Airshow

An airshow (or air show) is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their flying machines, normally to the public, but occasionally to selected invited guests, or employees and their families only.

Many airshows are held for commercial motives, gaining income from onlookers or from companies hoping to sell aircraft, while many others are held on military bases and are mostly paid for by recruiting budgets, and some are held to raise funds for charities. Usually they are arranged at airfields, in which case a variety of static aircraft and helicopters might also be on view.

Less often, shows are held over the sea near coastal cities or resorts. Where space allows, other entertainments and market stalls may add to the attractions on offer at an airshow. The better organized shows and those with longer flying displays will tend to be more expensive and sometimes discounts will be offered to those booking in advance. Airshows held at military installations are usually free for spectators.

The year's airshow schedule (which airfields/coasts will have airshows when) is usually defined during the end of the preceding year. The lineup of pilots and aircraft to be in attendance at each airshow is tentatively determined around February and March, but can change at any time. With a handful of exceptions (such as the mid-winter airshow at MCAS Yuma, AZ), the airshow season"starts in early spring and ends around mid-fall.

Magazines aimed at aircraft enthusiasts will normally include a list of forthcoming airshows in their February, March or April editions. Shows at military bases are liable to be cancelled or postponed during periods of international tension.

Before the second world war, airshows were associated with long distance air races, often lasting many days and covering thousands of miles. While the Reno Air Races keep this tradition alive, most airshows today primarily feature a series of aerial demos of relatively short duration (10-40 minutes).

See Also
Airshow safety
Airshow attractions
Early airshows
Major airshows

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Uses material from the article Airshow.