Scenic Cessna Flight from Yao AirportAncient Tombs from the Air

I visited Yao Airport as part of my airport conquest. It has no passenger flights, but First Aviation offers scenic flights — not just visiting the airport but experiencing an actual takeoff and landing. Depending on the flight course, you can see the keyhole-shaped kofun burial mounds from above, including Emperor Nintoku’s mausoleum.

Yao Airport

A joint civil-military airport in Yao, Osaka. Shared by civilian small aircraft and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. No passenger flights.

The nearest station is Yao-Minami, the terminus of the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line — about a 15-minute walk. Walking through residential and industrial areas, the runway fence comes into view. Several training and small aircraft were parked on the apron.

Scenic Flight Details

• Operator: First Aviation
• Aircraft: Cessna 172P Skyhawk
• Duration: Approximately 12 minutes
• Price: ¥33,000 (booked as a unit — no mixing with other parties)
• Booking: Online advance reservation

After arriving at the airport, check-in and security screening take place inside the First Aviation building. Metal detector and bag inspection.

Flight Record

The Flight

I flew with a friend. The Cessna 172P seats four — the pilot and my friend in front, me in the back.

Takeoff is surprisingly quick compared to a passenger jet. A short run and the plane lifts off almost immediately. After takeoff, we headed south over southern Osaka toward the Mozu and Furuichi tomb clusters. The pilot narrated the highlights during the flight.

From the ground, the shape of keyhole-shaped kofun tombs is hard to discern. From the air, the keyhole outline stands out clearly. Emperor Nintoku’s mausoleum looked exactly like the textbook image, spread out directly below. I realized that kofun are structures whose full form can only be grasped from the sky.

Landing was equally quick. No long approach like a passenger jet — more of a gentle descent. There was some turbulence on this August flight. Those prone to motion sickness should take note.

Why This Scenic Flight

Yao Airport has no passenger services, so there’s no reason to visit through normal travel. To conquer it as part of my airport list, I used a scenic flight. Other airports without passenger service that I’ve visited via scenic or experience flights include Konan Airfield and Ryūgasaki Airfield.

The index for the airport-conquest series:

Oct 17, 2021 Conquering Every Airport in JapanIf riding every rail line is the railway equivalent, visiting every airport is the aviation one. An index of route plans for covering all Japanese airports.