Episode 274 - The Courage of Hajime ‘Jimmy’ Sagane and Japan’s Rescue Pilots During the Fukushima Disaster Part 1

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS , in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine . Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter! In this two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and guest co-host Terry Miyauchi speak with prior Japanese Coast Guard Pilot Hajime "Jimmy" Sagane. Jimmy speaks excellent English, but for the best experience, we recommend watching this episode on our HeliCASTS YouTube page to enjoy the benefits of closed captioning. During our conversation, Jimmy recounts the historic and tragic events that unfolded after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. This devastating quake triggered a massive tsunami that claimed over 20,000 lives and critically damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant's cooling system. Jimmy shares gripping firsthand accounts of the heroic efforts during Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami, including the challenges of search-and-rescue missions, the use of helicopters in cooling efforts, and the emotional weight of recovery work. Join us as we dive into a compelling conversation about resilience, preparedness, and the dedication of those who serve in public safety aviation. Thank you to our sponsors Dallas Avionics , Onboard Systems Hoist & Winch and Spectrolab .