Every year, the Sanicole Airshow at Leopoldsburg Airport is a treat for the visitors. In the year 2020, the show was canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the show was restrcutured in 2021 with organisers aligning the event with Corona protocols. Simultaneously and in collaboration with the Tiger squadron at vlb Kleine- Brogel, the participants of the Mini Tiger Meet also flew during the Sanicole show. The highlight for many visitors was the spectacular evening show on 10 September 2021 with aircraft giving a demonstration from the small Sanicole runway and from the nearby runway of Kleine-Brogel Air Base. Participants that excited the viewers with their evening flying display incuded the F-16, Agusta A109, an Airbus A400M from Belgium, Patrouille Suisse demo team from Switzerland, Red Arrows demo team from UK, Saab Gripen from Hungary and Equipe de Voltige in the Extra 330 from France.
In the civilian part, the participants included aircraft such as a biplane from Sweeden flown Jacob Hollander, the two gliders of Airborne Pyrotechnics and the Consolidated Catalina from UK, the SA- 300 Trescal Starduster from France and Hawker Sea Fury flown by Kris van Den Bergh from Belgium.
Mini Tiger Meet
During the event, a spotter day took place at Kleine-Brogel. After a year of absence due to Covid, this time thousands of aircraft enthusiasts were present at the Belgian base. The highlight for spotters was the presence of a French Navy Hawkeye. The E-2C Hawkeye plays an important role on board the Charles de Gaulle (CdG). The aircraft, which is equipped with two turboprop engines, is a flying radar station for the crew of the ship and its aircraft. A Mini Tiger Meet brought many participants from the Tiger squadrons in Europe to Kleine Brogel.
Photos and text: Joris van Boven and Alex van Noije