The International Sanicole Airshow has long provided a stage to helicopter display teams from several countries. In 2026, a British team will perform its first whirly display on the European mainland, presenting a graceful aerial ballet with two iconic helicopters: Gazelle Squadron with 2 Westland Gazelles.
A total of 282 Gazelles flew with the British Armed Forces, serving in the Army Air Corps, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force. Built by Westland Helicopters under license from Aérospatiale, the Gazelle is instantly recognizable thanks to its fenestron tail rotor tucked neatly inside the tailboom and its distinctive turbine whine. They performed reconnaissance missions across several continents and, when required, carried machine guns and rockets into action. On the display circuit, they built a proud legacy with teams such as the Army Air Corps Blue Eagles and the Royal Navy Sharks, both of which have thrilled Sanicole audiences in the past.
Founded in 2014 and based in Wantage, Oxfordshire, Gazelle Squadron now keeps that legacy alive with four aircraft flying across the United Kingdom. Operated largely by dedicated volunteers, many of them former military personnel, the team combines authentic experience with deep respect for the helicopter’s heritage. Their aircraft wear historically accurate paint schemes, turning every maneuver into a living tribute to decades of British aviation history.
Expect a two-ship routine that feels more like aerial ballet than mechanical display. Tight formations, mirrored turns, sweeping crosses, and impossibly precise hovering manoeuvres demonstrate just how agile the Gazelle truly is. It is elegance with an edge, grace powered by turbine thunder.
Be there when rotor blades carve arcs above the Sanicole airfield at Hechtel-Eksel, on during the weekend of 12 & 13 September 2026. Feel the vibration, hear the turbine sing, and watch a piece of British aviation heritage dance across Belgian skies.
Phot Credit: Paul_Johnson_Flightline_UK
