空自、カラー五輪描く　聖火到着まで１週間―宮城・松島基地

　五輪聖火の到着まで１週間に迫った１３日、航空自衛隊松島基地（宮城県）の上空で、同基地所属の曲技飛行チーム、ブルーインパルスが５色の五輪マークを描いた。２０日に同基地で開かれる聖火到着式での披露に向け、本番と同様にカラースモークを使い発色や見え方を確かめた。
　１３日午前１１時すぎ、同基地からブルーインパルスのＴ４練習機計１２機が離陸。機体からカラースモークを噴射し、速度を合わせながら薄曇りの空に五輪マークを３回描いた。空自によると、円の直径は約１２００メートルだが、さまざまな天候に対応できるように高度は約１５００メートルと約８００メートルを試し、地上からの見え方を確認した。
　ブルーインパルスは６機編隊で、今回は予備人員を含め１４人の編成。リーダーの１番機が上空で基準点を示し、残りの５機が円を描く。（2020/03/13-19:17）

The Blue Impulse aerobatic team of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force drew in practice the five Olympic rings in the sky with colored smoke on Friday, a week ahead of the arrival of the Olympic flame at the unit's home base in the country's northeastern prefecture of Miyagi.
   ASDF officials checked how the rings drawn above the ASDF's Matsushima base by a unit from the acrobatic team were seen from the ground.
   Shortly past 11 a.m. (2 a.m. GMT), a total of 12 T-4 practice aircraft took off from the base in the city of Higashimatsushima and drew the Olympic rings in the five colors of blue, yellow, black, green and red three times in the cloudy sky. Each ring had some 1,200 meters in diameter.
   The unit drew the five rings at altitudes of some 1,500 meters and some 800 meters so that it can skywrite the Olympic symbol in any weather conditions at a ceremony to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame for the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. The ceremony will be held at the Matsushima base on March 20, when the flame arrives in Japan, at the ASDF facility.
   The Blue Impulse unit, comprising 14 ASDF members, including reserve personnel, will employ a six-aircraft formation. Of the six aircraft, one will guide the other five for drawing the Olympic rings.