bluehawk15 wrote:
Why is it that small shows are happy to pay the appearance fee asked to get our planes to them, but larger shows like Wings Over Houston, and now Airsho in Midland, act like they are doing us a favor just to let us come to their show, and they tell us how much fuel they will give us...even when it's often not close to what it takes just to get to the show and back, much less fly the show?
I second the fund raising part. Many of the airshows out there are a tool to raise money for organizations that has a goal of perpetuating one or another aviation oriented cause. I don't think there are that many individuals making money hand over fist on airshows. I see nothing wrong with the approach of telling aircraft owners how much the event can afford to give you. It allows you to make the decision of whether or not you can afford to come or not. It can only afford what it can afford.
In some cases the events are allowing aircraft owners to fly their aircraft at a shared cost of the event. It is a win win situation, the owners get to have the enjoyment of flying their aircraft at a shared cost of the event sponsor and the event gets to have an aircraft which increases the value of their event. Many owners also enjoy the property tax incentives provided by exhibiting their aircraft at public events.
The few out there who are actually utilizing their warbird as a business I can understand them wanting to at least break even or make money for their participation in an airshow, at the same token if you own the aircraft as a hobby you likely just like getting out and flying it. If the airshow can help you pay for some of those hours then it seems like a pretty good exchange.
Many aircraft owners have their pet show or pet organizations that they enjoy supporting so they will attend the show at a break even or loss because they enjoy flying and exhibiting the aircraft and enjoy helping out the airshow benificiary. Over the years I have seen this a lot, there have been people like John Ward, Carl Scholl, Mike Pupich who will come year after year because they want to support our organization. Sometimes we get decent sponsor money for them, some years we don't get hardly any and they come anyway.
I guess my point is if you want to fly your aircraft to AirSho you should ask yourself, do you want to attend with your aircraft or not? If you do, they are willing to compensate you in part for your participation, if not, great, happy flying. Why does it seem like a slight to you if they can't afford what it takes for you to get there?
Ryan