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The Sanicole International Airshow 2024 had it all – again! For the visitors from around the world it’s a wealth like you can only find with the bigger European airshows, with a program each year that can easily compete with the biggest airshows out there. For the Aviation PhotoCrew and all the photographers joining us onboard the Skyvan photoship, the Sanicole airshow equals a week of action in the skies over Belgium for the many, many join-ups. We flew the traditional ‘all arrivals’ program, where on the Sunday – the prime airshow day – we gave the chance to 10 photographers who never flew with us before, the opportunity to ‘taste’ what air-to-air photography is all about… for a little price.





In the evenings we fly with the ‘local stars’, aircraft that are located at one of the nearby airfields as Zwartberg, Kiewit, St-Truiden, Malle and Keiheuvel. We saw beautiful join ups from the Cap 10s, Yak-52, Pilatus P3 2-ship, IAR 823. A Beech Bonanza came all the way from Ostend airport while our ‘airport of operation’ for this week – Zwartberg airfield – pleased all the photographers with the Lockheed Elektra A12, twice! A very nice surprise was their brand new Tecnam trainer.





Also the airshow attracts a number of vintage and GA airplanes that all love to come by and join the Skyvan: Stijn Dejaegher performed in his classic T-6 Harvard, while he also brought his new Stearman this time. From the UK we got Rich Goodwin and his Jet Pitts, while France was represented by Aude in her MXS. From our homecountry came The Victors, a 4-ship of PA28, celebrating 20 years in airshows this season! And our first chance to catch a civilian Gazelle, in sweet camouflage colors. One of the bigger civilian participants was the German Do228.





Tons of military of course, and always the ‘main-dish’ for the aviation photographers, as all of them do enjoy the noise and afterburners… well everyone got spoiled!! Our Belgian Air Force was represented with a large participation, we were priviledged to welcome all of the assets for one or more join ups with the Skyvan photoship. The Thunder Tigers 4-ship of F-16 had some bad luck this year and only flew a 3-ship, but still sweet to see 3 F-16s flying together. That other F-16 flying a solo join-up was a bittersweet moment, as it would be the final time the famous pilot ‘Vrieske’ would join up on us (he must have the record, as his first photomission with us was already in 2009!) A great and memorable moment, complete with a last time of smokewinders on the jet AND a fantastic formation with the Spitfire.




Unfortunately there were more ‘final times’, as also the grey SF-260 and Red Devils formation would be the last opportunity for the aviation photographers to catch the aircraft air-to-air. Two helicopters the Belgian Air Force is flying also posed for the aerial photos, the A-109 and NH90. A first for us was a chance to see the Belgian A400M with two superb photomissions.







Our neighbors from the Netherlands also gave a premiere, our first chance ( and maybe the last one too ) to photograph their PC-7. One of the many sunsetflights was spiced up by their NH90 and Apache.



The Slovenian Air Force participated in the airshow with their well-known camouflaged PC-9, and they flew for us… three times, three times bingo! Austria came with their PC-7, this time with one standard camo and the blue special paint.





Quite a nice scoop for the airshow was the Swedish participation, as it was not a classic Gripen this time, but the A109 helicopter and a dynamic display of two UH60 Black Hawks. Another delightful premiere for the airshow audience was the display of the Irish Silver Swallows, flying a 3-ship of PC-9, smoke included. It was another project where we could offer a great variety of aircraft and helicopters.





But of course, how could we forget about ‘the jets’! We were truly spoiled on all the days we flew, lots of noise, afterburners, smokewinders AND flares. The German Air Force premiered their Eurofighter display, while the Turkish Air Force brought the ever popular ‘SoloTurk’ F-16. Our friends from France gave us the only opportunity this season to welcome their Rafale, and since each year the paint on the jet changes it was a very welcome sight.



Also a spectacular special paint on the Danish F-16 ‘Half Century’ jet, but displaypilot TEO had bad luck again with this F-16 being in maintenance… but he made up for it in a fantastic way with the sunsetshoot and just amazing photoresults. Also Portugal sent two F-16s, with a special tigertail. They came to the airshow just for a few flybys… and the Skyvan photomission! Finally the Finnish F-18 Hornet killed it once again with 3 join ups and an incredible flareshow. All photographers smiling with full memory cards.





Unfortunately 2025 and 2026 will not see us flying the Skyvan photoship ( first time since the beginning of the Aviation PhotoCrew ) The large scale constructions at the nearby KB airbase make it far too complicated for us to hang in the middle of the airspace, as some aircraft operate from another airbase and will not have the time and fuel for the photoshoots. So we eagerly have to wait our return to Sanicole 2027, pretty sure we will celebrate that with the first photoshoot in Belgian airspace of our new F-35.