Blue Impulse ( ブルーインパルス , Burū Inparusu ) (currently 11 Squadron 4th Air Wing , previously 21 Squadron 4th Air Wing ) is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The team was founded in 1960 as a team of six F-86 Sabres . They changed mounts to the Mitsubishi T-2 in 1980 and then to the Kawasaki T-4 in 1995. They are based at Matsushima Air Base , which was heavily damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami .
13-505: The first unofficial Japanese aerobatic team was formed in 1958 at Hamamatsu Air Base , flying Mitsubishi -built North American F-86F Sabres without a special colour scheme, disbanded after four demonstrations. In 1959 the USAF Thunderbirds visited Japan and inspired JASDF commanders to establish an official aerobatic team. In 1960 the new team was formed at Hamamatsu airbase flying five F-86Fs of 2nd Squadron , with three of
26-623: Is a wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It comes under the authority of the Air Training Command and resides in Shizuoka Prefecture . The 1st Air Wing was formed in 1 December 1955. As of 2017 it has two squadrons , both equipped with Kawasaki T-4 aircraft: It is currently based at Hamamatsu Air Base in Shizuoka Prefecture . This article about the military of Japan
39-486: The Blue Impulse fully returned to Matsushima Air Base following the completion of repairs and anti-tsunami measures. Data from: Hamamatsu Air Base Hamamatsu Air Base ( 浜松基地 , Hamamatsu-kichi ) ( ICAO : RJNH ) is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located 3.0 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north of the city of Hamamatsu , Shizuoka Prefecture , in central Japan . Hamamatsu Air Base
52-653: The Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Hamamatsu Air Base hosted a display by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic display team. From 2008, the MIM-104 Patriot missile has been deployed at Hamamatsu Air Base. Hamamatsu Air Base is currently headquarters to the JASDF Air Training Command. Units currently based at Hamamatsu include: 1st Air Wing (JASDF) The 1st Air Wing ( 第1航空団 , dai-ichi-koukudan )
65-905: The Japanese-built Kawasaki T-4 trainer, and the first show with these aircraft was on 5 April 1996. In 1997, the team made their first foreign debut at the Nellis Air Force Base air show in Nevada, USA . In 1998 Blue Impulse performed at the Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan. Blue Impulse also performed at the 2002 FIFA World Cup ; on 4 June 2002, they performed at the opening of the Japan versus Belgium match. On March 11, 2011, Matsushima Air Base, where Blue Impulse had been based, sustained heavy damage from
78-645: The Sabres with Mitsubishi T-2 trainers, performing their first show with the new aircraft was on 25 June 1982 at the team's new Matsushima airbase. At Expo '90 in Osaka, Blue Impulse performed at the opening event and drew the "Expo '90" logo in the air. The team's last performance with the Mitsubishi T-2 was in December 1995, after 175 demonstrations with these aircraft. The new Blue Impulse aircraft became
91-670: The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Because on the day before, the aircraft and crew had travelled to Ashiya Air Base in Fukuoka to perform at the opening ceremony of the Kyushu Shinkansen , the team escaped damage from the disaster. While the crew continued to be based in Matsushima to aid in recovery efforts, they were required to travel to other bases for flight training while Matsushima underwent repairs. On March 30, 2013,
104-523: The home base of Japan's squadron of Boeing E-767 AWACS aircraft. In 1999, an aviation museum, the JASDF Hamamatsu Air Base Publication Center ( 航空自衛隊浜松広報館 , Hamamatsu Kōhōkan ) , was established. It has many aircraft from the history of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force on static display, and also a restored example of a World War II era A6M5 Zero . In 2004, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of
117-565: The leader's aircraft, the blue is replaced by gold. Later, in 1961, all five aircraft received a special paint scheme of overall white with blue flashes. In 1964, Blue Impulse performed at the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, drawing the Olympic rings in the air with coloured smoke. In 1970, at the opening of Expo '70 in Osaka, the team drew "Expo '70" in the air. In February 1982, after 545 air demonstrations, Blue Impulse replaced
130-520: The nascent Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The training syllabus was transformed in 1954 into separate schools for flight training, aircraft maintenance and communications. The base was divided into northern and southern areas in 1958, with the operational area in the north housing the 1st Air Wing , and from 1960, the Blue Impulse aerobatic squadron and the southern area housing the administrative and training facilities. The Blue Impulse squadron
143-513: The pilots coming from the 1958 team. The first demonstration of the "Tenryū" team, (named after the Tenryū River near the air base), was on 4 March 1960 at Hamamatsu, the name was found to be hard to pronounce in western languages, so the team was renamed Blue Impulse. The aircraft were equipped with smoke generators using five different colours for each aircraft: white, red, blue, green and yellow and painted in silver, light blue, blue and pink; on
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#1732791533183156-551: Was established in 1925 as an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force base to be home to the newly formed IJAAF No.7 Air Regiment. In 1933, it was designated as the primary flight school for Japanese army aviation. After World War II , the base facilities were used as an emergency landing strip by the United States Air Force , and were returned to the Japanese government in 1952 for use as a flight training school for
169-420: Was transferred to Matsushima Air Base in 1981; however the team suffered from a fatal mid-air collision during a farewell performance at Hamamatsu in 1982 The First Air Wing transitioned from Lockheed T-33 A trainers to Kawasaki T-4 trainers in 1988. In a fiscal reform in 1989, the northern and southern halves of the base were reunited into a single administrative entity. From 1998, Hamamatsu Air Base became
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