Following on from the success of its 2021 static display of the Yamaha Fazer UAV helicopter at the Embassy of Japan’s annual reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor, Yamaha Motor Australia was again honoured with an invitation to the 2023 event.
More of a formal ceremony than a celebration, the annual reception held inside the impressive premises where Ambassador Shingo Yamagami and his wife reside, provides an opportunity for invited Australian-based Japanese companies to display and promote their latest technology and services to invited business leaders and dignitaries.
Included in this year’s invitation to Yamaha Motor Australia was the approval to conduct a demonstration flight of the new FAZER R G2 satellite-guided helicopter (UAV) around the grounds of the residence.
An indication of the close diplomatic relationship between Japan and Australia was the strong attendance which exceeded 600 guests, making the 2023 event one of the busiest in recent years. Dignitaries included former Australian prime ministers Scott Morrison and Tony Abbot, along with leading ministers, academics, and representatives from various Japanese companies.
As well as a static display of the FAZER R G2 in the gardens of the Ambassador’s residence, the YMA Sky Division team also conducted two demonstration flights of the Fazer, a very rare opportunity that attracted the attention of everyone present. With Cory Hillsley at the controls, the FAZER R G2 circled the grounds above the trees and sprayed water to show its pest control capabilities. While the FAZER was airborne, Sky Division Manager, David Peters, provided commentary via a Yamaha PA system to the large crowd of spectators which included Ambassador Yamagami and his wife. In addition to explaining how Cory Hillsley controls the UAV, David Peters also provided historical information about Yamaha Motor’s 40-year development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as well as details about the services and logistic solutions provided by Yamaha Motor Australia with its FAZER UAV.
Speaking after the demonstration flights, Ambassador Yamagami made special mention of Yamaha’s display, an honour for the Sky team acknowledging the hard work that had gone into organising the display and test flights. Ambassador Yamagami even made light of the mix of industries in attendance. “To the defence and intelligence personnel present – if you happen to see a suspicious object floating in the sky, don’t shoot it down on these premises!” he joked.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Managing Director for Yamaha Motor Australia, Mr Tom Okamoto, explained why the Sky Division and its new FAZER R G2 UAV satellite-guided UAV were chosen to represent Yamaha Motor Australia at the official ceremony. "Our FAZER is highly recognised around the world as a cost and time-effective solution for various societal challenges," Mr Okamoto explained. "I’m happy to be able to show Yamaha’s limitless potential to all those who attended the ceremony."
David Peters, Yamaha Motor Australia Sky Division Manager. said Yamaha has been leading the way in drone development ever since it created the R-50 back in 1983. “Forty years of development has led to what we have today,” he added. An amazing machine built by an amazing company.”