Departure
86%
vs 95% ▼ 9
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Miyako Shimojishima Airport (RORS) sits on Shimoji Island in Okinawa Prefecture, linked by bridge to Irabu and Miyako Islands, and offers a single very long, ILS-equipped runway that once made it Japan's only dedicated jet pilot training aerodrome. For the VFR simmer it combines an unusually generous runway with a striking tropical setting, now serving scheduled tourist traffic to the Miyako Islands.
Miyako Shimojishima Airport, ICAO code RORS, lies on Shimoji Island in the Miyako group of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It was originally built as a training airfield for domestic civil pilot education, and its single, exceptionally long hard-surfaced runway with an ILS approach reflects that heritage. Today the field has been repurposed to support tourism to the Miyako region alongside its continuing role in flight training, giving simulator pilots a rare combination of airliner-length pavement and a remote island setting.
The airport is located on Shimoji Island, itself connected by bridge to neighbouring Irabu Island and, in turn, to Miyako Island, within Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Field elevation is 33 feet and the airport reference point lies at approximately 24.8267 N, 125.145 E.
The airport has one physical runway, 17/35, a hard-surfaced strip of roughly 9,855 feet, lit for night operations. An ILS approach is provided for landings on runway 17.
Air traffic services are provided on Approach 120.3 MHz, Departure 125 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz and Tower 118.3 MHz. An ILS is available for runway 17, supporting instrument approaches to the long runway 17/35.
The area known locally as the '17 END', just off the airport boundary near the threshold of runway 17, overlooks some of the clearest water in Okinawa Prefecture and is a well-known vantage point for watching aircraft on approach and departure, making it a useful visual landmark when orienting toward the field.
The airfield was originally established as a training base for domestic civil pilot education in Japan, at one time serving as the country's only dedicated civilian jet pilot training airport. Its long, wide runway reflects this training role. In 2019 the airport was reoriented toward tourism, and a new passenger terminal opened on 30 March 2019 under the concept that a visitor's resort experience begins at the airport, marking its transformation into a gateway for travel to the Miyako Islands while it continued to support pilot training.
Miyako Shimojishima Airport today combines its long-standing pilot training function with scheduled domestic and international passenger flights serving the Miyako Island region. The field is reached from Miyako Island via the Irabu Bridge, and a perimeter road along the north side of the runway is a popular local spot for viewing arriving and departing traffic against the surrounding sea.