Tokyo Oct 2021

[seaharrierfa2]

Getting to Japan presently is a bit of a challenge. Due to the COVID state of emergency two visits to the London Embassy to sort out a visa following a formal invite are required. They say things happen in threes, well after the crash on the M3 / M25 interchange, the second thing was JAL not accepting my pre departure PCR test. After a frantic hour on the phone I eventually got an e-mail from the company clarifying things. Their "agent" was more interested in finishing their shift than helping me though - grrr. Some of the party had used Boots and they had NO such problems, so Boots it is next time then. Arrival at Tokyo Haneda RJTT was a paperwork fest. If you think you’ve filled all your forms in I can assure you, you haven’t! It was however efficient and you are ushered through about ten set of about a dozen desks, each desk serving a couple of travellers. They rigorously check your COVID certs, ensure you have the right applications on your phone and the correct phone settings, even sending you test messages to make sure it all works. Then onto the Japan COVID test, which requires you to provide a quantity of saliva by spitting into a tube. Quite a lot of saliva as it happens. There are photos of lemons and sweet and sour dishes to encourage saliva production. The end to end process took about two hours and , other than the results of your test, it did not feel like you were waiting. Then it was bags and immigration which is another story, that was the third thing so no problems now...?. That is even after having all the pre departure work with eth Embassy and having a formal invite. Throughout the process there are floor to ceiling wall to wall windows so you can see aircraft at and around the terminal although photography is not allowed. I found whilst waiting for the test results photos could be taken but then you are upstairs and shooting through windows some distance away so lots of frames get in the way.

The hotel, Park Hyatt, in Tokyo is very expensive and isolating here will soon draw on anyone’s reserves. E.g breakfast is about £30 and you can only order on room service and can not use any facilities due to isolation. The wifi on personal equipment is good BUT my work laptop, along with two other companies equipment with me, would not connect and establish a secure VPN. So four things not three! You can USB tether a phone if you are allowed to, we are not. If not the roaming data rates using UK mobile are again very very high and you can not get out to buy anything local to replace it. We were allowed as a UK bubble into the corridors after a negative COVID test on Tuesday but this required special dispensation and the escorted access to the conference room four floors below on level 39. This has no windows.


On the positive side Haneda have swapped to 16 arrivals this afternoon. 16L tends to handle traffic from the North and 16R from the South. My hotel was right between both approaches but my room unfortunately faced West which meant I could only see and read off 16L arrivals. Unfortunate because 16R gets about three times the traffic as 16L and you are looking into the sun in the afternoon. I would certainly recommend a South or East facing room if I ever return to this hotel.


There is quite a lot of helicopter activity over Tokyo and Do228’s and C208s could be seen into Chofu in the distance but a lot more happens looking the other way. I read off a couple of helis a day and a lot more on Planefinder, mainly Met Police or fire department ones.

Departure was seamless. I sat on the left hand side of the private coach to get there to see into the Coast Guard hanger. I read one of two Coast Guard DHC-8s on the ramp and one of a pair of EC-225's in their hanger. An easy check in, and a 30 minute view on the observation deck before through security (no queue) and sit near a window. Again you are removed from the window frames so no good for photography. I was there about 2 hours in total before boarding. I again sat on the left and with a bridge camera I read off quite a lot taxiing out. There are quite a lot of aircraft stored on the field. The hanger area ramp to the North can not be seen from the International Terminal observation deck had 20+ aircraft on it, you do not go near these as you taxi unfortunately, then there are two storage areas you can seen but the views mean aircraft block each other off. Sitting on the left on departure you can photograph looking down on them and JA registered aircraft tend to have big registrations painted on top of the wings :-) There is another parking area adjacent to 34R, they are on the right as we taxied and as I was sat on the left hand side but you can read most off (with camera) as you turn onto the runway. Sitting on the left you can photograph the other stored aircraft so for a 34R departure this was the overall best option.

As for the log this was about a frantic two hours, including moving through the terminal, missed a few but not bad overall. Thanks to Planebase for filling in the details. 

JA12AN Boeing 737NG 781/W 33881 Air Do
JA16AN Boeing 737NG 781/W 33889 Air Do
JA601A Boeing 767 381 27943 Air Do


JA691A Airbus Helicopters EC225 LP 2921 Japan Coast Guard

JA725A Bombardier DHC-8 315 MSA 672 Japan Coast Guard


JA007D Boeing 777 289 27639 Japan Airlines

JA008D Boeing 777 289 27640 Japan Airlines

JA010D Boeing 777 289 27642 Japan Airlines

JA01XJ Airbus A350 941 321 Japan Airlines

JA03XJ Airbus A350 941 343 Japan Airlines

JA09XJ Airbus A350 941 497 Japan Airlines

JA10XJ Airbus A350 941 531 Japan Airlines

JA11XJ Airbus A350 941 535 Japan Airlines

JA12XJ Airbus A350 941 536 Japan Airlines
JA243J Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000718 J-Air

JA245J Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000724 J-Air

JA247J Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000730 J-Air

JA248J Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000731 J-Air

JA301J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35330 Japan Airlines

JA309J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35338 Japan Airlines

JA310J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35339 Japan Airlines

JA312J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35341 Japan Airlines

JA314J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35343 Japan Airlines

JA316J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35345 Japan Airlines

JA318J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35347 Japan Airlines

JA322J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35351 Japan Airlines

JA324J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35353 Japan Airlines

JA325J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35354 Japan Airlines

JA327J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35356 Japan Airlines

JA328J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35357 Japan Airlines

JA330J Boeing 737NG 846/W 35359 Japan Airlines

JA333J Boeing 737NG 846/W 40348 Japan Airlines

JA334J Boeing 737NG 846/W 40349 Japan Airlines

JA336J Boeing 737NG 846/W 40351 Japan Airlines

JA337J Boeing 737NG 846/W 40352 Japan Airlines

JA338J Boeing 737NG 846/W 40355 Japan Airlines

JA342J Boeing 737NG 846/W 39191 Japan Airlines

JA344J Boeing 737NG 846/W 39193 Japan Airlines

JA347J Boeing 737NG 846/W 39194 Japan Airlines
JA601J Boeing 767 346ER 32886 Japan Airlines

JA602J Boeing 767 346ER 32887 Japan Airlines

JA603J Boeing 767 346ER 32888 Japan Airlines

JA611J Boeing 767 346ER 33847 Japan Airlines

JA613J Boeing 767 346ER 33849 Japan Airlines
JA616J Boeing 767 346ER/W 35813 Japan Airlines
JA622J Boeing 767 346ER 37549 Japan Airlines

JA623J Boeing 767 346ER 36131 Japan Airlines
JA652J Boeing 767 346ER 40364 Japan Airlines

JA653J Boeing 767 346ER 40365 Japan Airlines

JA654J Boeing 767 346ER 40366 Japan Airlines

JA657J Boeing 767 346ER 40369 Japan Airlines

JA658J Boeing 767 346ER 40370 Japan Airlines

JA659J Boeing 767 346ER 40371 Japan Airlines
JA701J Boeing 777 246ER 32889 Japan Airlines

JA702J Boeing 777 246ER 32890 Japan Airlines

JA703J Boeing 777 246ER 32891 Japan Airlines

JA731J Boeing 777 346ER 32431 Japan Airlines

JA732J Boeing 777 346ER 32430 Japan Airlines

JA737J Boeing 777 346ER 36126 Japan Airlines
JA751J Boeing 777 346 27654 Japan Airlines

JA752J Boeing 777 346 27655 Japan Airlines

JA771J Boeing 777 246 27656 Japan Airlines

JA772J Boeing 777 246 27657 Japan Airlines

JA842J Boeing 787 8 34854 Japan Airlines

JA846J Boeing 787 8 35435 Japan Airlines

JA847J Boeing 787 8 35436 Japan Airlines

JA848J Boeing 787 8 35438 Japan Airlines

JA861J Boeing 787 9 35422 Japan Airlines

JA863J Boeing 787 9 38137 Japan Airlines

JA873J Boeing 787 9 34852 Japan Airlines

JA8944 Boeing 777 346 28396 Japan Airlines

JA8945 Boeing 777 346 28397 Japan Airlines

JA8979 Boeing 777 289 27638 Japan Airlines

JA8988 Boeing 767 346 29863 Japan Airlines

JA58AN Boeing 737NG 881/W 33895 All Nippon Airways
JA61AN Boeing 737NG 881/W 33898 All Nippon Airways
JA70AN Boeing 737NG 881/W 33913 All Nippon Airways
JA83AN Boeing 737NG 881/W 62638 All Nippon Airways
JA113A Airbus A321 211SL 7430 All Nippon Airways
JA136A Airbus A321 272NSL 8229 All Nippon Airways

JA138A Airbus A321 272NSL 8349 All Nippon Airways

JA139A Airbus A321 272NSL 8524 All Nippon Airways

JA149A Airbus A321 272NSL 10335 All Nippon Airways

JA152A Airbus A321 272NSL 10517 All Nippon Airways

JA211A Airbus A320 271NSL 7401 All Nippon Airways

JA212A Airbus A320 271NSL 7483 All Nippon Airways

JA214A Airbus A320 271NSL 8196 All Nippon Airways

JA217A Airbus A320 271NSL 8476 All Nippon Airways

JA222A Airbus A320 271NSL 9580 All Nippon Airways

JA608A Boeing 767 381ER 32977 All Nippon Airways

JA610A Boeing 767 381ER 32979 All Nippon Airways

JA614A Boeing 767 381ER 33508 All Nippon Airways / Star Alliance

JA615A Boeing 767 381ER 35877 All Nippon Airways

JA616A Boeing 767 381ER 35876 All Nippon Airways

JA617A Boeing 767 381ER 37719 All Nippon Airways

JA619A Boeing 767 381ER/W 40564 All Nippon Airways

JA621A Boeing 767 381ER/W 40566 All Nippon Airways

JA626A Boeing 767 381ER/W 40897 All Nippon Airways

JA627A Boeing 767 381ER/W 40898 All Nippon Airways
JA708A Boeing 777 281ER 28277 All Nippon Airways

JA702A Boeing 777 281 27033 All Nippon Airways

JA713A Boeing 777 281 32647 All Nippon Airways

JA714A Boeing 777 281 28276 All Nippon Airways

JA715A Boeing 777 281ER 32646 All Nippon Airways

JA716A Boeing 777 281ER 33414 All Nippon Airways
JA741A Boeing 777 281ER 40900 All Nippon Airways (Paralympic colours)

JA742A Boeing 777 281ER 40901 All Nippon Airways

JA743A Boeing 777 281ER 40902 All Nippon Airways (C3PO colours)

JA744A Boeing 777 281ER 40903 All Nippon Airways

JA751A Boeing 777 381 28272 All Nippon Airways
JA753A Boeing 777 381 28273 All Nippon Airways

JA754A Boeing 777 381 27939 All Nippon Airways

JA755A Boeing 777 381 28275 All Nippon Airways
JA794A Boeing 777 300ER 61513 All Nippon Airways

JA796A Boeing 777 300ER 61515 All Nippon Airways

JA802A Boeing 787 8 34497 All Nippon Airways

JA803A Boeing 787 8 34485 All Nippon Airways

JA805A Boeing 787 8 34514 All Nippon Airways

JA809A Boeing 787 8 34494 All Nippon Airways

JA811A Boeing 787 8 34502 All Nippon Airways

JA812A Boeing 787 8 40748 All Nippon Airways

JA814A Boeing 787 8 34493 All Nippon Airways

JA819A Boeing 787 8 42244 All Nippon Airways

JA821A Boeing 787 8 42245 All Nippon Airways

JA824A Boeing 787 8 42247 All Nippon Airways

JA832A Boeing 787 8 42249 All Nippon Airways

JA878A Boeing 787 8 34501 All Nippon Airways

JA871A Boeing 787 9 34534 All Nippon Airways
JA882A Boeing 787 9 43872 All Nippon Airways

JA890A Boeing 787 9 34500 All Nippon Airways

JA893A Boeing 787 9 61519 All Nippon Airways

JA899A Boeing 787 9 34519 All Nippon Airways / Star Alliance


JA737N Boeing 737NG 8HX 36845 Skymark Airlines

JA737T Boeing 737NG 8Q8/W 35290 Skymark Airlines

JA737U Boeing 737NG 8FZ/W 29680 Skymark Airlines

JA73AA Boeing 737NG 800/W 63413 Skymark Airlines

JA73ND Boeing 737NG 8FZ/W 33440 Skymark Airlines

JA73NG Boeing 737NG 86N/W 36821 Skymark Airlines

JA73NX Boeing 737NG 86N/W 38045 Skymark Airlines

JA805X Boeing 737NG 86N/W 38035 Solaseed Air

JA810X Boeing 737NG 86N/W 41271 Solaseed Air

JA812X Boeing 737NG 86N/W 43402 Solaseed Air

JA813X Boeing 737NG 800/W 64876 Solaseed Air

JA07MC Airbus A320 214 5102 StarFlyer

JA09MC Airbus A320 214 5512 StarFlyer

JA20MC Airbus A320 214SL 5652 StarFlyer


9H-VID Bombardier Global 7500 70064 VistaJet Ltd

JA388N King Air B350 FL-985 C Itoh Aviation

JA525C Cessna Citation CJ2 525A0244 Auto Panther Company
N767CW Gulfstream GV 520 Springfield Air


If anyone has any specific questions more than happy to help if I can.

Bob

[Deleted]

Bob,

Albeit a bit of a mare to get into Japan- you got a half decent log of aircraft- thanks for sharing with us all.

Happy days

Bob

[graham]

Great log there Bob from a country we rarely if ever see a report from so many thanks