Misa Matsushima
Misa Matsushima seated in F-15 in 2018
Native name
松島美紗
Born1991 or 1992 (age 31–32)
Service/branchJapan Air Self-Defense Force
RankFirst Lieutenant
Unit5th Air Wing

First Lieutenant Misa Matsushima (松島美紗, Matsushima Misa) (born 1991 or 1992 (age 31–32)[1]) is the first female fighter pilot in Japan.[2][3]

Matsushima graduated from the Japan National Defense Academy in March 2014 and obtained her pilot's license in October 2016.[4] Matsushima initially trained to be a transport and rescue pilot, but started training to be a fighter pilot after the Ministry of Defense opened the fighter pilot specialization to women candidates in 2015.[5] She received her fighter certification on August 23, 2018, and was assigned to 305th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 5th Air Wing, headquartered at Nyutabaru Air Base, where she will fly the Mitsubishi F-15J.[6][7]

Japan has had female military aviators since Kazue Kashiji in 1997; Matsushima is the first to pilot a fighter type aircraft.[1][8]

References

  1. 1 2 "女性初の戦闘機操縦士　新田原基地配属の松島２尉　「早く一人前に」", Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese), August 24, 2018
  2. ↑ Yeung, Jessie; Ogura, Junko, Japan gets first female fighter pilot, CNN – via MSN
  3. ↑ Japan's first woman fighter pilot to blaze a trail in skies, BBC, 24 August 2018
  4. ↑ Japan sees first woman qualify as fighter jet pilot, Kyodo News, August 24, 2018 – via Japan Times
  5. ↑ "空自初、女性の戦闘機操縦士…トップガンに憧れ". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). August 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ Kikuchi, Hiroyuki; Kojo, Hirotaka (August 23, 2018), "Japan's first female fighter pilot to join airspace defense", Asahi Shimbun
  7. ↑ Thompson, Paul, "Bulletin Board: First JASDF Woman Jet Jockey Qualifies", J-HangarSpace, archived from the original on September 4, 2018, retrieved August 30, 2018
  8. ↑ Kono, Toshiharu (May 13, 2003), ASDF's first female pilot logs similar feat as instructor, Kyodo, retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Japan Times
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