DOUGHNUT wrote:What are photographic conditions like at Sanicole. The airfield seems very small and you will be face south. I understand nobody likes to talk about off site "naught" fields but what are the options. From those that have visited before what time does the flying usually finish and how long do you guys allow get away and the drive to the car ferry ?
From my experience photography was very poor - south facing and sun being lower in September. Another potential hazard is a mist or haarg that can settle over that region at that time of year. Crowd line is fairly flat with no elevated vantage points and crowded. I no longer go for those reasons.
I was there for the spotters day in 2015, and the mist was down on my arrival, at around 08:00 when the Dutch spitfire did a belting display at what seemed 50ft!, a few arrivals happened and a couple of departures, but by 12:30 all the mist had been burned away and it was a clear blue sky for the airfield beat up by 4 F16's and main events of the day.
Do you mean spotters day at KB or practice day at Sanicole? Two very different locations wrt sun etc.
at Klein Brogel.
The Friday evening show at Sanicole has (in clear sky conditions) perfect conditions for a twilight/ late evening lighting and flare releases. On Sunday the show at Sanicole is a different matter, as the flight line (for 2015) was a ridiculous distance way along with the sun behind you for most of the day, made for a difficult day photography wise. Jets were virtually a waste of time but the helicopter displays were nice and close and the Belgian Sea King, Alouette III and A-109 were parked at the side of the display line.
Of the two locations (KB and Sanicole) I much preferred KB much more enjoyable.
The display distances at KB and Sanicole are identical as laid out in the military and civilian airshow regulations. We are fortunately blessed that the military and civilian regulations are just about the same in Belgium
I know the show is still a few months away, but would it be a fair question to ask if one of the B-1B's may do a flypast on one of the days, as again they'll be at Fairford during the show?
On the Scramble website there is mention of a Slovak Mig29 at the KB spottersday. I haven't seen anything about that on here or on the sanicole website. Is the Slovak Mig29 displaying at the show days as well?
The line-up is not complete yet, but this is the final jet display team for our line-up and not just any team! We are honoured to once again host the Patrouille de France, who will perform on Sunday for our 40th anniversary airshow.
Looking good. I assume food and drink will be available at the show and at the KB spotters' day given that the latter are stipulating no bags allowed in.
(Mark Twain: There are lies, there are damn lies and then there are statistics)
iainpeden wrote:Looking good. I assume food and drink will be available at the show and at the KB spotters' day given that the latter are stipulating no bags allowed in.
There was food and drink available last time I went but we were allowed camera bags. I imagine they'll have a lot of unhappy people on their hands if they stop camera bags
It's relatively traditional to have this panic nowadays. There was the same stern warning last year for the BAFDays at Florennes and they still allowed camerabags. They WILL be searched though which inevitably leads to queues. This year, it was the same story at the Stampe Fly In in Antwerp. What they won't allow is enormous backpacks stuffed full of entire home decorations (at RIAT, I saw one person with a trolley that could fill a C-130).
Having said that, there is food and drinks available on base (your standard burgers and fries).
Going to Sanicole for the first time and i cannot wait!! Doing Fri evening, Sat at KB and the Sunday show. Looking forward to the beers, Is the parking on base for the spotters day??
That's good to hear, thanks for clarifying Chrisse. Don't mind bags being searched as long as we can bring them in
Chopper, the map on the website is a bit misleading I think as it does show it as on base but last time I went, it was in a field just outside the entrance and you had a 5min walk to the crowdline HTH.
Entrance will be via the gate indicated at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwstraat, NOT the Herenwijerstraat like in the past, this due to reconstruction works. That means parking will indeed be on-base, with access via the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwstraat, past the F-16 gate guard.
Chrisse wrote:Entrance will be via the gate indicated at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwstraat, NOT the Herenwijerstraat like in the past, this due to reconstruction works. That means parking will indeed be on-base, with access via the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwstraat, past the F-16 gate guard.
Crikey, I don't recall a lot of room on base for parking - is there a set number you can accommodate??