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| An airplane flies over the Taedong River near Pyongyang's Ryongwang Pavilion, circa 1920s or 1930s / Robert Neff Collection |
By Robert Neff
Aviation history in Korea was made on the afternoon of April 3, 1910, when Ohtori 4 ― an airplane built and piloted by 37-year-old Japanese Lt. Sanji Narahara ― raced down an impromptu 35-meter-long runway at Seoul's Yongsan and soared into the air reaching the astounding height of 30 meters off the ground. For about 30 minutes the plane circled the field and then safely landed to the applause of an amazed crowd.
One spectator later gushed that he had never in his life seen such a large audience. "It was almost a terrifying sight," he declared and speculated that "maybe the entire population of Seoul went out to see the spectacle."
Over the next couple of days there would be several aerial demonstrations and it was estimated that about 135,000 people attended these exhibits ― an impressive number considering Seoul's population was about 200,000. Of course, not everyone in the crowd was from Seoul.
Some people made great sacrifices to witness what was described as "almost a miracle." One man traveled from Yongcheong (near the Yalu River) to Seoul to see the exhibit, leaving his very-pregnant wife behind. Shortly after witnessing the flight he received a telegram from his wife announcing the birth of his son. He promptly answered her telegram but said nothing about the birth of his son, merely raving about the airplane.
The aerial enterprise was so successful that Narahara and his sponsors ― one of which appears to have been Asahi Beer ― announced a three-day airshow to be held in Pyongyang starting April 12. The airplane was carefully packed and transported by train to the northern city ― unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any pictures of the plane being transported.
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| Another view of the Japanese Sixth Air Regiment's aircraft in Pyongyang in the late 1930s or early 1940s / Robert Neff Collection |
In anticipation of the large number of spectators, additional trains traveling to Pyongyang were scheduled and people from Chinnampo (modern-day Nampo), Wonsan and even Hamhung began pouring into the city ― much to the delight of the local businesses.
However, as the spectators began to pour in, something else began to pour. On April 12, the heavens opened up and the region was inundated by heavy rains and the aerial demonstration was postponed until the following morning.
Starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, the airplane made four flights ― the final flight ending at 4 p.m. Nearly 30,000 people witnessed this daring aviator flitting about the sky and his record-breaking third flight which achieved an altitude of 100 meters off the ground. Delighted with his success, Lt. Narahara declared that on the following day he would attempt "a long distance flight" in which he would land at each of the five Japanese military camps located around Pyongyang.
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| The Japanese Sixth Air Regiment in Pyongyang in the late 1930s or early 1940s / Robert Neff Collection |
On Monday, the plane went up twice in the morning and three times in the afternoon. According to an account in a Korean newspaper, the airplane flew from the Heijo Army Base to the Gangdong Infantry Base (which was across the Taedong River) ― a distance of 6 kilometers ― and was on its return flight when calamity struck.
The engine died suddenly and the plane began to plummet to the ground. Narahara was able to regain control and crash-landed near the river. Fortunately neither he nor his copilot was seriously injured but the plane was damaged beyond repair. The Korean news blamed the accident on a short-circuited fuse in the engine.
However, the Japanese newspaper, Mainichi, reported that on the last flight the plane "rose about 200 meters, made a large circular flight and performed evolutions equivalent to the conveying of military messages. In descending [the pilot] failed to cut off [the] power, and the machine descended heavily and was considerably damaged."
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| Aircraft of the Japanese Sixth Air Regiment in Pyongyang in the late 1930s or early 1940s / Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection |
The airshow ended and many were disappointed with their luck of having arrived too late to witness mankind's conquest of flight. According to the earlier Korean newspaper, "a group of American tourists" ― most likely American gold miners and their families from Unsan ― were especially disappointed as they had never witnessed an airplane in flight, even in the United States. They were reportedly so upset that they refused to be interviewed.
Narahara and his ruined plane returned to Japan. Despite the accident, he was probably viewed as a hero and it is his name that is associated with the beginnings of aviation history in Korea ― but is that accurate? For the most part, Narahara gave up flying in early 1912, due to family pressure, and his student, Einosuke Shirato, apparently did most of the flying ― including the initial flight from Japan's first civilian airfield at Chiba in May 1912.
The Ohtori 4 was a two-seater aircraft and (although not mentioned in the articles) Shirato was undoubtedly in the plane during its flights in Korea. It is a very good possibility that Shirato wasn't acting as the copilot but was actually flying the plane. If so, he, and not his teacher, was the first person to fly in Korea.
Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff04@gmail.com. He has authored and co-authored several books including "Letters from Joseon," "Korea Through Western Eyes" and "Brief Encounters."
