Fire/Disaster Prevention
The crew of the Tokyo Fire Department’s fire attacker Eurocopter (Aérospatiale) AS332L1 Super Puma demonstrates the aircraft’s capabilities at its Tachikawa, Tokyo, base in November 2013.
A nation that is particularly prone to natural disasters, Japan has aviation units in place that conduct the full gamut of emergency, firefighting and relief operations. Including that covering the capital, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 16 cities and 39 of the country’s 47 prefectural administrations operate these dedicated, helicopter-equipped units. The 40th prefectural unit formed in Saga in April 2020, and its aircraft was being flight tested in August (see Bulletin Board page) with a view to becoming operational in March 2021.
Unlike the local fire department-controlled municipal units, which are independently operated, most prefectural governments prefer to outsource their aviation units’ operations to private company contractors. Maintaining a high degree of response readiness, units in the same region conduct regular joint training exercises that include the rehearsal and coordination of operations with Self-Defence Force elements.
J-HangarSpace will be winching itself down to delve into some fascinating aspects that will cover the aircraft, personnel, and operations of these units.
A typical scene during coordinated disaster response operations. This is Hanamaki airport, Iwate Prefecture, on April 11, 2011, exactly a month after the Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a
tsunami that devastated large areas of the Tohoku region. Closest to the camera is the Kobe City
Air Corps’ then BK117B-2 KOBE-I, which is parked alongside the Shizuoka Prefecture Air Rescue
Team’s BK117C-1 Orange Arrow. Just starting up at the back is the AS332L1 Hakuchō 6 from the
Tokyo Fire & Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) Flying Unit.
(Photo: 402SQC-1 via Wikimedia Commons)
In the meantime, as a temporary measure, tables listing the aircraft operated by each municipal or prefectural aviation unit have been added below. Interspersed with a growing number of photographs, these will eventually be moved to a separate Data File page.
In the case of the prefectural units, J-HangarSpace retains the name derived from the organisation under which each unit operates, officially known in English as a Disaster Prevention Bureau; it would be more accurate to refer to them as something like disaster relief aviation units. A unit’s unofficial English name, if any, appears after the formation date.
Please note that the in service date(s) for aircraft formerly operated are based on registration/cancellation data and are for guidance purposes only.
Named Yurikamome (Black-Headed Gull), Eurocopter (Aérospatiale) AS332L-1 Super Puma JA9676 sported twin nose-mounted hoses for tackling fires in high-rise buildings when operated by the
Tokyo Fire Department Aviation Unit. After 20 years’ service, this aircraft was replaced
by an EC225LP in 2008.
Operated by Honda Airways from Tochigi Heliport in Haga, Bell 412EP JA09TG Ooruri
(Blue-and-White Flycatcher) has been in service with the Tochigi Prefectural
Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit since 1997.
(All photographs on this website are copyright J-HangarSpace
unless otherwise stated.)
Municipal Fire Department Aviation Units
Chiba Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Chiba City Disaster Prevention Heliport, Chiba Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1992 (Fire Helicopter Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
AS365N2 | JA6687 | 6426 | Ootori 1 |
Jan. 1992 to Feb. 2006 |
AS365N3 |
JA119C | 6543 | Ootori 2 | Apr. 1, 1999 |
JA03CF | 6722 | Ootori | Feb. 1, 2006 | |
Last updated: July 24, 2013 |
Named Ootori after a legendary bird, Eurocopter (Aérospatiale) AS365N3 JA03CF has been operational with Chiba City’s Fire Helicopter Corps since February 2006.
Fukuoka Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Fukuoka Airport, Fukuoka Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1975 (Fukuoka City Fire Prevention Bureau [FPB]) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
SA.316B Alouette III | JA9136 | 2214 |
Feb. 1975 to April 1996* |
|
AS365N1 | JA9966 | 6328 | Yurikamome |
Jan. 1990 to Feb. 2008 |
AS365N2 | JA119F | 6500 | Hoojiro | Apr. 1, 1997 to Jan. 2018 |
AS365N3 | JA08FC | 6790 | Yurikamome | Apr. 1, 2008 |
AS365N3+ | JA18AR | 7019 | Hoojiro | Feb. 1, 2018** |
* Alouette III on display at Fukuoka Municipal Disaster Control Centre ** Contract for AS365N3+ announced Oct. 13, 2016 for spring 2018 delivery |
||||
Last updated: Mar. 16, 2018 |
The two helicopters currently in service with the Fukuoka City FPB. (Above) AS365N2 Hoojiro (Siberian Meadow Bunting), seen at Fukuoka airport in December 2008, and (below) AS365N3 Yurikamome (Black-headed Gull), at the same location in November 2012.
(Photos: Amayagan via Wikimedia Commons)
Hamamatsu Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Hamamatsu Disaster Prevention Heliport, Shizuoka Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 2009 (Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
AS365N3 | JA119X | 6877 | Hamakaze | Dec. 16, 2009 |
Last updated: July 9, 2013 |
Hiroshima Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Hiroshima-Nishi Airfield, Hiroshima Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1990 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
AS365N1 | JA9978 | 6336 | Hiroshima |
Feb. 1990 to July 2006 |
AS365N3 | JA05HC | 6728 | Hiroshima | April 1, 2006 |
Last updated: July 9, 2013 |
Kawasaki Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit (Kanagawa Prefecture) | ||||
Base | Tokyo Heliport | |||
Date Formed | July 1, 1985 (Kawasaki Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-2 | JA9620 | 1011 | Soyokaze 1 |
May 1985 to May 2005 |
BK117B-2 | JA6730 | 1098 | Soyokaze 2 | Apr. 1, 1994 |
BK117C-2 | JA01KF | 4008 | Soyokaze 1 | Apr. 1, 2005 |
AS365N3+ | JA02KF | 6999 | Soyokaze 2 | (See Note) |
Note: Signed contract with Airbus Helicopters Japan for AS365N3+ April 30, 2014. Test flown at Kobe mid-July 2015 | ||||
Last updated: Nov. 19, 2015 |
Then named Soyokaze (Zephyr) 2, the Kawasaki Air Rescue MBB/Kawasaki BK117B-2 was on static
display at JMSDF Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, October 6, 2013. This aircraft was supplemented by
a brand-new AS365N3+ in 2015 and renamed Soyokaze 1.
Kita-Kyushu Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Kita-Kyushu Airport, Fukuoka Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | May 14, 1993 (Kita-Kyushu Fire Aviation Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
AS365N2 | JA6701 | 6473 | Kitakyuu |
1993–2010 |
AS365N3 | JA10KC | 6903 | Kitakyuu | Apr. 12, 2010 |
Last updated: July 9, 2013 |
Kobe Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Kobe Heliport, Hyogo Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 1972 (Kobe City Air Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
Hughes 368HS | JA9069 | 6619 |
Oct. 1971 to Mar. 1988 |
|
Bö105S | JA9556 | S-435 |
Jan. 1981 to Nov. 2003 |
|
BK117 |
JA9608 |
1006
|
KOBE-II ? |
July 1984 to July 1990 |
BK117A-4 | KOBE-II ? |
July 1990 to Sept. 1995 |
||
BK117B-2 | KOBE-III |
Sept. 1995 to Nov. 2007 |
||
BK117B-2 | JA6739 | 1099 | KOBE-I | Dec. 1994 to (2015) |
|
JA28HY* | 4009 | Mar. 2006 | |
JA02KB | 4010 | KOBE-II | Mar. 2007 | |
JA01HK | 4034 | HYOGO/KOBE-I | Flight tested at Gifu, Sept. 2014** | |
* JA28HY entrusted to Kobe from Hyogo Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit ** Order announced by KHI Oct. 15, 2013, del. Jan. 21, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Feb. 24, 2015 |
The Kobe City Air Corps’ BK117C-2 KOBE-II passes over the city’s Port Island in September 2008. The Air Corps is attached to the Keibōtai (literally Civilian Guard Unit) of the city’s Fire Department and operates its helicopters jointly with the Hyogo Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit.
(Photo: “J o” via Wikimedia Commons)
Kyoto Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Kyoto Disaster Prevention Heliport, Kyoto Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1972 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
SA.316B Alouette III | JA9072 | 1887 | Kyoto |
Mar. 1972 to June 1992* |
SA365N1 Dauphin 2 | JA9673 | 6290 | Hiei |
Jan. 1998 to Aug. 2005* |
AS365N2 | JA6688 | 6428 | Atago |
Jan. 1992** |
AS365N3 |
JA911A | 6671 | Hiei | Apr. 2005 |
JA02FD | 6924 | Atago | Aug. 2011 | |
* JA9072 displayed at Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Center until replaced by JA9673 Aug. 2005 ** JA6688 eventually leased to Miyagi Prefectural DPAU Oct. 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013 |
||||
Last updated: Oct. 4, 2013 |
Nagoya Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Nagoya Airport, Aichi Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1973 (Air Rescue Nagoya) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
SA.316B Alouette III | JA9093 | 1988 | Nagoya |
Feb. 1973 to Sept. 1991 |
SA365C1 Dauphin 2 | JA9557 | 5044 |
Feb. 1981 to July 1996* |
|
AS365N1 | JA9693 | 6304 | Nagoya |
Apr. 1988 to July 2007 |
AS365N2 | JA6779 | 6496 | Nagoya 2 | Mar. 29, 1996 to 2015? |
AS365N3 | JA758A | 6758 | Nagoya → Nobunaga |
Mar. 16, 2007 Renamed Sept. 2014 |
AS365N3+ | JA08AR | 7001 | Hideyoshi | Apr. 1, 2015** |
* JA9557 on display at the Nagoya Municipal Minato Disaster Prevention Center ** JA08AR registered Oct. 27, 2014 and commissioned Mar. 20, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Nov. 19, 2015 |
(Above) Former Nagoya Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit Alouette III JA9093 was placed on display at
the then Kakamigahara Aerospace and Science Museum, Gifu Prefecture, in March 1996. Seen here in
October 2000, the aircraft was eventually passed on to The Association for the
Preservation of Helicopter History in July 2016.
Its successor was AS365N2 Nagoya 2 (below), which was renamed Hideyoshi in September 2014.
Okayama Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Konan Airport, Okayama Prefecture | |||
Date Formed |
Apr. 1, 1997 (Fire Defence & Prevention Div., Aviation Control Office / Okayama Air Rescue) |
|||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA6793 | 1108 | Momotarou | Nov. 28, 1996 |
BK117C-2 | JA33BK | 4035 | Momotarou | [See Note] |
Replacement BK117C-2 order announced Jan. 22, 2014, delivery announced Mar. 27, 2015 | ||||
Last updated: May 15, 2015 |
Okayama Air Rescue’s BK117C-2 replaced an earlier model ‘C-1 in 2015. (Photo: KHI)
Osaka Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | |||||
Base | Yao Airport, Osaka Prefecture | ||||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1970 | ||||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
|
Hughes 369S | JA9040 | 1090207S |
Mar. 1977 to July 1988 |
||
SA.316B Alouette III | JA9146 | 2251 | Oosaka 2 |
Jan. 1976 to June 1993 |
|
SA365N Dauphin 2 | JA9649 | 6218 | Oosaka |
Dec. 1986 to Jul. 2005 |
|
AS365N2 | JA6700 | 6438 | Naniwa |
Feb. 1993 to July 2010 |
|
AS365N3 |
JA050F | 6695 | Oosaka | April 1, 2005 | |
JA100F | 6897 | Naniwa | April 1, 2010 | ||
Note: Airbus Helicopters announced order for H155 (to replace JA050F) Oct. 23, 2019. | |||||
Last updated: Dec. 4, 2019 |
Sapporo Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Ishikari Heliport, Hokkaido Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Mar. 1, 1991 (Sapporo Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412 | JA6636 | 36008 | Sapporo 2 | March 1, 1991 |
Bell 412EP | JA119L* | 36462 | Sapporo 1 | April 1, 2009 |
AW139** | JA17AR | 41519 | Sapporo | ex-N592SH |
* Bell 412EP delivered as N6317X ** AW139 first registered to Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Aug. 2016, fitted out at Toyo Aviation, Chofu Airport from Oct. and test flown Jan./Feb. 2017 |
||||
Last updated: Mar. 1, 2017 |
Sapporo Air Rescue Bell 412EP Sapporo 2 seen at Okadama airport, Hokkaido, in October 2007.
(Photo: “100yen” via Wikimedia Commons)
Sendai Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Sendai Airport, Miyagi Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1993 (Sendai Fire Aviation) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-1 |
JA6698 |
1103 |
Sendai |
Oct. 1992 to Sept. 1993 |
BK117B-2 |
Sept. 1993 to Sept. 2011* |
|||
Bell 412EP |
JA119T | 36372 | Keyaki | Nov. 2005 |
JA119J | 36538 | Sendai | Mar. 2011 | |
* JA6698 damaged in tsunami Mar. 11, 2011, registration cancelled Sept. 2011 | ||||
Last updated: July 24, 2013 |
One of the two Bell 412EPs operated by the Sendai Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit, JA119T is named Keyaki (zelkova) after the tree chosen to symbolize Miyagi Prefecture.
(Photo: Ebiebi2 via Wikimedia Commons)
Shizuoka Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Shizuoka Heliport, Shizuoka Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 2008* (Shizuoka City Fire Bureau Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA119P | 36439 | Kawasemi | Mar. 28, 2008 |
* Started operations Oct. 1, 2008 | ||||
Last updated: July 24, 2013 |
Tokyo Fire & Disaster Management Agency Flying Unit | ||||
Base | Tokyo Heliport and JGSDF Tachikawa, Tokyo | |||
Date Formed | Nov. 1, 1966 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
SE.3160 Alouette III |
JA9020 | 1376 | Chidori |
Mar. 1967 to Feb. 1983* |
JA9027 | 1516 |
Jan. 1969 to Dec. 1985 |
||
SA.316A Alouette III |
JA9071 | 1877 | Kamome |
Mar. 1972 to Aug. 1988* |
JA9121 | 2000 |
May 1974 to Nov. 1990 |
||
SA365N Dauphin 2 |
JA9569 | 6029 | Chidori |
Mar. 1982 to June 1997* |
JA9610 | 6138 |
Jan. 1985 to June 2001 |
||
AS365N1 |
JA9692 | 6305 | Kamome 3 |
May 1988 to Aug. 2009 |
JA9980 | 6334 | Tsubame 5 |
Feb. 1990 to Sept. 2010 |
|
SA330F Puma | JA9512 | 1141 |
Nov. 1972 to Aug. 1988** |
|
AS332L1 | JA9676 | 2201 | Yurikamome 4 |
Jan. 1988 to Nov. 2008 |
AS332L1 |
JA6720 | 2397 | Hakuchou 6 | Mar. 14, 1994*** |
JA119B | 2540 | Hibari 2 | June 9, 2001 | |
EC225LP |
JA119Y | 2678 | Yurikamome 4 | Mar. 27, 2008 |
JA71KT | 2885 | Konotori 7 | Delivered Sept. 2013 | |
JA62HC | 2901 | Hakuchou 6 | Arr. Kobe Mar. 3, 2014 | |
AS365N2 | JA119A | 6508 | Chidori 1 | Mar. 28, 1997+ |
AW139 |
JA05FD | 41324 | (See Note*) | |
JA14TD | 41518 | Chidori 1 | (See Note**) | |
AS365N3 |
JA01FD | 6691 | Ootaka | Dec. 22, 2005 |
JA119E | 6839 | Kamome 3 | Mar. 27, 2009 | |
JA119G | 6893 | Tsubame 5 | Mar. 25, 2010 | |
AW189*** | JA24HB | 89012 | Hibari 2 | (At Nagoya, June 2019) |
* On display at Tokyo Fire Museum, Yotsuya 3-10, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004 *** Order announced Oct. 16, 2017 |
||||
Last updated: Mar. 23, 2020 |
Formerly operated from Tokyo heliport, this SA330F was put out to grass at the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences in August 1989. (Photo [Sept. 2013]: Alec Wilson via Wikimedia Commons)
AW139 JA14TD Chidori 1, one of the new guard now operating with the Tokyo service.
(Photo: さくらもち (Sakuramochi) via Twitter @Zpp4O7)
(Above and below) Taken at Tachikawa in November 2013, these two views are of JA119E
Kamome (Seagull), one of the three Eurocopter (Aérospatiale) AS365N3s operated by the
Tokyo Fire Department.
Yokohama Municipal Firefighting Aviation Unit | ||||
Base | Yokohama Heliport, Kanagawa Prefecture | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1980 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
SA365C1 Dauphin 2 | JA9544 | 5064 |
Feb. 1980 to July 1995 |
|
AS365N | JA9585 | 6069 |
Feb. 1983 to July 1998 |
|
AS365N2 | JA6740* | 6477 | Hamachidori 1 |
Mar. 1995 to ? |
AS365N2 | JA98YH** | 6528 | Hamachidori 2 | Apr. 1, 1998 |
AW139 |
JA131Y | 41315 | Hamachidori 1 | Apr. 1, 2013 |
JA152Y*** | 41385 | Hamachidori 2 | ||
* Formerly G-BYUR; ** N6400J; *** Being test flown at FHI Utsunomiya late Feb. 2015 to replace JA6740 | ||||
Last updated: Apr. 5, 2018 |
Yokohama heliport-based AS365N2 Hamachidori 1 (Plover 1) seen giving an air rescue demonstration during the Yokohama Fire Department’s New Year Parade in January 2013.
(Photo: Toshinori Baba via Wikimedia Commons)
Another fine action shot, this time of sister aircraft AS365N2 Hamachidori 2 in August 2014
(Photo: Mj-bird via Wikimedia Commons)
The first of the Yokohama AW139s comes to the end of its display at the 2014 edition of the New Year
fire department festival. Maintaining the tradition, both aircraft have retained the name of their
predecessors, Hamachidori (Plover). (Photo ‘shampoorobot’ via Wikimedia Commons)
Prefectural Disaster Prevention Bureau Aviation Units
Aichi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Nagoya Airfield | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1996 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6792 | 36117 | Wakashachi | Oct. 1, 1996* |
Bell 412EPI** | JA23AR | 37013 | Wakashachi | c. July 2017 |
* Aircraft first registered June 1996 (ex N92115), reg’n cancelled and sold in Australia Apr. 2018 |
||||
Last updated: Nov. 9, 2018 |
Aichi Prefecture’s Bell 421EP is set to to be replaced by a 412EPI, reportedly in the same colour scheme.
(Photo: CHIYODA I [Sept. 2015] via Wikimedia Commons)
Akita Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | (Independently operated*) | |||
Base | Akita Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1999 (Akita Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA6848 | 1123 | Namahage | Mar. 30, 1999 |
BK117C-2** | JA05AR | 4042 | Namahage | Flight tested at Gifu late Nov. 2016 |
* Pilots loaned from Akita Prefectural Police ** KHI announced order for replacement BK117C-2 Dec. 28, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Dec. 26, 2016 |
Aomori Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Aomori Airport | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 1, 1995 (Shirakami Disaster Relief Aviation Unit) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6750 | 36090 | Shirakami | Mar. 22, 1995* |
Bell 412EPI | JA16AM | 37003 | Shirakami | (See note**) |
* Date of handover ceremony. Aircraft first registered Feb. 1995 (ex N2186H) ** First Bell 412EPI order from Japan placed with Bell Helicopter Textron May 12, 2015, ff of type in Japan Mar. 15, 2016, at Nagoya Airport |
||||
Last updated: Apr. 29, 2016 |
Ehime Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Air Ehime, Inc. | |||
Base | Matsuyama Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1993 (Ehime Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA6679 | 1106 | Ehime 21 | Apr. 1, 1996 |
BK117C-2 | JA117E | 4037 | Ehime 21 | (First flew Sept. 29, 2015) |
Last updated: Nov. 19, 2015 |
Fukui Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Central Helicopter Service Ltd. | |||
Base | Fukui Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1996 (Fukui Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA291F | 1112 | Blue Arrow | Mar. 31, 1997 |
BK117C-2 | JA291A | 4036 | Blue Arrow | (See Note) |
Replacement BK117C-2 order announced by KHI Oct. 16, 2014, test flown early May 2015, handed over at Yao Sept. 11, delivery announced Oct. 19, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Jan. 26, 2016 |
Fukushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Fukushima Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1998 (Fukushima Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA821F | 36174 | Fukushima | Apr. 1, 1998* |
* Aircraft first registered Dec. 1997 (ex N5609J) | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 7, 2013 |
Gifu Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Independently operated (Bell 412EP); Central Helicopter Service Ltd. (BK117) |
|||
Base | JASDF Gifu | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1994 (Gifu Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA6724 | 1094 | Wakaayu I |
Jan. 31, 1994* to ? |
Bell 412EP | JA96GF | 36124 | Wakaayu II |
Sept. 1996 (ex N6266T)** |
Bell 412EP | JA119V | 36537 | Wakaayu III |
Mar. 23, 2011*** |
BK117C-2 | JA21AR | 4032 | Wakaayu I |
See Note (+) below |
* Emergency operations from April 1, 1994 ** Written off in tragic accident when on rescue mission in mountains near Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Sept. 11, 2009 *** Emergency operations from No. 17, 2011 (joint use with Gifu Prefectural Police) |
||||
Last updated: Oct. 25, 2014 |
Gunma Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | (Independently operated) | |||
Base | Gunma Heliport, Maebashi* | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 1, 1997 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA200G | 36132 | Haruna | May 20, 1997* |
AW139** | ||||
* See Location Report 2 |
||||
Last updated: May 23, 2019 |
Bell 412EP JA200G Haruna overflies its home base of Gunma Heliport in Maebashi in 2013.
After 21 years’ service, this aircraft was lost in a tragic accident in August 2018.
Hiroshima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Hiroshima Airport | |||
Date Formed | July 11, 1996 (Hiroshima Maple) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6774 | 36113 | Meipuru |
Feb. 1996 to ? (ex N32929) |
AW139 | JA12HP | 41279 | Meipuru | Jan. 1, 2013 |
Last updated: Aug. 8, 2013 |
Hokkaido Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Aero Asahi Corporation | |||
Base | Sapporo-Okadama Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1996 (Hokkaido Government Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
Bell 412 | JA9986 | 33198 | Suzuran |
Dec. 2005* |
Bell 412EP | JA6775 | 36109 | Hamanasu 2 | Apr. 1, 1996** |
AS365N3+*** | JA01HR | 7027 | Hamanasu | |
* JA9986 originally registered Feb. 1990, returned to Aero Asahi circa Oct. 2012 ** JA6775 orginally registered Feb. 1996 (ex N3292N) |
||||
Last updated: Apr. 24, 2019 |
A crewman keeps watch from a side window as the pilot manoeuvres Hamanasu (Sweet Briar) 2 at Okadama airport in October 2007. (Photo: “100 yen” via Wikimedia Commons)
(Photo [Okadama, October 2019]: CJ @armingarea1836)
Hyogo Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | (Independently operated)* | |||
Base | Kobe Heliport | |||
Date Formed | July 8, 1980* (Air Rescue Hyogo-Kobe) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117A-4 |
JA9909
|
1019 |
Hyogo
|
Aug. 1988 to July 1989** |
BK117B-1 |
July 1989 to July 1996** |
|||
BK117B-2 |
July 1996 to May 2007** |
|||
BK117C-2 | JA28HY | 4009 | Hyogo | Mar. 31, 2006 |
* Commenced with Hyogo Prefetural Police Bell 222, operations now undertaken in conjunction with Kobe Municipal Disaster Prevention Bureau Aviation Unit ** First deployment dates for JA9909: Oct. 13, 1988 (as BK117A-4); July 14, 1989 (‘B-1); July 30, 1996 (‘B-2) |
||||
Last updated: Aug. 9, 2013 |
Ibaraki Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Tsukuba Aviation Co., Ltd. (TKB) | |||
Base | Tsukuba Heliport, Tsukuba | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1995 (Tsukuba Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-1 | JA6743 | 1101 | Tsukuba |
Mar. 1995 to Mar. 2011 |
BK117C-2 | JA298R | 4016 | Tsukuba | Nov. 15, 2010* |
* JA298R first registered Aug. 2010 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 8, 2013 |
Ishikawa Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Komatsu Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1997 (Ishikawa Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA893F | 36134 | Hakusan | Apr. 1, 1997* |
* Aircraft first registered Dec. 1996 (ex N34957) | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 8, 2013 |
Iwate Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Toho Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Hanamaki Airport | |||
Date Formed | Aug. 1, 1996 (Iwate Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6776 | 36114 | Himekami | Mar. 1996* |
AW139 | JA10TE | 41506 | Himekami | Flt tested Jan. 2016 |
* Aircraft first registered Feb. 1996 (ex N3293A), replaced by AW139 and with Nagano DPAU in Sept. 2018 | ||||
Last updated: Dec. 12, 2018 |
Kagawa Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Shikoku Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Takamatsu Airport | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 20, 1994 (Kagawa Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-2 | JA6729 | 1095 | Olive |
Mar. 1994 to Dec. 2008 |
BK117C-2 | JA119K | 4013 | Olive II | Feb. 1, 2009* |
* Aircraft first registered Oct. 2008 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 8, 2013 |
Kagoshima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Kagoshima International Aviation Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Makurazaki Airfield | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1998 (Air Rescue Crew) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA97KG | 36175 | Satsuma | June 1, 1998* |
AW139** | ||||
* Aircraft first registered Dec. 1997 (ex N6317X) ** Delivery of AW139 announced by Mitsui Bussan Mar. 4, 2019 |
||||
Last updated: Apr. 9, 2019 |
Kochi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | (Independently operated) | |||
Base | Kochi-Ryoma Airport | |||
Date Formed | Feb. 1, 1996 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
S-76B | JA6759 | 760428 | Ryoma | Apr. 22. 1996* (Kochi Air Rescue) |
AW139 | JA05FD | 41324 | April 1, 2014** | |
* Start of operations. Aircraft first registered Nov. 1995 ** JA05FD operated by Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) |
||||
Last updated: July 11, 2014 |
Kumamoto Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Amakusa Airlines Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Kumamoto Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 2001 (Air Rescue Kumamoto) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
AS365N3 | JA15KM | 6585 | Hibari | Feb. 13, 2001* |
JA90MT | JA90MT | 7009 | Hibari | April 2018 |
* Aircraft first registered Feb. 2001 |
||||
Last updated: May 2, 2018 |
Mie Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Nakanihon Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Tsushi Isewan Heliport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1993 (Mie Disaster Prevention Unit) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6703 | 36045 | Mie | Mar. 17, 1993* |
AW139 | JA119M | 41515 | Mie | Flt tests early 2017 |
* Aircraft first registered Jan. 1993 (ex N31409) | ||||
Last updated: July 31, 2017 |
Part of the fleet belonging to Nakanihon Air Service, the Mie Disaster Prevention Unit’s aircraft operator, Bell 412 JA6767 Mie plays a key role during a rescue mission on Mount Gozaisho in November 2010. On occasion, prefectures operating just one helicopter are provided with a
temporary replacement to cover their usual aircraft’s extended maintenance absences.
This same aircraft has also seen service with the Aichi Prefecture unit.
(Photo: Alpsdake via Wikimedia Commons)
Mie Disaster Prevention Unit’s AW139 at JGSDF Akeno, November 2019
(Photo: ぷに一 [@NikonskyF16])
Miyagi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Tohoku Air Service, Inc. | |||
Base | Sendai Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1991 (Miyagi Disaster Prevention Aviation Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-1 |
JA6654 |
1102 |
Miyagi
|
1991 to Feb. 1996 |
BK117B-2 |
Feb. 1996 to circa 2010 |
|||
BK117C-2 | JA612M | 4011 |
(See Notes)
|
|
BK117C-1 | JA6708 | 1104 | ||
AS365N2 | JA6688 | 6428 | ||
AS365N3+ | JA04FD | 6960 | Miyagi | Aug. 6, 2013 (See Notes) |
Notes: JA612M first registered Jan. 2008, commenced operations Mar. 1 same year. Damaged beyond repair by tsunami at Sendai Airport, Mar. 11, 2011 JA6708 formerly Nagasaki Prefectural Disaster Prevention aircraft, in service bearing full markings Aug. 2012 (unmarked in Sept. 2012), eventually passed to private air ambulance service JA6688 formerly Kyoto Municipal Disaster Prevention aircraft, unmarked in Mar. 2012 prior to receiving Miyagi/Eurocopter markings, leased from Oct. 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013 (Also, besides three longer BK117 leases 2011–2012, leased BK117B-1 JA6662 for a month Feb. 2012) JA04FD loaned from Fire and Disaster Management Agency (part of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) since Jan. 2012. Announced as new Miyagi Aug. 2013. |
||||
Last updated: Aug. 9, 2013 |
Formerly operated by the Nagasaki Air Rescue, BK117C-1 JA6708 was drafted in to replace a Miyagi aircraft damaged beyond economic repair by the tsunami of March 11, 2011, and was one of the three BK117s to bear the prefecture’s name. Photographed when flying over its base at Sendai airport in August 2012, the aircraft was later sold to a private air ambulance service.
(Photo: Tettoumania2358 via Wikimedia Commons)
Miyazaki Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Kagoshima International Aviation Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Miyazaki Airport | |||
Date Formed | Oct. 1, 2004 (Miyazaki Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA99MZ | 36328 | Aozora | Oct. 1, 2004* |
* Aircraft first registered July 2004 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 9, 2013 |
The Miyazaki Prefecture Bell 412EP was present at the Nyutabaru air show in December 2012.
Somewhat at odds with its colour scheme, the name on the side of the cabin,
Aozora, means blue sky. (Photo: Takao Kadokami)
Nagano Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | (Independently operated) | |||
Base | Matsumoto Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1997 (Nagano Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA97NA | 36135 | Arupusu (Alps) | Apr. 1, 1997* |
Bell 412HP** | JA412V | 30618 | Aug. 2014 to Dec. 2015 | |
Bell 412EP*** | JA6776 | 36114 | Sept. 1, 2018 | |
Bell 412EPI+ | JA02NA | 37042 | Arupusu (Alps) | |
* Aircraft first registered Jan. 1997 (ex N34961) Written off in crash during training exercise Mar. 5, 2017 ** Kagoshima International Aviation Co., Ltd. aircraft used as temporary cover. *** Operated by Iwate Prefecture until 2016, stop-gap measure pending ‘EPI delivery + Ordered Nov. 7, 2018, delivery ceremony Nov. 16, 2020. See postscript to Mar. 5, 2017 Bulletin Board story |
||||
Last updated: Dec. 27, 2020 |
The Nagano Air Rescue Team’s distinctively coloured Bell 412EP at rest amid the disappearing snow at
Matsumoto Airport in April 2010. This aircraft was lost in a tragic accident in March 2017.
(Photo: contri via Wikimedia Commons)
Alps (Nagano Air Rescue Team website photo gallery)
Alps was the first helicopter in Japan to be modified with a Fast Fin or Dual Tailboom Strakes (DTS)
system, a modification designed to improve handling at low speed and in the hover. The fin bore the
logo that appears on the Nagano Prefecture flag, a stylized ナ (‘na’) for Nagano that has the
appearance of a bird in flight. (Nagano Air Rescue Team website photo gallery)
The Bell 421EPI destined for Nagano Prefecture during flight testing. The unit officially accepted
delivery of its new Alps on November 16, 2020. Built by Bell, the aircraft was procured and
equipped by SUBARU. (Photo [Utsunomiya, Sept. 2020]: Senda Jet via Twitter @santa463)
Nagasaki Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Oriental Air Bridge Co., Ltd (ORC) | |||
Base | JMSDF Ohmura | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1996 (Nagasaki Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-1 |
JA6708
|
1104 |
Nagasaki |
(Mar. 1993) to Feb. 1995 |
BK117B-2 |
Feb. 1995 to Feb. 2001 |
|||
BK117C-1 |
Feb. 2001 to ? |
|||
AS365N3 | JA119Z | 6939 | Nagasaki | Apr. 1, 2012* |
* First registered March 2012, test flights conducted at Osaka-Itami Airport same month | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
Nara Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Toho Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Nara Prefectural Heliport, Nara | |||
Date Formed | Oct. 1, 1998 (Nara Air Rescue) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA99NA | 36214 | Oct. 1, 1998?* | |
Bell 412EP | JA20NA | 36243 | Yamato 2000 | Aug. 22, 2000** |
* (Ex C-GBUB, N4446M). Written off in non-fatal accident at Totsukawa, Nara Prefecture, July 13, 1999 ** Aircraft first registered May 2000 (ex N6400J) |
||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
Niigata Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Aero Asahi Corporation | |||
Base | Niigata Airport | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 20, 1995 (Niigata Air Rescue Crew) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
S-76B | JA6747 | 760414 | Hakuchou | Feb. 28, 1995* |
AW139 | JA15AR | 41386 | Hakuchou** | |
* Aircraft first registered Dec. 1994 (ex N3292N), started operations April 1, 1995 ** Registered to Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, Mar. 5, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Sept. 1, 2015 |
The Niigata Air Rescue S-76B passes low over its home base in August 2011.
(Photo: “Cp9asngf” via Wikimedia Commons)
Oita Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Kyushu Airways Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Ou Airfield, Bungo-Ono | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1997 (Air Rescue Oita) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA01TA | 1111 | Toyokaze | June 1, 1997* |
BK117C-2 | JA104W | 4041 | Flt tested Aug. 2016** | |
* Aircraft first registered Mar. 1997, reg’n cancelled and sold to NZ May 2018 ** KHI announced replacement BK117C-2 order Nov. 4, 2015, due for delivery by end Feb. 2017 |
||||
Last updated: Nov. 13, 2018 |
Air Rescue Oita’s BK-117C-1 was replaced by a ‘C-2 in 2016. (Photo: Takao Kadokami)
Okayama Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Shikoku Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Okayama Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 2009 (Okayama Pref. Fire Aviation Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA119H | 36503 | Kibi | June 8, 2009* |
* Aircraft first registered in Mar. 2009 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
Saga Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | SGC Saga Aviation Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Saga International Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 2020 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117D-2* | JA153L | 36094 | (Mar/Apr. 2021) | |
* Aircraft flight tested from Gifu, August 2020 (See Bulletin Board) | ||||
Last updated: Oct. 10, 2020 |
Saitama Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Honda Airways Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Honda Airport, Kawajima | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 1, 1991 (Saitama Disaster Prevention Air Squadron [DPAS]) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
AS365N2 | JA6644 | 6386 | Arakawa 1 | Jan. 1991 to July 2007 |
SA365N | JA9557 | 6051 | Aug. 1996 to Sept. 2004 | |
AS365N3 | JA31TM | 6729 | Jan. 2006* | |
AS365N3 | JA31KN | 6587 | Arakawa 2 | Apr. 1, 2001 |
AW139** |
JA31AR | 41275 | Arakawa 3 | |
JA03FD | 41274 | Arakawa 4 | ||
* JA31TM written off in tragic accident during mountain rescue mission near Otaki, Saitama Prefecture, July 25, 2010 ** Both AW139s first registered in Dec. 2011; JA03FD operated by Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) |
||||
Last updated: Aug. 9, 2013 |
Arakawa 2 being put through its paces on a hazy day at Honda Airport in Saitama.
Shiga Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Osaka Aviation Inc. | |||
Base | Hino Heliport, Osaka Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1996 (Air Rescue Shiga) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-2 | JA6763 | 1105 | Aha-umi | Dec. 1995 to 2012* |
AS365N3 | JA25LB | 6926 | Aha-umi | Sept. 20, 2011** |
* Sold to Australian operator April 2012 ** First registered Dec. 2010 |
||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
A fine shot of Air Rescue Shiga’s distinctive AS365N3 in action on Mount Ibuki, Maibara, in
February 2014. (Photo: Alpsdake via Wikimedia Commons)
Shimane Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Central Helicopter Service Ltd. | |||
Base | Izumo Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1994 (Shimane Air Rescue Team [SART]) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
BK117B-2 | JA6723 | 1092 | Hakuchou | Jan. 1995 to 2013* |
BK117C-2 | JA32AR | 4022 | Hakuchou | Nov. 29, 2012** |
* New U.S. registration N521KK pending May 2013 ** First registered July 2012 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
Shizuoka Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Shizuoka Air Commuter Corporation | |||
Base | Shizuoka Heliport, Shizuoka | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1997 (Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
In Service Date(s)/ First Deployment Date |
AS365N1 | JA9933 | 6314 | Mar. 1989* to 2009 | |
BK117C-1 | JA119R | 1110 | Orange Arrow | Apr. 1, 1997** |
AW139*** | JA139R | 41539 | ||
* Operations date back to 1989, but were consigned to Shizuoka Prefectural Police until 1997. ** First registered Feb. 1997 ***Present at Shizuoka Heliport Sept. 2018 |
||||
Last updated: Nov. 13, 2018 |
Tochigi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Honda Airways Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Tochigi Heliport, Haga | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1997 (Tochigi Flying Corps) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA09TG | 36130 | Ooruri | Feb. 18, 1997* |
AW139 | JA09TR | 41514 | Ooruri | Mar. 24, 2017** |
* Aircraft first registered Nov. 1996 (ex N6267J) ** Mitsui Bussan Aerospace had announced order for AW139 Dec. 17, 2015 |
||||
Last updated: Apr. 14, 2017 |
Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Shikoku Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Tokushima Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1998 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA109R | 1116 | Uzushio | June 10, 1998* |
BK117C-2 | JA109A | 4044 | Uzushio | Jan. 24, 2018** |
* Aircraft first registered Mar. 1998 ** KHI announced order for replacement BK117C-2 Jan. 6, 2016, and its delivery on Sept. 28, 2017 |
||||
Last updated: Mar. 16, 2018 |
Toksuhima took delivery of this BK117C-2 in September 2017. (Photo: KHI)
Tottori Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Aero Asahi Corporation | |||
Base | Tottori Airport | |||
Date Formed | July 6, 1998 (Tottori Air Rescue Team) | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA31TT | 36167 | Tottori | Feb. 2, 1998* |
AW139 | JA31TA | 41381 | Daisen | c. March 2015 |
* Aircraft first registered in Nov. 1997 (ex N7224Q) | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2017 |
Toyama Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Toho Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Toyama Airport | |||
Date Formed |
Apr. 1, 1996 (Toyama Fire & Disaster Prevention Aviation) |
|||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6768 | 36107 | Toyama | Jan. 12, 1996 |
AW139 | JA119W | 41550 | (Flight testing Sept. 2019) | |
* Aircraft first registered in Nov. 1995 (ex N82627) | ||||
Last updated: Oct. 24, 2019 |
Wakayama Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Toho Air Service Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Nanki Shirahama Airport | |||
Date Formed | Oct. 1, 1995 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
Bell 412EP | JA6760 | 36094 | Kishuu | Mar. 9, 1996* |
* Aircraft first registered in July 1995 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |
Yamagata Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Tohoku Air Service Inc. | |||
Base | Yamagata Airport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 1, 1998 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
AS365N2 | JA98YA | 6533 | Mogami | Apr. 1, 1998* |
AW139 | JA15YA | 41390 | Mogami | Reg’d Oct. 2014 to Mitsui Bussan. Test flown Sendai, late March 2015 |
*Aircraft first registered Jan. 1998 (ex G-BXLL) | ||||
Last updated: Apr. 22, 2015 |
Retracting the undercarriage, the pilot of AS365N2 Mogami (the name of a local river) increases airspeed on takeoff from Yamagata airport in May 2011. After 27 years’ sterling service,
this aircraft is being replaced by an AW139. (Photo: contri via Wikimedia Commons)
Yamaguchi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Asahi Helicopter Co., Ltd. | |||
Base | Yamaguchi-Ube Airport | |||
Date Formed | Jan. 1, 2000 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
BK117C-1 | JA21YA | 1124 | Kirara | May 1, 2000* |
* Aircraft first registered Feb. 2000 Note: On Aug. 2, 2017, Mitsui Bussan announced order for an AW169 for spring 2019 delivery |
||||
Last updated: Sept. 8, 2017 |
Yamanashi Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Unit | ||||
Operator | Japan Aviation Academy Network (JANET) Corporation | |||
Base | Japan Aviation Academy, Futaba Heliport | |||
Date Formed | Apr. 26, 1995 | |||
Helicopter Type | Reg’n | c/n | Name |
First Deployment Date |
S-76B | JA6748 | 760429 | Akafuji | Apr. 26, 1995* |
* Aircraft first registered Jan. 1995 | ||||
Last updated: Aug. 10, 2013 |