http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/12/616_147146.html
Top Gun
2013/11/29
Major Kim Tae-seok of the Air Force’s 19th Fighter Wing poses Friday inside a KF-16 after being named the Top Gun pilot for 2013.
The 36-year-old scored 995 points out of a possible 1,000 in an aerial live-fire contest to garner the honor.
2 October 2013:
71st Koukuutai, JMSDF, based at Iwakuni JMSDF AB, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
CO of 71st Koukuutai, Commander Okamoto Hisayoshi, achieves 12,000 hours of flight time without accident.
1978, became 30th class of JMSDF aviation students.
20 December 1979, first flight in KM-2 trainer.
Flies or flew 22 aircraft types.
71st Koukuutai currently flies US-1 and US-2.
http://www.asagumo-news.com/homepage/htdocs/news/newsflash/201312/13122…
http://newtalk.tw/news/2013/12/22/43030.html
Taiwanese news article dated 2013/12/22 in Chinese.
Apparently, two ROCAF retired F-5E are added to the collection of military hardware at New Tai Pei City Military Shrine, Shu Lin District, New Tai Pei City, Taiwan.
One painted as camouflage.
Another painted as original iron grey.
After their bases [platforms or stands?] are completed, they will be hoisted onto the bases for permanent display.
Evidently, the collection already includes F-104G 4192.
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20131220/312356/
http://www.ilikeedit.com/newscont.php?NewsNo=5257809
According to the above news vids, F-5E S/Ns are 5154 and 5187.
Lockheed Martin Supports Japanese F-2 Restoration Program
FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 19, 2013 – In cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has delivered the first F-2 aft and leading edge flaps as part of a restoration plan to replenish Japan’s F-2 fleet.
Eighteen Japanese F-2B fighter aircraft based at Matsushima Air Base were destroyed during a tsunami that hit the nation in March 2011.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/business/%EF%BB%BFirrawaddy-business-roundup-december-14-2013.html
UK Freight Firm Backs New Search for ‘Buried’ Spitfires
2013/12/14
A British freight-handling company with offices in Rangoon is giving financial backing for a resumption of the search for World War II Spitfire planes believed to be buried in Burma.
The Claridon Group, a worldwide freight logistics business, said it will fund the search by Briton David Cundall, which was called off earlier this year when a previous sponsor withdrew support.
No problemo, dude.
FYI, Towadako Lake is in southern Aomori Prefecture.
http://www.jiji.com/jc/v4?id=amkisso&p=amkisso-map
In this map, the red circle (north) is Aomori City.
The red cross (south) is the lake.
The red star (east) is Misawa aerospace museum, where the wreck is preserved.
The lake is fresh water.
Oirase Keiryuu is a river that leads east all the way from the lake to Pacific Ocean.
The river has several waterfalls, the closest of which is about 1.6 klick from the lake, which prevent fishes and other submarine animals from migrating from downstream to the lake.
I did a bit of homework about the lake and the river, because I plan to go there in 2014 Q2, but my schedule currently doesn’t include the museum.
Recent photos of the WWII Tachikawa Ki-54 Type 1 two-engine trainer recovered from Towadako Lake, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, in 2012 September.
http://www.jiji.com/jc/v4?id=amkisso&p=amkisso-IMG_1385
16 December 2013:
MH-60S.
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12, USN, based at NAF Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture.
15:30, crashed, and rolled onto right side, at land fill site, Misaki 5 Choume, Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Did not catch fire.
Main and tail rotors damaged.
Possibly transmission trouble.
Four crew.
Two male crew wounded.
Co-pilot was male.
Civilian not wounded.
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/dogai/510487.html
http://news24.jp/articles/2013/12/16/07242245.html
http://www.shinmai.co.jp/newspack3/?date=20131216&id=2013121601002047
12 December 2013:
J-8.
PLAAF.
About 7:11 PM, exploded, and crashed into forest, Tang Kou Village, Bao Fu Town, An Ji County, Hu Zhou City, Zhe Jiang Province.
Pilot killed.
No ground casualty.
http://news.sohu.com/20131219/n392043116.shtml
Pilot was HUANG Long Fei.
29 years old.
In 2002, changed his name from HUANG Liang to HUANG Long Fei.
Married to Dai Xin.
Son was one year nine months old.
Squadron commander.
Flight time was about 1,000 hours.
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E6%B5%99%E6%B1%9F%E8%AD%89%E5%AF%A6%E6%AE%B28%E5%A2%9C%E6%AF%80%E9%A3%9B%E8%A1%8C%E5%93%A1%E4%BA%A1-060600279.html
http://news.wenweipo.com/2013/12/13/IN1312130041.htm
http://www.881903.com/Page/ZH-TW/newsdetail.aspx?ItemId=683315&csid=261_341
My first thought is Rex Kuang, a military aviation fan and modeller who assembled some ROCAF aircraft models.
He had or has a blog somewhere, but for example, here’s his flickr account, such as RF-101A photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/farewell_cambridge/sets/72157603433560756/
(Later.)
Here’s his Yahoo! Taiwan blog, but its photos aren’t sorted by aircraft types.
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/rex-kuang/gallery?fid=-1&page=1
Also, Yahoo! Taiwan blogs will terminate by 2013/12/26, so you better save the photos you like now.
27 November 2013:
YS-11.
JASDF, based at Iruma AB, Dasaitama Prefecture.
8:50, above ocean, near Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, during training, right engine warning light, and emergency landed at Naha AP, Okinawa Prefecture.
After landing, confirmed engine oil decreased.
No crew wounded.
Civilian flights not affected.
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/20131127/acc13112713400000-n1.html
Possibly November 2013:
J-10S.
East Sea Fleet, PLAN.
During take off, bird strike.
In four seconds, two pilots decided to abort take off, and emergency landed.
When it stopped, it was 200 m from end of runway.
Engine turbine blades damaged.
Screen caps of a CCTV-13 TV news report, dated 2013/11/07, of a J-10S bird strike:
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2013-11/08/c_125669697.htm
http://www.janes.com/article/29132/adex-2013-kf-16-upgrade-to-be-signed-off-by-end-of-year
http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-notes/adex-2013-bae-systems-expects-kf-16-upgrade-contra/
ADEX 2013: KF-16 upgrade to be signed off by end of year
2013-11-02
BAE Systems is working with the United States and South Korean governments to refine the plans for its upgrade of Lockheed Martin KF-16 fighters ahead of a government-to-government contract signing by the end of 2013, officials told IHS Jane’s at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2013).
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/11/01/2003575892
President hails P-3C patrol aircraft
Fri, Nov 01, 2013 – Page 3
The P-3Cs will replace a squadron of 11 S-2T anti-submarine aircraft that have been in service for more than 40 years, the air force said.
The S-2Ts will be completely decommissioned in 2017, the air force said, adding that components and the engines from the aircraft will go to private groups to be exhibited or to schools for educational purposes.
13 October 2013:
The aviation museum beside Tao Yuan IAP, Tao Yuan County, Taiwan, will be closed by the end of the year, because of the construction of the third terminal building.
Its collection of artefacts and retired aircraft will be moved to a former ROCN base, then to a new museum.
But the new museum will not open before three to five years later.