44th International Sanicole Airshow
One of the most highly anticipated events of the 2024 European Airshow season was the 44th International Sanicole Airshow. Returning after a year off due to Kleine Brogel hosting Belgian Air Force Days in 2023, Sanicole marked the 80th Anniversary of Belgian Liberation, the 50th Anniversary of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the 60th Anniversary of the Patrouille Suisse. It was also a show of ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes’ with the international air display debut of the German Air Force’s second Eurofighter Typhoon display from TaktLwG 31 at Nörvenich and the last ever airshow flight by Steven ‘Vrieske’ De Vries, the final Belgian Air Force F-16 solo display pilot and former leader of 31 Squadron’s Thundertigers team.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.
The International Sanicole Airshow weekend is always one I relish offering at least two very different days of high-quality aviation action alongside the other attractions of Belgium. Over 44 editions, the team at Sanicole Aeroclub have constantly developed the airshow experience to attract the widest possible audience. It has been reported the 2024 event attracted 55,000 visitors with the main show day selling out well in advance of the show. That was certainly reflected in the crowd density on the Sunday with nearly all the free space taken. The VIP, Business and Friends of Sanicole packages also proved highly popular selling out almost as soon as tickets went on sale.
It really is not often we mention pre-show social media publicity in a review but on this occasion, it did raise an eyebrow. Some of the Facebook and Instagram reels plus the Tiktok videos were just plain weird to the point of being inappropriate. Such videos do need to be eye-catching to a huge variety of viewers, but they do need to be sympathetic to the event they are advertising and not just be weird for the sake of being weird. Sanicole’s more traditional publicity however was very impressive with sticker posters and even McDonald’s placemats advertising the event across the region.
Following the last event in 2022 when there were some serious issues with the parking plan and the shuttle buses, plenty of work had been done to improve the experience for visitors. The good news for most visitors was that most the car parking returned to walking distance from the airfield with just one car park being remote enough to require a shuttle bus. The airshow also offered dedicated coach pick-up from various towns and cities around Belgium as well as a cycle-route scheme to reduce traffic flow to and from the show. Overall, it seems to have been a success though there were some cases of visitors getting lost trying to find car parks (it has to be said signage could be difficult to spot and not everyone has access to the Waze App) and there was some congestion for some getting out. However, on the Sunday having stayed on for an hour after the end of the flying, I simply drove out of the car parks and was back at my hotel some 10 miles away within half an hour.
Another big improvement was the airshow catering with a new contractor for this year. The main catering units were very different essentially being open kitchens within temporary structures. The food I had was just about the best food I’ve had at any event this year (certainly quality you would associate with decent restaurants) with an excellent choice beyond the usual burgers, sausages and fries. It was really quite popular too with long queues during much of the day. To their credit though the caterers stayed open for quite some time after the flying giving many the chance of grabbing an evening meal while allowing the traffic to clear.
The weather for 2024 was very kind. Sometimes warm sunny weather can mean some foggy mornings which delay the start of the flying, but on this occasion, Sunday dawned with warm clear skies. As the day progressed, it did cloud over (which is a slight relief for photographers who dread shooting into bright sunlight) but the cloudbase remained very high allowing every acts to fly a full display.
Opening the displays were the Flying Dragons Paramotor Team. Like their sunset presentation, theirs was a colourful display that filled the sky. Particularly pleasing was their use of coloured smoke to draw the Belgian flag in the sky.
Similar patriotic use of smoke came from the home favourites the Victors Formation Team flying four Piper PA28 Cherokees from Ursel Flying Club. 2024 is a special year for the team as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. They have become a regular at Sanicole, Ursel and the Belgian Air Force Days events but have also performed on an international stage. To mark this milestone, all of their display aircraft have received special tail-art.
The Victors spearheaded a collection of civilian displays that included Rich Goodwin in his jet-powered Pitts S-2SE Special, Bob Grimstead flying his Fournier RF4D and a solo Grob 109b from Aerosparx. However, the standout civilian display of the after came from French aerobatic champion Aude Lemordant flying her MXS. Aude a three times World Aerobatic Champion and that shone through during her routine with an incredible display of precision and aerobatic flair. Somewhat surprisingly, this was Aude’s first display in Belgium .
The 80th Anniversary of Belgian Liberation was marked by a superb collection of heritage aircraft. The centrepiece to the aerial commemorations was the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster B1 which featured on most of the event’s publicity material and performed rare overseas solo display. Joining the Lancaster was Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Sally-B making a welcome return to Belgium in the hands of Sanicole Aeroclub member Peter Kuypers. The B-17G also featured in the first special formation of the afternoon flying in tandem with the Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon not only demonstrating 80 years of military aviation development, but also marking Sally-B operator Ellie Sallingboe’s Danish heritage.
Joining the big bombers were several other significant historic aircraft. Stijn De Jaeghere returned with his beautiful North American AT-6D Texan early on during Sunday’s display. He also appeared later on in the programme giving his first Sanicole display in his recently acquired Boeing-Stearman N2S-3 Kaydet which wears the colours of the US Navy. Three more Belgian operated T-6 Texans also appeared together giving some loose formation passes before a small recreation of an airfield attack. If there was a prize for the more elegant aircraft in the display, then that surely must go the stunning Lockheed 12A Electra Junior from Luc Hellings based at Zwartberg.
Completing the historic flying were three more potent warbirds from the Benelux region. The Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight made a very welcome return with its beautiful Supermarine Spitfire LFIXb flown by Ralph Aarts. Later in the afternoon, the crowds were treated to a display by Kris van der Burgh’s Spitfire XVIe which wears the wartime colours of 349 Squadron, a current Belgian Air Force unit flying the F-16.
However, my star warbird of the afternoon was the Curtiss P-40E Warhawk flown by Fréderic Vormezeele. This aircraft has only recently been imported to Belgium and was refurbished by Fast Aero Services. It had been modified into a two-seat configuration like many other P-40s for experience flights and wears the early war markings of a United States Army Air Force aircraft.
It was however modern military displays that dominated the flying display. With organisers now closing the runway at Sanicole Aeroclub to allow more space in the showground, the only aircraft that can operate here during the show are rotary aircraft. The Royal Netherlands Air Force made a sizeable contribution to the static displays with one of 301 Squadron’s brand-new Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardians on show alongside the NH Industries NH90NFH from 860 Squadron. They also sent one of their Pilatus PC-7 Turbotrainers to Sanicole for static display alongside two examples from the Austrian Air Force. Though unable to contribute to the air display, the Belgian Air Force’s 17 Squadron had two examples of the Agusta A109BAi on static display though one did look rather worse for wear.
In the air display, the Belgian Air Force did present a 40 Squadron NH90NFH Caiman in a search and rescue role demonstration while an Airbus A400M Atlas from 20 Squadron at Melsbroek gave a series of low flypasts in different configurations. No modern iteration of Sanicole would be complete without a display from the Red Devils and their four SIAI-Marchetti SF260s. The team of qualified flying instructors are drawn from 5 squadron based at Beauvechain and it has been thought with the impending retirement of the type that 2024 would be their final season. However, while no decision has been made public, there were rumours throughout the Sanicole weekend the team could at least make some appearances into 2025 – watch this space. Sadly, due to delays getting airborne, the Red Devils were unable to form up with the Stampe and Vertongen Museum’s Fouga CM170 Magister. The classic jet trainer carries the markings of the Red Devils display team and it did eventually perform a solo routine once its technical issues were resolved.
The Belgian Army’s Black Devils Parachute Display Team opened the second half of the flying display dropping into Sanicole Aeroclub with three flag bearers. They were followed by the Canadian Armed Forces Skyhawks Parachute Display Team making their third appearance at the show having performed here in 2010 and 2012. The Skyhawks are based at Trenton, Ontario and they are a sub-unit of the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre. They consist of members of three Canadian armed forces and performed a very original display of formation and solo parachuting. They were a particularly apt addition to the flying display given the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden which was being commemorated just a few kilometres north of Leopoldsburg the same weekend.
For its future rotary pilots, the Belgian Air Force sends students to Dax in France to training with the French Army training school there. At Dax they fly the Airbus H120 Calliope operated by HeliDax and an example was beautifully presented two French Army pilots who demonstrated the type’s speed and agility without leaving the confines of the airfield. The other standout rotary display came from the Swedish Air Force’s Sikorsky Hkp-16 (UH-60M) Blackhawk. As a battlefield support aircraft, the Blackhawk would be flown fast and low and that was certainly demonstrated by the crew with steep turns, tight pirouettes as well as rapid sideways and backwards flying. The Swedes also contributed to the static displays with a further Blackhawk and a rare visit by a Agusta Hkp-15 (A109).
The Irish Air Corps made their Sanicole debut with the Silver Swallows Display Team flying three Pilatus PC-9Ms. This is a rarely seen display team which only makes occasional forays in Europe. The last time they made an international appearance was in 2022 for the Corps Centenary. One of their aircraft still wore special markings celebrating that anniversary. Another air arm participating for the first time was the Slovenian Air Force which presented its excellent Pilatus PC-9M Hudournik solo aerobatics display.
Sanicole also welcome a plethora of solo jet displays. The Finnish Air Force made a welcome return with its dramatic McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet display. Like the Swiss Hornets, the Finnish aircraft have benefitted from the latest flight control software developed for the US Navy’s Super Hornet fleet making them amongst the most advanced ‘legacy’ aircraft in service today with no angle-of-attack limitations. Another display that caught the eye was the fabulous Dassault Rafale C display from the French Air and Space Force. This is probably the best solo jet display in Europe right now with its pilot, Captain Jean-Brice “Mimouss” Millet, performing some extreme fast paced, yet very accurate aerobatics in the French ‘omni-role’ fighter aircraft.
Eurofighter aircraft made a significant contribution to the flying displays. The Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 finally got to participate in a public Sanicole flying display after being weathered out in 2017. The RAF Typhoon was a last-minute addition as well only becoming available to Sanicole following the cancellation of NATO Days in the Czech Republic following the terrible floods there. We wish the NATO Days organisers and Czech people all the best in their recovery efforts.
The last few display seasons have seen the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) make a very welcome return to display flying at events in their homeland and on the international stage. Sanicole saw one of its latest contributions, the Eurofighter EF2000 display from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 “Boelcke“, make its international display debut. The Luftwaffe already has a well-established EF2000 display from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 74 based at Neuburg an der Donau. TaktLwG 31 “B” is based at Nörvenich Air Base on the western side of Germany near Cologne. Displaying the EF2000 was ‘BamBam’ and he put on a very potent and noisy demonstration in the EF2000 which it the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s capabilities.
The 50th Anniversary of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon attracted some great displays. The Royal Danish Air Force represented the earliest variant of aircraft with Captain Troels “TEO” Vang displaying F-16AM E-190, one of the air arm’s original Block 10 aircraft. The Turkish Air Force also returned to Belgium with their SoloTurk Demo Team displaying their F-16C Fighting Falcon with a typically punchy routine.
But perhaps the biggest coup for Sanicole was attracting the United States Air Force’s ‘Viper Demo Team’ flying Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon to their show as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations. Getting a USAF team to Europe is no mean feat but Sanicole (and Belgian Air Force Days) have had a good streak in recent years with the Viper Demo Team’s appearance preceded by two appearances of the F-35 Demo Team in 2022 and 2023. The USAF teams have some quite different requirements to those of their European counterparts, so it does take quite a lot of effort by Sanicole and the Belgian Air Force to meet their expectations. The Viper Demo Team’s display in also quite different to the European display with Captain Taylor “FEMA” Hiester showcasing the speed and power of the aircraft together with some tactical manoeuvres.
Though the Belgian Air Force no longer operates its F-16 solo display, its F-16 operations were represented in the flying display by 31 ‘Tiger’ Squadron based at Kleine Brogel with their Thundertigers display. They flew three F-16s though a short routine of close and tactical formation passes making full use of the reheat to create the ‘Thunder.’
The loss of the Belgian F-16 solo display did come quite suddenly earlier this year even as Senior Captain Steven ‘Vrieske’ De Vries was preparing for his final season. Sanicole however still wanted to provide him with a suitable send off – ‘The Last Dance.’ The first part of this saw ‘Vrieske’ lead the “Falcon 50” formation in a Belgian F-16AM Fighting Falcon. He was flanked by a Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM, a Turkish Air Force F-16C plus a F-16AM and F-16BM from the Portuguese Air Force. The five aircraft made a couple of passes showing the underside and topside of the aircraft. Vrieske’s final moment in the spotlight linked the F-16 and Liberation themes with a ‘Heritage Flight’ alongside the Supermarine Spitfire XVIe flown by Kris Van der Bergh. With the Belgian Air Force only just having accepted the first two F-35s, the flight still showed the current day frontline against the air arm’s first fighter aircraft. After their flypasts in front of the crowd the two aircraft lined up on the B-axis for a typically flamboyant break with Vrieske performing a typical high-alpha wing-over with his smokewinders streaming white smoke trails against the early evening sky.
The flying display was closed by Patrouille Suisse. The team are celebrating their 60th Anniversary in 2024 and very much wanted to be at Sanicole for their final international display of the season. At one point, it had been expected to be the team’s final display season too with the Swiss Air Force looking to retire the Northrop F-5E Tiger II. However, the type will be kept in service a little while longer, probably until 2027. It was however the final international display for some members of the team including the team leader, Major Michael ‘Pűpi’ Duft who has led the team since 2020. Also in his final season with the team was solo pilot Major Martin ‘Jaydee’ Schär. Throughout their display, the team made liberal use of flares adding to the celebratory feel of their 2024 routine and bring the 44th International Sanicole Airshow to a spectacular conclusion.
Sanicole is always a special event, and the 44th edition was no exception with some quite brilliant aircraft taking part and some very memorable formations. Moreover, it is clear to see that the organisers at Sanicole Aeroclub really want to make the event the best possible experience for all those who attend. There are of course always improvements to be made, but the intent is always there and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for their 45th Airshow.
