What happens when a Japanese pilot and a former US nuclear adviser fly wing to wing over the birthplace of the atomic bomb mission?
A flight becomes a symbol of healing.
On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima, Adrian Eichhorn, 69, and Shinji Maeda, 46, will soar in formation over Utah’s Wendover Field.
The historic site is where crews trained for the atomic bombings that ended WWII. “It’s history forgotten,” Eichhorn says.
“If this helps renew that interest to thank all the people involved in the war effort, that’s important.”
Wendover once buzzed with 20,000 personnel working on the Manhattan Project.
What Happened There?
It’s where the Enola Gay took off—and where B-29s dropped test bombs shaped like their deadly payloads.
For Maeda, the flight carries personal weight.
A crash in Japan at 18 left him blind in one eye and barred from flying—until he moved to the US and earned the nickname “the one-eyed pilot.”
The pair bonded over aviation and shared trauma—both survived brutal motorcycle accidents.
“Our first flight was over a car,” Eichhorn jokes.
Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan/US Air Force.
Their flight is more than a tribute—it’s a message. “You’d never think in 1945 that Japan and the US would be allies,” Eichhorn says.
Maeda adds, “The question is, why are we not learning from history?”
Sometimes, peace flies in pairs.
