In 1970, as 1st Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps I was assigned as a test pilot at
Nippon Aircraft Corporation in Atsugi Japan.
NIPPI, as the company was known, performed major periodic rework on CH-46 helicopters.
Aircraft were flown to Atsugi and NIPPI would completely disassemble and overhaul these aircraft. My job was to test CH-46s after they were rebuilt and make sure they were in "Like New Condition" and safe to fly. If they passed the flight tests they were accepted back to the Marine Corps.
Mag-36 maintained a 3 bird detachment at Atsugi to provide medevac and logistical support for the Marine Artillery Training Base at the base of Mount Fuji.
The Fuji Detachment was affectionately called "HANK'S HAULERS" after our super OIC, Major Hank Kunkel. Our motto was "You Call - We Haul".
NIPPI, as the company was known, performed major periodic rework on CH-46 helicopters.
Aircraft were flown to Atsugi and NIPPI would completely disassemble and overhaul these aircraft. My job was to test CH-46s after they were rebuilt and make sure they were in "Like New Condition" and safe to fly. If they passed the flight tests they were accepted back to the Marine Corps.
Mag-36 maintained a 3 bird detachment at Atsugi to provide medevac and logistical support for the Marine Artillery Training Base at the base of Mount Fuji.
The Fuji Detachment was affectionately called "HANK'S HAULERS" after our super OIC, Major Hank Kunkel. Our motto was "You Call - We Haul".

Battle weary CH-46's were shipped from Vietnam on barges to Okinawa. We flew these very
sick birds from Futema, Okinawa to Atsugi, Japan for Overhaul at NIPPI.
With aircraft filled with internal fuel tanks we would make it to the most Southern tip of Japan with minutes of fuel remaining depending on winds!
After an overnight and refuel at MCAS Iwakuni we continued on to Atsugi - just South of Tokyo and East of Yokohama.
With aircraft filled with internal fuel tanks we would make it to the most Southern tip of Japan with minutes of fuel remaining depending on winds!
After an overnight and refuel at MCAS Iwakuni we continued on to Atsugi - just South of Tokyo and East of Yokohama.










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