82-year-old former IJA pilot wanted to fly again
But the cops stopped him:
An 82-year-old former Imperial Japanese Army fighter pilot arrested for operating an ultralight plane without permission at a park in Kamishihoro, Hokkaido, has told police that he just wanted to fly.
Tatsuo Yonekura was arrested on Monday on suspicion of violating the Civil Aeronautics Law by flying his ultralight plane without permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. When questioned by police over his actions, he reportedly said, “As I was inspecting the body of the plane, I started wanting to fly it.”
Yonekura, who was a fighter pilot for the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, has a pilot’s license and has owned the ultralight plane for years. The local airfield that allowed him to make his hobby flights is now under investigation.
