Blue Impulse buzzes Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympics
August 24, 2021, was the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics. If you didn’t know, I’m not a big supporter of the Olympics. But, as you probably know, I like airplanes. So, when my wife told me the Blue Impulse acrobatics team would soon fly over the city, I reached for my camera. I was completely unprepared, but I photographed them. Military aircraft are cool.
Photo gear for this photo shoot
- Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lenses: Fujifilm XF100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
What is Blue Impulse?
Blue Impulse is the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s aerobatic team. They are from 11 Squadron of the 4th Air Wing. Their aircraft is the Kawasaki T-4 intermediate jet trainer. They are based at is Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture.
What did they do for the Paralympics?
The team flew over Tokyo trailing plumes of red, blue, and green from the Paralympics. Over the city’s center, they laid the colors in the three “agitos.” Agito means “I move” in Latin. It symbolizes movement in the shape of an asymmetrical crescent.
And the three colors? Most countries use them in their national flags. That’s an easy answer!
Problems photographing the aircraft
- First, my apartment is quite far from the center of the city. I wouldn’t be able to photograph the airplanes as they did their acrobatics over the city. My plan, if you can call it that, was just to take any pictures of the planes I could get.
- The weather? It was bad, to be honest. There was no rain, but it was overcast. Kawasaki T-4s are very small, making it hard to focus on them in the conditions.
- Furthermore, I had no idea how long the planes would be overhead. I didn’t even know from which direction they would approach. And, they were traveling fast.
- The aircraft only made two passes near my apartment. The pictures I got weren’t great, but they were the best I could do under the circumstances. Still, they are in focus with some detail. So, I was happy with what I got.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related articles:
- Blue Impulse (official website)