Hakodate – Sendai with the Mitsubishi MU-2
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2025 6:40 pmA short but intense IFR hop across Japan.
Departure from Hakodate (RJCH) was in calm, pleasant weather — clear skies and smooth air over the strait between Hokkaido and Honshu. But south of the crossing, things changed quickly.
Flying between two cloud layers, turbulence started to build up, and soon a massive thunderstorm cell appeared ahead. ATC, as usual, wasn’t much help — so it was time for some real pilot work: deviation by hand and keeping a close eye on the radar.
Approaching Sendai (RJSS), visibility dropped to almost zero. I let the autopilot follow the published approach down to minimums, then took over for the final seconds. The landing wasn’t elegant, but it was safe — crosswind active, and an airliner right on my tail.
When I finally parked the MU-2 on the apron, there was that quiet satisfaction only a demanding flight can give. This was no “on-rails” flying — it was alive, unpredictable, and exactly why we fly in MSFS.
Departure from Hakodate (RJCH) was in calm, pleasant weather — clear skies and smooth air over the strait between Hokkaido and Honshu. But south of the crossing, things changed quickly.
Flying between two cloud layers, turbulence started to build up, and soon a massive thunderstorm cell appeared ahead. ATC, as usual, wasn’t much help — so it was time for some real pilot work: deviation by hand and keeping a close eye on the radar.
Approaching Sendai (RJSS), visibility dropped to almost zero. I let the autopilot follow the published approach down to minimums, then took over for the final seconds. The landing wasn’t elegant, but it was safe — crosswind active, and an airliner right on my tail.
When I finally parked the MU-2 on the apron, there was that quiet satisfaction only a demanding flight can give. This was no “on-rails” flying — it was alive, unpredictable, and exactly why we fly in MSFS.
