A silver shape appears on the horizon, sunlight rippling across polished metal like liquid fire. The sound arrives next, a deep twin-engine thunder that seems to roll straight out of history itself. It is a story with wings, a relic that once changed the course of a war and now returns to command the sky once more during the International Sanicole Airshow 2026: the B-25 Mitchell.
History quite literally comes back to life thanks to the magnificent The Flying Bulls collection housed at Hangar 7 in Salzburg. Powered by two roaring Wright Cyclone radial engines, the Mitchell is a medium bomber built for endurance, strength, and audacity. For the legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, the US retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbour, these aircraft were stripped to the bone to claw their way into the air from the deck of a U.S. Navy carrier, knowing full well they could never return to it. With fuel barely sufficient to escape, crews launched on a one-way gamble, aiming for distant refuge in the Soviet Union. Many never made it that far, crash-landing in China after navigating hostile skies with courage that borders on myth.
More than 10,000 B-25s were produced during World War II, flying in every theatre from Pacific islands to frozen steppes, even serving under Soviet colours. The aircraft you will see is the B-25J, the most widespread variant, equipped with upgrades such as de-icing systems and formidable firepower. Despite its size, twin engines propel it past 500 km/h, an astonishing pace for its era. Designed by North American Aviation, the Mitchell combines brute force with elegant lines. In the hands of the Flying Bulls, its display becomes pure aerial theatre: thunderous passes, graceful turns, and that mirror-bright finish blazing in the sun like a flying monument.
Do not just hear about it later. Experience it. Feel the engines shake the air, watch history carve arcs across the sky, and witness one of America’s most iconic warbirds exactly as it was meant to be seen: in the air, over the Sanicole airfield on 12-13 September at Hechtel-Eksel in Limburg, Belgium.
Credits: Flying Bulls
