Yokota Airmen build partnerships at Iruma Air Show

  • Published
  • By Osakabe Yasuo
  • 374th Airlift Wing public affairs
IRUMA AIR BASE, Japan --  For the first time ever, Yokota aircraft were featured in a Japan Air Self-Defense Force tradition 46 years in the marking Monday, the Iruma Air Show.

With nearly 300,000 attendees, this was the largest event to be held in the Kanto Plain Region this year.

Yokota's 459th Airlift Squadron showcased its UH-1N Iroquois and C-12 Huron at the Air Show.

"The [Iruma Air Show] allowed Yokota Airmen to personally interact with the local community and showcase wing capability on a grand scale," said Lt. Col. William Martin, 459th Airlift Squadron commander. "[It] offered a unique bilateral engagement opportunity for the 374th Airlift Wing and the personnel of the 459 AS."

The event marked in important milestone in JASDF history -- its 60th anniversary.

"I was excited to see 290,000 people on the ramp at Iruma who shared my fascination and enthusiasm for military aircraft," said Capt. Doug Lincoln, 459th Airlift Squadron UH-1N pilot.  "Their invitation and reception made us feel like family."

The one-day air show was free and open to the public, and featured an aerial acrobatic performance by the JASDF's Blue Impulse as the main event. 

"Participating in an event alongside the JASDF and Blue Impulse was a remarkable privilege." said Martin. "It demonstrates the strong relationship between Iruma and Yokota and the commitment the 374 AW and 459 AS places on fostering this relationship in the future."