Military Jets Photography: 2011 07 06 Koksijde airshow

Undoubtedly one of the main shows on the European airshow calendar was the Belgian air force's show at Koksijde (Coxyde), home to its SAR Seakings of 40 squadron. The show celebrated the 65th anniversary of the Belgian air force, 50 years of Search and Rescue, 35 years of Seaking and 40 years of service of the Alouette III.
To deconflict with the airshows of Waddington, Zeltweg, Luxeuil and Yeovilton, Koksijde International Airshow was held in the middle of the week, from 2pm on Wednesday 6 July and from 10am on Thursday 7 July.
Probably the most impressive aircraft in the static park was an Estonian air force Antonov 2, though there were quite a few other interesting planes on the ground, including a nice corner dedicated to the search and rescue anniversary, featuring a Dutch NH-90, a type which will also replace Belgium's aging Seakings.
Flying commenced shortly after the gates opened on each day so one would expect a full day's flying, hardly surprising when looking at the long list of confirmed participants, due to the timing in the middle of the week which meant Koksijde did not have to compete with other shows to attract display items.
Team Iskry and Baby Blue only displayed on Thursday, while the Turkish Stars, RAF Tornado and the Victors were only allowed to perform on Wednesday.
The anniversary part of the show was divided into several parts: trainers, transport and fighters. One of the most surprising displays was the Czech W-3 helicopter, being thrown around quite energetically. Main attraction for most were probably the Saudi Hawks on their first European tour and the USAF Thunderbirds, though they had to cut short their display on Thursday due to heavy rainfall, the rest of the show enjoying mild if sometimes cloudy weather.