How do air shows benefit the general community?

[ElectricPenguin]

Of course airshows are fun,  but just wondering, how would airshows benefit the community? (as in the people)

[JK657]

They generate interest in aviation, instill national pride, encourage future aviators, support charities who run concession stands.... the list goes on and on

[RiverAux]

Perhaps, but being a skeptic and a data geek, I would like to see some research before I would make such claims. 

[Flying Pig]

It convinces all of those foreign nations who send their spies over to walk around that screwing with us is still a bad idea.

[Eclipse]

I suppose, but I am not a big fan.

On the micro, I like big/fast/loud as much as anyone else, but on the macro, I don't really see the point.

[RiverAux]

Everytime we have one nearby it also makes me realize that with that each event the AF does more AE-type work than our Wing has done in decades.

[ElectricPenguin]

Perhaps, but being a skeptic and a data geek, I would like to see some research before I would make such claims.

What are you even talking about???

[RiverAux]

Perhaps, but being a skeptic and a data geek, I would like to see some research before I would make such claims.

What are you even talking about???

I'm saying, prove this to me:

They generate interest in aviation, instill national pride, encourage future aviators, support charities who run concession stands.... the list goes on and on

Saying the above doesn't make it true.  Probably the one thing that you wouldn't need a study to prove is that charities running concessions do make some money off of them.  But, the rest are sort of iffy.  Just how much interest in aviation, national pride, or future aviator interest is generated and is it worth the tens of millions of dollars (or more) our military community spends on airshows every year?

[Flying Pig]

Air shows are done for the same reason cops do ride alongs.  And so I can buy a tshirt from a B1 bomber crew fund raiser that says "Theres no sense running, youll just die tired" with a big mushroom cloud.

[NCRblues]

Air shows are done for the same reason cops do ride alongs.  And so I can buy a tshirt from a B1 bomber crew fund raiser that says "Theres no sense running, youll just die tired" with a big mushroom cloud.

OHH i love airshow shirts 

[ElectricPenguin]

Air shows are done for the same reason cops do ride alongs.  And so I can buy a tshirt from a B1 bomber crew fund raiser that says "Theres no sense running, youll just die tired" with a big mushroom cloud.

OHH i love airshow shirts 

I wish I coulda got an airshow hat from our last wings over houston. They looked so cool!!!

[JK657]

Unfortunately I cannot measure the width of kids smiles as the Thunderbirds flyover... all I can say is that I go to an airshow every year and the turnout, patriotism and excitement only grow each time..

[ElectricPenguin]

Unfortunately I cannot measure the width of kids smiles as the Thunderbirds flyover... all I can say is that I go to an airshow every year and the turnout, patriotism and excitement only grow each time.. :clap:

:clap:


I saw them last october. Epic! Some canadian snowballs are coming next year.

[SarDragon]

Unfortunately I cannot measure the width of kids smiles as the Thunderbirds flyover... all I can say is that I go to an airshow every year and the turnout, patriotism and excitement only grow each time.. :clap:

:clap:


I saw them last october. Epic! Some canadian snowballs are coming next year.

Only if someone brings them down in a well insulated cooler. Are you perhaps thinking of the Snowbirds?

[FARRIER]

Unfortunately I cannot measure the width of kids smiles as the Thunderbirds flyover... all I can say is that I go to an airshow every year and the turnout, patriotism and excitement only grow each time.. :clap:

:clap:


I saw them last october. Epic! Some canadian snowballs are coming next year.

[davedove]

How do air shows benefit the community?  The same way any other event benefits the community.  It brings in people who will patronize the local businesses while visiting.

[Sleepwalker]

  I suppose that might be like asking how does a NASCAR race benefit the community, or Classic Car Show, NFL MLB NBA Game.  How does a Church fair benifit the parish?   To me, there is no way to really measure such things, but I can sense how much it adds to the community.  I do get the point of the question, though, and it is a valid question.     

[Flying Pig]

.......or the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team and the Marine Corps Band.  The Army Navy and Air Force Drill Teams.  Why do we even have honor guards?  Why does a Marine NCO have to open the door for the President?  The military academy sports teams?  We are paying those cadets to play college sports when they should be sudying!
Geeeesh....the money wasted that could be going to CAP!

[lordmonar]

Perhaps, but being a skeptic and a data geek, I would like to see some research before I would make such claims.

What are you even talking about???

I'm saying, prove this to me:

They generate interest in aviation, instill national pride, encourage future aviators, support charities who run concession stands.... the list goes on and on

Saying the above doesn't make it true.  Probably the one thing that you wouldn't need a study to prove is that charities running concessions do make some money off of them.  But, the rest are sort of iffy.  Just how much interest in aviation, national pride, or future aviator interest is generated and is it worth the tens of millions of dollars (or more) our military community spends on airshows every year?

Hey River......the sun is going to rise in the East tommorrow....take my word for it.

Somethings are very difficult to measure.  But let's be serious.....do you really think someone needs to spend money to develope some sort of metric for this sort of thing?

How do you measure National Pride?
How do you measure Encouragement in Future Aviators?
How do you measue Intrest in Aviation?

but all those things are the goals for Air Shows.

Or we can just say.....Pilots like to show off....come watch us do loops and things....and show off our skills!

[Major Carrales]

The question was "How do airshows benefit the general community," this seems to me to be a solicitation of opinion or speculation.  This occasions, I don't feel "data" is generally called for.

I think that after the list/array would be generated, then and only would some measure to determine the value of the listed items require qualification/quantification.

That said, most well attended airshows provide the following items...

1) A half day's entertainment- most of the airshows (even fly-ins) provide a community "get together"

2) Economic opportunity- various school clubs, local vendors and concession stands generate revenue.

3) Potential for Recruiting/Public Relations- Volunteer organizations get to recruit and/or get their information to the public.