|
|
JAL's cabin attendant uniform worn in the 1970s (left) and 1980s (right).
|
|
History of JAL planes.
|
|
Historical model planes in JAL's Sky Museum. The museum is quite big, and we didn't have time to see everything.
|
|
Model of JAL Boeing 747.
|
|
|
The same type of happi coat the Beatles wore when they got off the JAL DC-8 ("Matsushima") at Haneda for their Budokan concerts in 1966.The back has the kanji for kotobuki (寿) meaning "celebration." Famous story behind how a JAL stewardess got John to wear the happi coat. "Wearing a happi coat when you land in Japan would make the fans really happy!" "Good idea!," said John who then wore it. The other Beatles followed and wore one too. A major, historic PR coup for JAL.
|
|
Vintage JAL luggage tags.
|
|
|
|
JAL's tour also started with a 30-min. talk and slide show in Japanese.
|
|
Wore hard hats and toured JAL's maintenance hangar for about 40 min. JAL's airplane maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport. Huge facility.
|
|
JAL Boeing 787.
|
|
Photography was permitted, but no videos. You can post photos online, but cannot show personnel (I assume faces) and the other tour participants. Also cannot show any plane from another airline which might be taxiing or flying outside in the background.
|
|
The lucky treat of the JAL tour was seeing Japan's Air Force One (actually, Air Force Two). The Japanese government plane that carries the prime minister or emperor.They are normally parked at Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. Flown by the Air Defense Force, but maintained by JAL. Japan's Air Force One/Two will be retired in 2019, to be replaced by Boeing 777. The new Boeing 777 will be maintained by ANA. Photos were allowed, but not allowed to be posted online.
|
|
One corner of the hangar preserved the cockpit/lounge section of the JAL "Fuji" DC-8. This was Japan's first passenger jet put into service in 1960, replacing prop planes. This plane had 104 seats, 36 first class and 68 tourist class.
|
|
About the JAL "Fuji" DC-8.
|
|
First class section of JAL's "Fuji" DC-8.
|
|
|
|
Tail of the JAL "Fuji" DC-8. Looks like they are restoring the plane.
|
|
JAL plane parked outside the maintenance hangar.JAL sent out an online questionaire afterward for feedback about the tour. I told them that many foreigners were also interested in the tours so they should provide foreign language info too. I'm told that there are no tours like this in the States.
|
|
Hokusai ukiyoe on the tail of a Cessna.
|
|
|
|
|
When you walk further down, you see the static displays of miltary aircraft.
|
|
On the left side were mostly helicopters and cargo aircraft.
|
|
|
|
On the right side, were mostly fighter planes.
|
|
Besides Yokota, these planes came from various places such as Kadena (Okinawa) and Misawa (Aomori) Air Bases.
|
|
I'm not an expert at military aircraft. I can only tell you the names of the most famous ones.
|
|
|
|
