Cancelling the 2020 edition of Sanicole International Airshow was announced a few months ago, in the advance of coronavirus outbreak and during the troubled times of lockdown. Following the development of events, the Sanicole organization team decided to cancel both events of the Sanicole weekend – the Sunset Airshow on Friday and the main aviation feast on Sunday. Cancellation of usual spotter day event in Kleine-Brogel air base followed, as a natural course of things.
At that time, in early April, cancelling the aviation events scheduled for the middle of September sounded as an exaggeration for many. Autumn seemed so far off, and most of us hoped that the coronavirus outbreak would be over until September.
However, the decision of the organization team was motivated by both the safety of the visitors and also taking into account the extremely pressure on the medical personnel – in the heat of the battle with Covid-19, it would be just inappropriate to ask the health care professionals for another commitment with securing the air show weekend in September.
Time has proven that it was the right move. The situation has not calmed down yet, and the ability to take the decision well in advance saved time and efforts, both for participants and visitors.
Although the traditional event was cancelled, the fans of Sanicole International Airshow will not be denied the possibility of enjoying an aviation spectacle in September. With the increasing number of the online aviation events, the Sanicole team has decided to join this community and to organize the Digital Sanicole Airshow, an internet-broadcasted version of the annual show. The event will take place on 11th September in the evening – at the original Friday date of the Sanicole Sunset air show.
Broadcasted on the Internet, the digital air show will bring a few spectacular air displays, interviews with pilots and some archive images from the past editions of Sanicole Airshow. The online event will also offer some ´behind-the-scene´ footage from the air bases, organization of the air show and cockpit-view images.
Among the already announced participants of the Digital Sanicole Airshow, the well-loved Belgian F-16 solo display could not be missed. Not surprising, as this spectacular dynamic display performed by the Belgian Air Force pilots was a highlight of Sanicole weekend for years. If you are already missing the display flown by ´Vador´ (Sr. Capt. Stefan Darte, who is the F-16 demo pilot since 2018) and his Dark Falcon, then Sanicole online would be one of the few opportunities to see it this year.
The programme of the Sanicole International Airshow usually offered its visitors several aerobatic teams, including the military jet teams. Among them, the RAF Red Arrows and Frecce Tricolori were already the frequent participants of the show, performing both during the sunset and regular event.
Those teams also join the digital edition of 2020, however – and understandably – flying the displays from their home airfields. The Sanicole team will visit Frecce Tricolori at their base in Rivolto and we can expect a spectacular inside view during this display.
An online event offers also the possibility to watch some teams and displays that would be pretty hard to see during the regular event. Such is the case of Esquadrilha da Fumaça – The Smoke Squadron. If you did not hear about this team before, there is nothing wrong with that. The Aerial Demonstration Squadron (Esquadrão de Demonstração Aérea), as the group is officially called, is the Brazilian Air Force aerobatic group that so far visited Europe only two times. In 2005 they made a tour in France and Portugal and then visited the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2008.
The Digital Sanicole Airshow will allow us to enjoy the aerobatic display of colourful Super Tucano aircraft flown by the Smoke Squadron, broadcasted directly from Brazil to your living room.
And, last but not least, it was already announced the digital edition of International Air Show will be dedicated to the healthcare and medical personnel. The revenues of the Digital Sanicole Airshow project will be donated to organizations providing the post-traumatic stress treatment to medical professionals. The organizer of the event will shortly announce what are the possibilities to support this charity – about which we will also inform you here.
