Now I know that this is a really long shot but………….does anyone know:
– of any published material, in print or on the net, which covers the history of this flying school in the period 1929-33
– what aircraft the flying school operated in the period 1930-33
– whether the flying school closed in 1933 when civilian flying ceased at Tachikawa Airport
– if not, to where the flying school transferred and what was its history thereafter
– whether there is a successor to the flying school in existence today
With my thanks in both hope and anticipation!
AA
By: mhuxt - 26th May 2014 at 11:05
No worries, replied to your PM.
By: avion ancien - 26th May 2014 at 07:04
Thank you, mhuxt. That information and those photographs are marvellous. I will endeavour to send a PM to you later today.
By: mhuxt - 26th May 2014 at 02:18
Cross-posted onto another forum for you, there’s an active Japanese member there. His reply:
Mikuni Flight School was opened by Prince Yamashina Takehiko, under control of Civil Aviation Bureau of Ministry of Communications, in July 1925 until June 1938 when the Bureau adopted new training system and returned the place/facilities to the army. It was located in the west side of Tachikawa Airfield and the main training aircraft was Salmson 2 disposed by the army as Type Otsu Mod.1 Recon.
Data source:
JACAR http://www.jacar.go.jp/english/index.html [Reference Code]C08051436000
Local site http://www.aero.or.jp/web-koku-to-bunka/2007.3.15youseijo3.htm
Local site http://chinokigi.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2011-02-15-2
Note the URLs in the images, the pdf file is still functioning, though it’s in Japanese of course.
By: avion ancien - 24th May 2014 at 17:25
Many thanks. I will try to find contact details for Mr Mikesh.
By: J Boyle - 24th May 2014 at 16:22
If you can, get ahold of him Robert C. Mikesh seems to be the leading U.S. expert on Japanese aviation during that period. He co-wrote Japanese Aviation 1910-41 for Putnam.
Likewise, the list of contributors to that book lists plenty of experts, some of which may still be available.
When I was a child growing up in Japan, we’d visit Tachikawa regularly. Even then I knew it had a storied past…a sort of Japanese Martlesham Heath or Wright-Patterson…both places I later served at.
Odd how that worked out. 🙂
By: avion ancien - 24th May 2014 at 11:29
I’ll give this just one ‘bump’, as I appreciate the improbability of anyone in the UK having the answer to any of these questions, and I’ll then try a Japanese forum.
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May 23, 2014 at 12:27 pm