Day 6, Gifu - Komaki, 04/11
 After
the not very satisfying day at Iruma yesterday this day began
with another bad surprise: we were not able to open the doors
in our room!! After close inspection xxx (name withheld ;))
succeeded in opening it using a spoon that has been shortly
before used for a good warming green tea. We paid directly
at the cashier desk, though no one was present at that time
there, and left quickly… with our deepest trust in Japanese
honesty.
At 09h15 we arrived near the approach at Gifu Airbase,
home of the Flight Test Centre of the JASDF. Beforehand we
drove around the airfield and inspected several spots which
did not seem very suitable for photography. Adding to a lot
of spiders that hang their horrible nets across a small footpath
we discovered also two YS-11 parked in front of a hangar at
the airfield, but the activity on base tended towards zero.
As there seemed to be no flying at all we went to the Kakamigahara
Museum (Link)
right nearby and visited the very interesting collection there.
(In the case of hearing some jet sound we could reach the
photo spot within some minutes). At the museum we also had
our first encounter with the huge Shin Meiwa flying boat!
Other interesting exhibits include several prototypes and
test aircraft from a small Saab S 91 to the UF-XS, the testbed
for the technologies that were later used in the Shin Meiwa.
Of course we were also attracted by the museum shop as we
were keen on getting some souvenirs in from of models, model
kits, cups, stickers and so on. The fact that we were a little
bit frustrated because of the recent happenings surely added
to the fact that we left the shop heavily loaded, and leaving
the lady at the cash desk back with a big smile in her face.
Kakamigahara Museum
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 Following
the visit, and no activity at Gifu, we decided to drive to
Komaki. The former civil airport of Nagoya is nowadays only
used by JAL Express operating Canadair CRJs, but our main
interest were the based C-130 Hercules of 401 Hikotai and
the Mitsubishi factory which might be good for some surprises.
But the main and most important goal there was to get one
flying Mitsubishi T-1. Only four examples of the trainer based
on the F-86 Sabre are still in active  service
and planned to be put out of service in 2006, so the chances
to see them once again were zero for us.
A J-Air CRJ welcomed us at our arrival and some helicopters,
of which the most important one, a JMSDF SH-60, used a slightly
different approach pattern and was thus not photographable.
Also the ramp was full of green and blue C-130 and we were
confident to get at least one of them. As we waited longer
and longer, all the local spotters have left in the meantime,
some British spotters that we have already met at Misawa arrived
and told us that today was a non-flying day within the whole
JASDF. Bummer… One wasted day, but at least we took some
nice photos at the museum.
Nagoya - Komaki Airport
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 One
of our guides told us that there was a "Zero" displayed
in the Terminal, but after looking in every corner there was
no sign of one and furthermore the visitors deck was closed,
which resulted also in no photos of the C-130. Disappointed
we left and declared Komaki already the worst airport on our
tour. We went back to Gifu and tried to take photos of the
gate guards (including a marvellously painted C-46 testbed),
but access to the collection was denied after a long talk
with the responsible persons.
We were fed up finally and went to the local McDonald's to
have a Teriyaki Burger and other good and tasty food.
 Then
we started another long leg (450km) with the destination Hiroshima.
Driving through the night after this disappointing day was
not easy and we did not talk a lot that time. Florian took
over the car most of the time and kept himself up with the
help of two Airmen's Beans. After this dose there was no sigh
of sleep for him for the next hours. I also cannot remember
who often we have listened to our three CDs (Dire Straits
& Fleetwood Mac Best Of and the Top Gun Soundtrack) that
I brought to Japan, but Florian and Patrick got fed up with
them and finally decided to turn the radio off.
 We
wanted to spend the night in a youth hostel in Hiroshima but
could not find it after more than one hour of driving through
the district where it should have been. We called the hostel
several times but after no one answered the phone after around
11pm our nerves laid blank. First the big disappointment and
Gifu and Komaki and now no place to sleep at Hiroshima…
Subsequently the tourist visit the next day was cancelled
and after a short photo stop at the "Atomic Bomb Dome"
memorial commemorating the drop of the atomic bomb "Fat
Boy" on August, 6th 1945. Sleeping nearby the "Peace
Park" would have been on option for us, but was rejected
because of the 'No parking'-signs around and mainly because
of the fact that we were really fed up with this city! So
we decided to leave the city (and never come back…) and
stopped at the next rest area on the motorway and spend there
another night in the car…
-> Iwakuni / Fukuoka
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