Misa Matsushima

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]

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

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. "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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