MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Approximately 60 Japanese aviators, from all corners of the country, arrived aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to attend a flight security conference, Nov. 1, 2014.
The conference allowed for a unique gathering of Japanese civilians and U.S. military members for the common benefit of aviation safety, according to Maj. Edward Bahret, the aviation safety officer for the station.
“Numerous parties came together and presented the most valuable information to pilots to promote a safe working and operating environment that we all use,” said Bahret.
The seminar educated attendees on military flight operations, including military flight formations, considerations for Japanese pilots, air traffic control procedures and more.
Yasumasa Hosoya, a board member with Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Japan, is in charge of uniting U.S. Military and Japanese civilian aviators.
“We are not familiar with the flight characteristics of military aircraft, so we are here to learn about how they operate out of Iwakuni,” said Hosoya.
According to Hosoya, Iwakuni is a high traffic area for civilian aviators and the seminar allowed attendants to see how important communication with military aircraft is.
Hosoya said he is thankful that the U.S. military listened to their requests and provided information about their concerns, which further opened the means for communication.
“Beyond the boundary between military and civilian, Japanese and American aircraft, it is important we share the information about flying, because we share the same airspace,” said Hosoya. “We are very pleased the U.S. Forces in Japan are cooperative on this topic.”