Rare 360-degree cockpit footage has been released showing the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team performing a special exhibition flight over Aichi Prefecture on September 19, 2026, to celebrate the opening of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Kyodo News recently obtained the footage from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, offering viewers an unusual pilot's-eye perspective from inside the cockpit of a T-4 training jet during the aerial display.
Recorded using a 360-degree camera, the video allows viewers on YouTube to move the screen freely and look in any direction, providing an immersive experience of flying with one of Japan's most famous aerobatic teams.
The Blue Impulse team performed the commemorative flight to mark both the opening of the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games scheduled for October.
The aircraft departed Komaki Air Base shortly after 9 a.m. on September 19, passing over the area around Hisaya Odori Park in central Nagoya before continuing past several prominent landmarks across Aichi Prefecture.
The flight route included areas near Okazaki Castle Park in Okazaki, Toyohashi City General Gymnasium in Toyohashi, and Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute.
Large crowds, including families with children, gathered around Hisaya Odori Park to watch the aircraft overhead. As the jets released white smoke to draw hearts and circles against the clear blue sky, spectators pointed cameras upward and cheered at the aerial formations.
The newly released cockpit footage provides a rare opportunity to experience the exhibition flight from the pilot's perspective, capturing both the aircraft's maneuvers and panoramic views of Aichi Prefecture during the commemorative display.
Source: Kyodo
