What International Shows Should I Keep In Mind?

[RyanS]

Finally got time to sit down and start looking over the 2020 calendar today, penciling in my travel dates and vacation days. I've got a bit of extra time that may (or may not) be usable and I'd like to at least consider an international show of some sort.

I've heard about many of the big ones (RIAT dates conflict with Oshkosh so it is not n consideration), but there seem to be medium-sized shows that I don't hear about until they're over so I'm throwing it out there for everyone's thoughts.

My big draw is things that I can't see in the US, particularly warbirds and military. I'm not very experienced with international travel so somewhere friendly to Americans is pretty important too.

Which international show should I keep in mind as I make my travel plans?

[Adam]

Having only been in Europe two years, I'm yet to get to most of the big shows other than RIAT, although I've done a lot of 'tier two' events in the past couple of seasons. Some of these aren't worthy of being the main focus of a big one-off intercontinental trip, but if you can squeeze them in alongside one of the bigger shows then they are still immensely enjoyable events in their own right.

Gdynia AeroBaltic in Poland (7-9 Aug 2020) was great fun, with some good Eastern Bloc hardware and up to 10 hours of flying displays per day across two venues. It's a bit hit-and-miss, though; I can't help wondering if they just got lucky last year with the Ukrainian Su-27/Saudi Hawks headliners. It's often got some rare European classic jets, but no real prop warbirds to speak of, and relies heavily on civilian performers and common GA types. Beware that getting between the two show sites isn't easy. There are some fantastic spotter packages available covering both venues, for a very low price.
MY AEROBALTIC 2019 HIGHLIGHTS COMPILATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3GwlHzSQg
GDYNIA AEROBALTIC SHOW GUIDE: http://thisisflight.net/airshow-guides/ ... c-airshow/

Wings Over Baltics in Latvia (1-2 Aug 2020) is quirky and fun, plus it's attracted a smattering of great Eastern European military demonstrations in its first two years (although, again, very few warbirds). The show is run by the Baltic Bees, and they've got big hopes for the future (their 2020 trailer features the Red Arrows and Al Fursan!) Being such a new and relatively small show, it's doubtless a bit of a gamble to book it at this stage - but it's one to watch when the schedules come out. There are decent spotter packages available.
MY WINGS OVER BALTICS 2018 HIGHLIGHTS COMPILATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faXkhpa1BFU

Moving to the UK, the Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow (19-20 Sep 2020) should be a very impressive warbird show, likely to include mass formations of Hurricanes, Spitfires, Buchons etc. Their Battle of Britain-themed shows are famous for their big set-pieces, which have included formations and tailchases 15+ Spitfires.
DUXFORD BOB AIRSHOW 2015 HIGHLGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7V7yZZbJYs

Several of the Shuttleworth Collection shows (3 May/16 May/7 Jun/20 Jun/Jul 5/Jul 18/Aug 2/Sep 6/Oct 4) are likely to be excellent, and will deliver some locally-based classic aircraft not seen anywhere else in the world. The venue and atmosphere are also second-to-none, particularly at their very special evening shows. Good Shuttleworth shows are short but high-intensity, cramming into around three hours what other shows might struggle to fit into five. The UK is a long way to come for three hours of flying displays on a single day, but Shuttleworth is a real gem and if you can squeeze one of their shows in, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
MY SHUTTLEWORTH MILITARY AIRSHOW 2019 HIGHLIGHTS COMPILATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tN-Ma66XPY

Flying Legends (11-12 Jul 2020) is probably the largest warbird airshow outside the USA, and it's hard to ignore the possibility of a Flying Legends/Royal Navy International Air Day combination given both take place on the same weekend. That should get you a very nice mix of military demonstrations and warbirds indeed.
ROYAL NAVY INT'L AIR DAY 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.facebook.com/yeoviltonairda ... 63/?type=1
FLYING LEGENDS 2018 TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpXGQ51s2SU

If you can hold on until around April before booking anything, it should be clear by that point which events have pulled together a particularly good line up, as it's so easy for a smaller show to get lucky or for a bigger one to have a slightly flat year. Duxford BOB or a RNIAD/Legends pairing are certainly strong contenders, but most of the names I've mentioned are probably in the tier below the big-hitters like RIAT, Sanicole, La Ferté-Alais and so forth. I'm someone else will be able to talk about the other, more famous, options - perhaps DeanW or Flightline?

[n33d4sp33d_85]

Even though I haven't gone to other international shows besides RIAT, I know a couple other good enjoyable international shows based on what I see in the reports or watching videos on youtube.

1. ILA Berlin Air Show (May 16th and 17th [public days]) at Berlin ExpoCenter Airport, Germany. Held every two years. Videos from the previous show: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 7BfeQm7GTt

2. Danish Air Show (June 14th) at RDAF Karup, Denmark. It takes place every two years, but on different bases. The last one took place in 2018 in Aalborg. Videos from 2018: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... Y2TD5Gp7nc

3. RAF Cosford Air Show (June 14th) at RAF Cosford, UK. Highlights from last year's show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4R1ILlLUCw

4. Eastbourne Airbourne Airshow (August 13th thru 16th) at the Eastbourne Seafront in Sussex, UK. Highlights from the 2018 show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lexv1NC8s8o

5. Slovak International Air Show (August 29th and 30th) at Sliač air base, Slovakia. Highlight video from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVbNxwYWzRw

6. Athens Flying Week (September 19th and 20th) at Tanagra, Greece. 2019 Report: http://www.milavia.net/airshows/calenda ... t-384.html, 2018 Report: http://www.milavia.net/airshows/calenda ... t-359.html, 2017 Report: http://www.milavia.net/airshows/calenda ... t-336.html, 2016 Report: http://www.milavia.net/airshows/calenda ... t-294.html

7. NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days (September 19th and 20th) at Ostrava, Czech Republic. Videos from last year: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... uTtCkw9Eea

Hope this helps.

[Adam]

I wouldn't for a moment suggest Eastbourne for a trip like this, or any of the UK seaside shows for that matter. It's actually the easiest show for me to reach from home, just half an hour away by train, and I don't go. That's not because it's a bad airshow - it isn't - but it's aimed at the general public rather than aviation enthusiasts, much like Jones Beach or Atlantic City, for example. You'd get the usual big names to pull the crowd in (although they'll show up at most other big UK shows, including some much more interesting ones), and a load of fairly standard off-the-shelf acts to make up the rest of the time, with nothing hugely special many years.

I thought of including Cosford on my list, having been a couple of times, most recently in 2017. I feel bad for dismissing it, it's a good enough show to deserve a mention, but practically I'm not sure it'd work very well. Cosford has attracted a very strong line up for the past few years, but its biggest flaw in this context is that it's a one-day show, in Britain, in June. There's a high risk weather ruins the show, so while Cosford would be a very good add-on to a bigger trip, it's not really a great event to plan a trans-Atlantic trip around. Looking at the airshow calendar as it stands, I just can't see any big shows at around the same time that could be combined with in a worthwhile way. The same goes for the Danish Airshow, on the same date.

Shuttleworth's one-day shows carry the same risk, of course, but they just happen to fall closer to other big events. An eight-day trip in early July, for example, could include Shuttleworth, RNIAD and Legends. Or Shuttleworth, Jersey and Sanicole over eight days in September. It really depends on how much time you've got, @RyanS. If you can stretch to two weekends, some of these slightly smaller events are well worth the time. If you've only got a few days, it's probably safest to stick with one of the big ones.

[Flightline Uk]

Some hot picks from recent experience.

ILA Berlin - 13th-17th May: The show always throws up an interesting range of participants as in reality its Germany's own major airshow. Its the only show that you'll see large scale involvement from the German Armed Forces who will present a range of air power demos (Special Forces, Airfield Attack, Quick Reaction Alert, Fire Fighting) plus usually very rare solo performances from a German Tiger and Typhoon. Its mainly a trade show so there's generally good international support from modern military and civilian aircraft. However, the show is also a good place to see some German warbirds at too. In 2018 the second Russian restored Il-2 Sturmovik displayed all week alongside a number of German historics plus a large slice of the Red Bull fleet. Aside from the airshow Berlin is just the most fantastic city. The airshow is well linked to the city by public transport (Trains to Schönefeld Airport then a very good shuttle bus service to and from the airshow gates) My advice would be to plan to visit some of the trade days as well as a public day as the line-up chops and changes over the week. (Pictures and Review HERE)

Athens Flying Week - 19th-20th September: One of Europe's more youthful and colourful airshows in several respects. Tanagra Air Base is about an hours drive from Athens itself but there's some great coastal towns nearby too to stay in. You'll need a hire car as though the show advertises train/bus links I'm not sure they are all that regular. Also be prepared for the exit experience after dark which is very 'Mediterranean'!!! The main reason to go to Athens is to see the Hellenic Armed Forces which support the show very well. You probably won't see the likes of the Pegasus AH-64A solo, the Hellenic Navy S-70B Aegean Hawk/P-3 Orion, Hellenic Air Force Super Puma, F-16 vs Mirage ACM Demo or Phantom airfield attacks anywhere else in Europe. They had the Red Bull Corsair and DC-6B there last year but really there's no much warbird action to be had. Another challenge for Athens in 2020 will be the clash with NATO Days and a possible big show in Italy the same weekend which will probably draw away international support. However, Athens does offer arrivals and departures entry under a spotters package(Pictures and Review HERE)

International Sanicole Airshow & Kleine Brogel Spottersday - 11th-13th September: Three very different days of action from international civilian, warbird and military displays. You'll need a hire car again to take full advantage of the weekend but there are plenty of different accommodation options (Eindhoven, Maastricht, Antwerp, Bree or something in Germany). The show also often runs a deal with the local holiday park with buses to and from the show. (Friday Review, KB Review, Sunday Review)

Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow - 19th-20th September: I suspect this will be the pick of Duxford shows in 2020 with the 80th Anniverary of the Battle of Britain. You can avoid Hire Cars if you can stay in Cambridge (a great alternative to London) or use the train from London (warning - trains can often be disrupted at weekends in the UK by engineering works). If this years show is anything to go by, it will be the warbird event of the year and I suspect the RAF will want to be involved too in some way (again this clashes with Athens, NATO Days and that possible Italian show) - Review and Pictures

Royal Navy International Air Day, RNAS Yeovilton - 11th July: Often in the shadow of RIAT which takes place the following week but one of the very best military airshows in Europe thanks to the enthusiasm of the Royal Navy. The Role Demos are always stand out parts of the show, but Yeovilton often attracts some very interesting military acts from Europe and sometimes beyond. There's always a great sense of history at the event with warbirds and cold war classics supporting the modern military displays very well. It is fairly isolated however and local accomodation options can be limited. You'll need a hire car - Review and Pictures

Other Events to keep an eye on in 2020:

Air Legend, Melun (near Paris), France - 12th-13th September (Easy to combine with some of the Sanicole weekend)
Bucharest International Airshow, Romania - Date TBC (usually late July or August)
Danish Air Show, Karup, Denmark - 14th June (Does usually have a Spotters Package for arrivals and rehearsals)
Swedish Air Force Show, Såtenäs, Sweden - 29th August

I see Eastbourne has been recommended (13th-16th August). It is an interesting seaside airshow (lots of different views of the displays) and will almost certainly have all the RAF displays. On its own I'd say its a bit of as stretch to justify from the US, but two days afterwards we have a big Battle of Britain commemoration at Biggin Hill (Biggin80) on the 18th August. It will be an interesting few days for aviation around the London area and both events are easily do-able with a stay in London.

[RyanS]

Thanks for the info guys! I guess there is no "must do" show like I was thinking there might be.

One thing I neglected to mention is that this would also serve as a vacation for the girlfriend so it would likely be a week long trip but not crammed with airplanes. It'd have to be somewhere she'd want to go, etc. I'm also considering some trans-Pacific shows but we obviously have fewer posters from that way to weigh in.

I've added some of those mentioned to my watch list and welcome any further thoughts as lineups are announced!

[jeffhq]

If , you are interested in coming to Australia , we have the Australian International Airshow
coming in 2021[plenty of time to plan]. It is held at Avalon Airport Melbourne.2021 sees
the centenary of the RAAF and this Bi annual show will be huge.Dates are 26 to 28 Feb 2021.
There will be plenty of war birds and military displays on and above the ground.This years feb
show had f18 classic and super hornets,F35, C17, MRTT tanker , E7 wedgetail, Ea18 growler P8 Poseidon
Bae Hawks MRH90 helicopters, Tigers chinooks and blackhawks.The US as always chipped in with a B52 flyover and static
along with a couple of Raptors and C17s all flying as well. There were also quite a few ww2 planes flying and on display.
This is easily the biggest show we will have over here. Keep an eye out on there web site as things get closer.Plenty of
other things for you and youre girl to see and do in Aus.
jeff.

[athanatosdaimon]

Newb here...surprised not to see La Ferte-Alais mentioned yet, as, having attended a few shows across the Pond, that's the one I'd unequivocally recommend and think every aviation enthusiast should do at least once. It's an easy, hour-long drive from Paris (that's the girlfriend sorted!), and, while the flying display is jam-packed and is on equal footing with any of the "big" shows in terms of aircraft quantity, it very much has that local flying field atmosphere. The aerodrome itself is great; grass strip, east to west with the crowd situated south (so the sun is behind you pretty much all day - providing the weather isn't absolutely ghastly like it was when I visited in 2016), and there's a small hill at the back end of the spectator area so you can still see/photograph aircraft taking off and landing even if you can't snag a spot on the crowd line. And the background is all trees, so the whole thing is incredibly photogenic.

As for the flying? Talk about comprehensive; it's basically a timeline - more or less in chronological order - of aviation history, in all its forms. Sadly for me, when I attended, the wind and cloud base early on prevented the WWI and earlier types and a few others from flying, but the display was still almost nonstop. Some of the highlights were:
- A large formation of French Navy aircraft, both current (Atlantique ATL2, 3x Rafale M - a fourth went tech) and historic (MS760 Paris, CM175 Zephyr, Breguet Alize), followed by a solo display from the ATL2 and role demo with two of the Rafales and abbreviated displays from the historics
- Securite Civile firefighting demo, featuring Turbo Tracker, CL-415, and Eurocopter H145
- Transall C160 tactical demo (so cool seeing that beast landing on a grass strip!)
- Belgian Sea King
- Rafale solo display
- Patrouille de France
- Irish Historic Flight DH.84 "Iolar"
- Corsair Airlines B747-400 flybys
- France's rendition of Tora, Tora, Tora - albeit with only one "Zero" conversion; the rest are just normal T-6s in US/French marks!
- Warbird highlights included: OV-10, Catalina, 2x Ju-52, Yak-11U, Hawk 75, Storch, Bu-181 Bestmann, as well as the more common types (Mustang, Spitfire, etc.)

Add in a smattering of barnstorming, vintage gliders, precision aerobatics, biplane formations, and such. The best part was that la Patrouille de France flew around 3/4 of the way through the show, so the folks who just came to see them trickled out and left everyone else with around two more hours of airshow (including a bunch of the best stuff) and considerably lessened traffic getting out!

Only downside I can think of is you won't get much out of the commentary if you don't speak French...

[Bingofuel]

I'd check out the Danish Airshow 2020 at Karup AB. This show is every 2nd year and rotates between the DAF's 3 major bases.

They always seem to have a killer lineup, 2018 had SU-27, Typhoon, F16, F18, CF-104. I'd call it a "mini RIAT".
Being located where it is handy for attracting performers from all over Europe.

Plus Copenhagen (Which Im told the ladies love) is a 3 hour drive from there. Not super close but not horrible for the GF!

[RyanS]

Thanks very much guys! All very good info!