BAZflyer: Streets of Kirishima

Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen and is a Bazflyer playlist favourite. The refrains of this iconic music were percolating in the mind as the Bazflyers took a long meander through a few of the streets of Kirishima.

The city of Kirishima sits comfortably in the lap of a composite active volcano, Mount Sakurajima, It strikingly dominates the surrounding landscape, that is when weather conditions permit. Kirishima means “Fog Island” and true to label such have been the weather conditions during the Bazflyer’s short stay. However, today was the exception. Out came the sun, a condition that called for a long exploratory walk around parts of the city.

Kirishima’s majestic mountain and the many hot springs around its base was Japan’s first national park. Its also an ancient area of human habitation where traces of livelihood dating back to the Paleolithic Age (more than 30,000 years ago) have been discovered.

Tomorrow morning the Bazflyers takeoff again, this time flying airways along the entire western seaboard of Japan to the Russian destination of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk (UHSS). Delaying departure from Kagoshima (RJFK) by a day not only allowed the Bazflyers to actually view Mount Sakurajima, but also gave the necessary interval for a troublesome frontal system to pass-over Japan. Tomorrow’s forecast is for clear skies and tailwinds…!

With assistance from the great team at New Japan Aviation, ZK-BAZ is refuelled and prepared ready for the anticipated 7-hour journey. The critical Russian flight permit is in hand and the required IFR Flight Plan has already been filed and accepted. There is every chance the refrains of Bruce Springsteen’s song might be heard through the Bazflyer’s headsets during their flight up to Russia.

Kirishima and Mount Sakurajimi in the background and other streetscape views...

Proof it’s a live volcano...an eruption occurred as this blog was being posted and more followed...