Gifu Air Base is a military air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It is located in the city of Kakamigahara, right in the center of Japan. Gifu is home of the Air Development and Test Command and also hosts the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Aeroplane Division. Next to the base you can find the enormous Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum.

A great variety of aircraft
The Air Development and Test Command develops the ever-changing aircraft and equipment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and conducts a wide range of research. Therefore, this unit flies a number of every type of aircraft that the JASDF keeps in its inventory. Combine this with the presence of the Kawasaki Aeroplane Division and you can expect to see a lot of different aircraft in action on a normal weekday! At this moment the Air Development and Test Command has the following aircraft in its inventory: C-1/C-1FTB, (X)C-2, F-2A/B, F-4EJ/EJ Kai, F-15J/DJ, T-4 and T-7.

Show rehearsal
When we visited Gifu on 7 November 2018, there was no normal daily activity, but rehearsals for the airshow that would be held on 18 November. We were not aware of this event, but the Japanese certainly were! Hundreds of photographers and spectators were present outside the airbase to watch the show rehearsals. The event gave us a good opportunity to shoot lots of action pictures of these special aircraft of the JASDF, under a clear blue sky.