Where? Japan & China
When? November 2011

What, Japan... again??? Well, this trip to Asia was more or less arranged around the China Airshow 2010 at Zhuhai, but with the Tsuiki Open Day on the week-end before and going to this part of the world 'anyway' I thought it is a good decision to visit Japan again, even more so due to the fact that even after two visits to the Tsuiki show I did not have the chance to have really good weather there. A visit to the Hsinchu Open Doos in Taiwan, coinciding with the last Zhuhai week-end, should finally finish this 3-country trip.

By chance it came that Bernd of www.airshowpics.net accompanied me. I am sure that you will also find some photos on his website as well.

After a long flight via Vienna and a direct connection at Tokyo-Narita to Fukuoka I arrived at Kyushu, Japan's Southern Island, in nice sunny November weather at around 20°C.

While waiting for the connection flight to Fukuoka I have had the chance to do some spotting at Narita . During around one hour on that Sunday morning I got to see 4 Airbus A380 (two Lufthansa, 1 Air France, 1 Singapore Airlines) and as a highlight a special coloured China Airlines B738/w. Unfortunately the welcoming weather in Japan was not the best, but there would be other more important places during this trip where the sun would be more needed.

The final flight to FUK was very relaxing with only around 40 passengers on-board the ANA B737, but unfortunately we overflew Mt. Fuji directly, so there was no chance to spot the snow-covered top of Japan's most famous volcano mountain. A movie about Munich and its beer tradition made the flight pass by very quickly :)

After the arrival in Fukuoka I headed North with Iwakuni being the main target for the next day.
As the newly constructed runwaythere makes it better to photograph in the afternoon the plan to spend the first night at the Iwakuni Youth Hostel was slightly changed and instead a 'hotel' near the trainer places Hofu and Ozuki was chosen for the first night, when the real trip should start the next day.