J.A.S.D.F.Chitose

[Latinbear]

The second part of our trip to Japan was up north to the island of Hokkaido and the base at Chitose. 

 

 

F15J Eagles of 201 & 203 Squadrons are based here along with the B747 7Cs of 701 Squadron, the Special Airlift Group. 

 

As you can see there was no shortage of snow which in places was over two feet deep. The weather was below freezing all day but it was glorious in the sun and only felt really cold when a bit of a breeze got up. That being said we had taken advice and wrapped up well. As per one of the shots below there was a mild snow storm at one point. 

 

I think we felt exceptionally lucky to see not only both 747s at the base but they also spent time doing circuits which was a huge bonus.

 

In terms of viewing opportunities we were a bit restricted by construction work being carried out on one of the taxiways hence the photogenic diggers in the background as well as fencing getting in the way. We did witness the strange phenomenon of the construction workforce (well over 100 men in one group) doing stretching exercises en masse before beginning work. I can't really see that catching on in the UK.

 

 

1. Both of these had finished flying for the day. 

 

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3. 203 Squadron

 

4. 201 Squadron

 

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34. The snow blower caught my eye. 

 

That's it. Thanks for looking. 

 

 

[Alpha Delta 210]

Great selection. I think my favourites would be 5, 8, 18 and 19.

 

Thanks for sharing these images from a very memorable-looking trip of rarely-seen subjects.

[RidgeRunner]

Another nice set. 5, 12 and 13 for me

 

Martin

[Latinbear]

3 hours ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

Great selection. I think my favourites would be 5, 8, 18 and 19.

 

Thanks for sharing these images from a very memorable-looking trip of rarely-seen subjects.

 

Ta v much. 747's don't really do it for me but seeing both in the air and their immaculate appearance against a blue sky was a huge treat. In shot 8 an inconsiderate airport worker had left a cargo container in the way which you can just see at the extreme right of shot.   

[modelling minion]

Awesome set of pics, the snow really makes for a great backdrop.

[spruecutter96]

An amazing set of images of some great hardware. 

 

You can see Japanese efficiency at work in these shots.... Two feet of snow on the ground and all the taxiways are clean as a whistle. Considering the UK's recent experience with adverse weather, it makes me think we have a lot to learn.

 

Thanks for sharing. 

 

Chris. 

[Latinbear]

Thanks for the generous comments chaps, glad you like the photos. Suffice to say it was a really good day with plenty of flying.

 

I noticed how clear the taxiways were too. Generally the roads outside the base and in Chitose itself were pretty clear too. However, their efficiency didn't stretch to the pavements which were as dangerous as any town in the UK after a snowfall and I nearly went base over apex a couple of times when wandering out in the evening. 

[stevehnz]

An amazing series of photos both these & your earlier ones. Thanks for sharing, really enjoying them.

Steve.

[Snitok1983]

CoooL!!!!! Excellent set of shots! Thanks for sharing!

What did the pilot show at his pad at shot 26?

[72modeler]

Thank you so much for sharing these awesome photos with all of us- the F-15 photos should be used as a guide for how to weather/scuff an Eagle realistically!

Mike

[Latinbear]

Thanks very much indeed for the compliments and I'm glad you enjoyed looking at them.

 

In shot 26 the pilot is holding up an image of a bear but the pixelation makes it very difficult to see the detail. I don't think it's a replication of the squadron badge and the Japanese script is really difficult to make out (not that I could understand it anyway). I would love to send the image to the squadron so the pilot can have a copy but how I would get in touch with them has been put in the too hard to think about box for now.