Marine air base in Japan adds GPS approach to bypass cultural landmark

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — This shared airfield south of Hiroshima has new satellite-based approach procedures that allow military and commercial pilots to land safely in poor weather and avoid overflying a cultural landmark.

Two new GPS approaches for southbound runway 20 permit pilots to safely land in reduced visibility using the same technology that motorists use to plot routes on their smartphones.

Southbound runway 20 lacked approved instrument approaches due to the difficulty of avoiding Miyajima Island, site of Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and 1,755-foot-high Mount Misen.

The torii at the Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, Japan. The Shinto shrine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Wikimedia Commons)

Miyajima, 14 miles north of MCAS Iwakuni in Hiroshima Bay, prevented a “safe, straight-in” instrument approach to runway 20, Max Williams, airspace manager for MCAS Iwakuni, said in an email Monday. Advances in Required Navigation Performance technology made possible a safely designed approach that “avoids both the terrain and culturally sensitive areas,” he said.

The new procedures “provide dedicated instrument approach capability to runway 20 for all aircraft operating at MCAS Iwakuni for the first time in the installation’s history,” he said.

The Marine Corps, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and All Nippon Airways share the one air base runway. Commercial airliners make 42 domestic flights per week to the airport, according to the FlightConnections.com website.

“We consider contributing to the environmental preservation of the areas surrounding the airport to be part of our mission,” a spokesperson for ANA told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday. “Consequently, we requested that the flight path maintain as much distance as possible from both the World Heritage site of Miyajima and the residential areas where local residents live.”

The shrine is a Shinto holy place, according to the UNESCO website. It remains a place of worship and attracts 4 million visitors per year, according to Japan National Tourism Organization’s website.

ANA has no immediate plans to add more flights to Iwakuni, the spokesperson said by email.

The new flight path is shorter than the conventional route and may contribute to reduced flight times, reduced fuel consumption and decreased CO2 emissions, according to ANA.

The approach patterns became operational July 9 after more than two years of planning and coordinating between the air station, ANA, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Naval Flight Information Group, according to Williams and a base news release Friday.

“For the first time in the history of MCAS Iwakuni, every aircraft operating here has a dedicated instrument approach to our southbound runway,” base commander Col. Kenneth Rossman said in the release. “This is a significant step forward for the installation that improves aviation safety, increases operational efficiency, and enhances our ability to safely manage both military and civilian air traffic.”

The new GPS approach procedures required no additional equipment installed on the airfield. No new maintenance requirements or repair costs were incurred, Williams said.

Northbound runway 02 has multiple instrument and radar approach procedures “considerably less challenging,” he said.

MCAS Iwakuni is home base for Carrier Air Wing 5, nine flying squadrons attached to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington; two Marine Corps squadrons of F-35B Lightning II fighters and one Marine refueler squadron.

“I would like to sincerely thank ANA for their outstanding partnership throughout this effort,” Williams said in the release. “This project demonstrates what can be accomplished when organizations from two nations work together toward a common goal.”

Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report.