[Interview] Interview with ANA synchronous pilot about JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi

Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi will board the Russian Soyuz spacecraft (47S/MS-01) this summer and head to the ISS (International Space Station) for a long stay on the ISS. A mission is planned. Mr. Onishi, who attracted attention as the first Japanese commercial pilot, was previously a co-pilot of ANA (All Nippon Airways) Boeing 767. ANA is also planning to cooperate with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) to plan support events for the launch and to make it all-around exciting.

On March 10, 2009, Mr. Onishi's last flight on a domestic flight with an overnight stay before he retired from ANA Photo provided by: ANA , Mr. Onishi gathered in between his flight duties and talked about Mr. Onishi's personality and episodes. Mr. Ken Fukumoto, a classmate of Astronaut Onishi and a university classmate in the same department, and has a private relationship after becoming a co-pilot. Mr. Ryuichi Inoue, and Mr. Kentaro Oki, who was on the ground with Mr. Onishi for half a year after joining the company and also worked as a training instructor. All three belong to the B777 Department of the Flight Operations Center and are captains of Boeing 777 aircraft.

――About the portrait of Astronaut Onishi

Mr. Ken Fukumoto, the captain of the Boeing 777, who was a classmate of Astronaut Onishi and has a private relationship. . He is humble not only when dealing with people, but also in everything he does.

The job of a pilot is a continuous process of making decisions as quickly as possible based on a lot of information. As you get used to your work, your emotions, preconceptions, and aspirations will introduce non-objective elements into your judgments, creating gaps. Onishi is always calm, eliminates preconceptions and desires, and does not reject things based on inconvenient facts. You can judge only by objective factors. He is humble about the laws of nature and the behavior of machines, and perhaps that is one of the factors that made him an astronaut.

He is straightforward in answering what he thinks when consulted. When a friend asks you for advice, the closer you are, the more likely you are to answer in a way that does not hurt the other person. Find out what the person you are talking to wants to say and respond accordingly. Onishi does not have such a place at all, and answers with his own values ​​and his own words.

For the person who consulted me, he didn't tell me what he wanted me to say, but his sincere reply made me aware of things I didn't realize, and things I had closed my eyes because it was inconvenient. Give me As a result, I can say that I am a very trustworthy person to consult with.

When he was active, he was a co-pilot, but he was not afraid to tell the captain his opinions based on his own values, experience, and knowledge, regardless of the difference in position. rice field. On the other hand, if Onishi were to be in the position of captain or leader, he would know, ``How should I interact as a leader so that the crew around me can demonstrate their abilities more effectively?''

Boeing 777 Captain Ryuichi Inoue, who was with Astronaut Onishi from the initial pilot training to co-pilot promotion

Mr. He himself has answered in various media interviews, but he is the type to do his best at whatever is in front of him. My ability is already high, but I can work even harder. During the training, I saw some people failing, but they shared their failures without hiding it.

Even after failing, I calmly thought about how to use my brain and mental strength to make the most of my failures and move on to the next step. With high ability and effort, you can bring yourself to the level that is required of you. As an astronaut, I think he was able to see that he could overcome even the most difficult missions.

Boeing 777 captain Kentaro Oki, who was with Astronaut Onishi on the ground during the six months after joining the company

Mr. I feel At first glance, he looks quiet, but he is actually a passionate person and full of curiosity. When I was working as a passenger attendant at Haneda Airport when I was stationed on the ground, we shared the same work rhythm of 4 days and 2 days off (work 4 days and take 2 days off), so we often spent time off together. Even my seniors loved me. He treated everyone the same and everyone liked him. I worked with him as a training instructor, and when he gave training advice and attitudes to trainees at meetings, I was impressed by how passionately he spoke in front of his juniors.

At play, he likes Formula 1 and we used to go karting together. Also, although we were both beginners, we have played golf together. They say that playing golf reveals his personality, but he doesn't change at all. He was always calm and enjoyed himself, even when he made mistakes.

Mr. Fukumoto: Nothing stands out. It is a type that is not a special existence.

Mr. Oki: I think the fact that there are no flaws is a big factor. I have the impression that he is an all-rounder and can get above average marks in all cases. Isn't that part of the qualities required of an astronaut?

Astronaut Onishi (right) and Captain Inoue (second from left) undergoing pilot training in the United States Photo provided: During the training process for the ANA propeller plane, after completing the first solo flight, friends were thrown into the pool Photo provided :ANA

――How did you feel when you were selected as an astronaut candidate?

Mr. Ohki: I was happy. It was then that I learned that I was aiming to become an astronaut. I knew that he liked space for a long time. I love Star Wars, and when I was in America for pilot training, I was invited to see a Star Wars movie.

Mr. Fukumoto: I've heard that people use daily necessities made with materials developed by NASA at home. I heard about him from the time he applied for the astronaut selection test. As the selection process progressed, I heard about his progress one by one, and I thought he would pass the final selection stage.

I was told that there is a swimming test in the final stage of astronaut selection. When I was in college, I was on the swimming club, so I invited Onishi to go to a pool in Tokyo, saying, "If there is a swimming test, let's go practice together." It was a special training for treadwater swimming, but he was a person who could do it if I taught him, and I was able to treadwater immediately. On the way home, I went to eat as usual, and there were 10 people who remained in the final selection. It has become a story that looked at the position objectively.

Let's talk about how the selection process goes and what happens if you are selected. When I heard the calm and humble man talk about being selected, I knew he would pass. Perhaps he thinks so too, when I half-jokingly said, "I'm going to quit my company, join JAXA, and move, so I'll treat you here." . Now I think that this was a manifestation of his own self-confidence.

Mr. Oki: He said, ``Human development is driven by the instinctive desire to go faster, higher, and farther, and I aim to be even better than a pilot.'' He heard it and thought it was amazing.

Mr. Fukumoto: When I feel uplifted, I go to karaoke by myself. Even though we've dined together, I've never been invited to karaoke. During the astronaut exam, he performed "One Person Musical", but he likes the Shiki Theater Company and may have been steadily improving his singing ability by himself in karaoke.

-Did you talk to Astronaut Onishi recently?

Astronaut Onishi's three co-pilots, whose old tales bloom

Mr. Inoue: When we return to Japan, we sometimes have dinner together. Most recently, in January of this year.

Mr. Fukumoto: I ate yakiniku with about 10 people in the same period.

--What did you talk about?

Mr. Inoue: I didn't do anything like digging around and digging around. He will be asked a lot. We all went back to the old days and enjoyed talking about memories.

Mr. Fukumoto: Everyone reads his blog.

――Are there any memorable episodes about Astronaut Onishi?

Mr. Fukumoto: At that time, he and I were on board a Boeing 767 as co-pilots. At that time, the routes operated were mainly domestic routes and short-distance international routes. If you have an early morning flight from Narita, you must stay at a hotel near the airport the day before. When you stay the night before, you need to bring your uniform and everything you need for the flight, but since it's the night before, I usually travel in plain clothes. Then you tend to forget something, so you have to be careful not to forget anything.

March 10, 2009. Photo courtesy of ANA

One day, when Onishi was staying in Narita the night before, he noticed that he forgot his leather shoes at home. In the middle of the night, I took a taxi and went home to pick it up. From Narita to my home in Tokyo, the taxi fare must have been quite expensive. I could feel his sense of responsibility, not bothering others and fixing his own mistakes. What I noticed the day before, albeit in the middle of the night, is that he checks his belongings before going to bed. It seems to be him. If it were me, I might wake up the next morning and panic. I thought it was typical of him to notice things and calm down in his recovery. It wasn't like him to forget something.

Mr. Inoue: He has a lot of preferences. The car he bought for the first time was also a model that he was particular about, and he insisted, "This is good!" When I bought a Star Wars character refrigerator, it was very expensive, and I proudly told my classmates about it.

He is calm and humble, but when we had a debriefing session after training, there was a time when everyone had finished talking about their failures, and he repeated the same story. I was pointed out, "I just talked about that!" It also has the ability to change to soften the place.

Mr. Oki: I'm not that picky when it comes to clothes. When he was a passenger, he wore a character-themed shirt under his uniform.

Astronaut Onishi undergoing pilot training on a propeller plane in the United States Photo provided by: JAXA

Mr. Fukumoto: After joining the company, you will receive supplementary English lessons during propeller plane training in the United States. At that time, I invited a local American instructor to the training school (classroom) to improve my English conversation, but in the first lesson, I was asked, "How was your weekend?" I heard that after that, the whole class practiced the pronunciation of "Walmart" for an hour.

Mr. Inoue: Now you are doing Q&A in Russian. surprised.

Mr. Fukumoto: When he was selected as an astronaut, when I asked him what he would like as a farewell gift from his classmates, the first thing he answered was "an electronic dictionary containing Russian."

――Lastly, do you have a message for Astronaut Onishi?

Mr. Fukumoto: I think this mission is just the first step in Onishi's career as an astronaut. What he can do next is the part where his true value is questioned. Of course, I hope that this mission will be a success, and I hope that Onishi will steadily produce results and return home healthy and safe.

Mr. Inoue: This time, it was announced that the (target launch date) will be postponed, but I think he would like to go soon because it is a stage that he has dreamed of. I think there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but it's a valuable experience, including the pressure, so I hope he enjoys it.

Mr. Ohki: From our point of view, it's unfortunate that this has been postponed, but I think he's looking forward to it. I want you to come back safely.

During training in Japan, with fellow classmates. Astronaut Onishi (right) and Captain Inoue (third from left)