Leszno, a small town in western Poland situated between two large cities - Poznań and Wrocław, has been hosting aviation enthusiasts for years. The first edition of the Antidotum air show took place in 2020, attracting special attention due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of most such events worldwide. The show is held at one of the largest grass airfields in Europe, known for hosting events such as the World Gliding Championships and the World Aerobatic Championships.
A significant advantage of using a grass runway is that all aircraft not requiring a paved surface take off and land right in front of the spectators. The other aircraft, in the case of Antidotum, were stationed 80 km north at the 31st Tactical Air Base Poznań - Krzesiny.
Antidotum is quite a unique show due to its interesting combination of aviation, pyrotechnics, and live music. Additionally, part of the show takes place at night, which is one of the key attractions of the event.
This year's edition took place on July 21-22. Interest in the event was immense, with all available tickets (over 30,000 for each day of the show) sold out. My friends and I decided to attend on Friday, using standard tickets priced at 60 PLN. The organizers, in cooperation with Koleje Dolnośląskie and Koleje Wielkopolskie, arranged special trains, allowing free travel with an event ticket - we decided to take advantage of this option. Upon arriving at the Leszno train station, we boarded a bus within 10-15 minutes and after another 20 minutes, we arrived right at the airfield.
The Public Zone
The public Zone was organised over a vast 16-hectare space. The entrance gates were located in the southeastern part, but we headed west right after entering for two main reasons. First, most attendees gathered north of the gates, so our area was less crowded, providing better conditions for taking photos and enjoying the shows. Second, aircraft taking off from the grass runway began their run in the western part of the airfield, offering excellent photo opportunities.
Additionally, the large area included food and drink zones, promotional stands, and booths selling souvenirs, gadgets, t-shirts, caps, and many other items that appeal at such events.
The Show
Let me start with one of the most important aspects of such events—the weather. That Friday, it couldn’t have been better during the day. We had blue skies with a few clouds, providing occasional relief from the sweltering sun. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t hold up, but more on that later.
Security gates opened at noon on Friday, and we arrived half an hour later. After crossing them and finding a good spot in the western part of the public zone, we had some time to look around and check out a small military exhibition. Unfortunately, all the aircraft were situated behind a mesh fence, and our admission tickets didn’t grant access to that area. Nevertheless, I managed to snap a few photos.
The first flying display was by an American F4U Corsair in dark camouflage. It was a pleasure to hear the Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp radial engine with over 2000 hp roaring in front of us as it took off.
Next, we saw a display by a pair of PZL M18 Dromader aircraft. This Polish aircraft is used for firefighting and agricultural tasks. During the show, they performed impressive water drops, releasing 2500 liters of water at once. This manoeuvre requires a lot of experience and skill, as losing so much weight instantly drastically affects the airplane’s handling.
Then, we had several shows from the Austrian Flying Bulls. First, the AH-1F Cobra performed in front of us, followed by the BO 105 C chopper, the only helicopter fit for aerobatics, and it really showed! The third aircraft from the Flying Bulls fleet was the North American T-28B Trojan.
From Polish aerobatic groups, we saw the Orlik Aerobatic Team, founded in 1998 in Radom, flying PZL-130 Orlik airplanes. Another essential group at such shows is the ORLEN Zelazny Aerobatic Team, flying Zlin 50 aircraft. Founded 24 years ago, it is the longest-running civilian aerobatic team in Poland.
There were also representatives from foreign aerobatic teams. The PC-7 Team from the Swiss Air Force, flying PC-7 aircraft, is one of Europe’s most famous military teams. Another military group was the French Equipe de Voltige, flying Extra 330 aircraft.
Of course, there were several solo artists as well, including Australian pilot Aarron Deliu in an Extra 330SC and our fellow countryman Łukasz Czepiela, one of the world’s most famous aerobatic aviators, known for being the first to land a plane on top of the Burj Al Arab skyscraper in Dubai. This time he showcased his skills flying the Zivko Edge 540.
Among all the flying displays, two made a huge impression on me. The first might seem ordinary—glider towing—but instead of an aircraft, a Bölkow Bo 105 helicopter towed the glider! After reaching the proper altitude, the helicopter slowed down and hovered, with the glider literally hanging below before being released to perform quick aerobatics and land. It was a rare and impressive sight.
The second was called Jet Pitts. It’s very rare to see a biplane with two turbojet engines attached to its sides in addition to its radial engine, but that’s exactly what Rich Goodwin did with his Curtis Pitts S2S. Watching a biplane perform aerobatics while hearing the jet engines rumble was crazy, weird, and fun all at the same time—a truly memorable experience!
There was as well a flying display with an unannounced guest - Douglas B-26K Invader in beautiful NMF and Olive Drab finish.
Aside from the mentioned flying displays, we watched the amazing skills of the Scandinavian Airshow Catwalk, listened to the noise of the Polish M-346 Master from the M-346 Demo Team, and enjoyed the Ambassadeurs Parachutistes group’s performance.
As mentioned earlier, one of the key selling points of the show is that part of the performance takes place after sunset. Unfortunately, as the mid-day show was ending, the weather started to deteriorate. In the afternoon, storm clouds began forming to the west and closing in. Around 7 PM, we heard an announcement that the event might be interrupted if the storm reached the airfield. In the meantime, we awaited the arrival of the C-130 Hercules, which eventually showed up. We watched beautiful low passes, accompanied by music and narration, and topped with the release of flares creating an "Angel of Death." Just after that, the Super Puma performed, finishing in the same spectacular way as the Hercules.
Unfortunately, that was when the storm hit the airfield. Within minutes, it was raining heavily, visibility was minimal, and strong winds were blowing. The show was completely over for the day, meaning we missed all the night flying displays with pyrotechnics and live music.
Long story short, by the time we reached the railway station in Leszno, we were soaked to the skin after walking a few kilometers. Forget about the buses—it was total chaos when 30,000 people started leaving the airstrip at the same time. We were happy we decided to travel by train. Those who drove and parked in the designated spots around the airfield were in trouble. The unpaved surface turned to mud, preventing departure for many hours.
Summary
Despite the horrible weather that prevented the nighttime part of the show and the chaos that followed, it was still worth attending! There was a lot happening in the skies, many engaging discussions on the ground, cold beer, and souvenirs that made the time enjoyable.
Additionally, for the first time, I decided to take pictures. I didn't expect much due to my lack of proper lenses for such conditions, but I still managed to capture some good shots. You can check them out in the gallery below.
