DO AIR SHOWS HELP WITH RECRUITMENT GOALS AND READINESS? CONGRESS PLANS TO INVESTIGATE
You don’t have to be a combat Veteran with tour experience or have deep knowledge of the military to know the names—Blue Angels, Golden Knights, and Thunderbirds. There are several other groups filled with pilots, acrobats, stuntmen, parachutists, and more bringing death-defying antics above our heads in spectacles known as air shows. The goal of air shows is to help with marketing, recruitment, and readiness; however, lawmakers want to look into them and see if they’re effective at hitting their goals.
Are Air Shows Effective? Congress Wants to Know
Air shows are under the microscope of lawmakers as the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is looking to gauge their effectiveness.
While the next Defense Secretary is still a bit in limbo, despite the nomination of Pete Hegseth, whoever fills the role will be tasked with looking at how air shows benefit the military.
Congress wants a report including the use of military equipment in air shows, the type of aircraft that attend, how much it costs, the number of shows in the past three years with military participants, and whether or not they’re helping with operational readiness and recruitment.
Additionally, the NDAA is planning to include a pilot program for a year that specifically requires the Secretary of Defense to force the military to involve teams in at least five rural or small market air shows in the United States.
Rural Markets, Budgets, and Recruitment
The concept is simple: put together a host of talented acrobats, pilots, drivers, and various entertainers for a grand show for enthusiasts and fans alike to enjoy.
There are air shows that take place on military bases and elsewhere, providing a direct way for the American Armed Forces and the civilian population to come together as one.
The bigger teams known for their demonstrations hold tours and make appearances in largely populated areas, often with strong military communities deeply embedded.
It makes sense in a lot of ways. If you want Cajun/Creole cuisine, you’re likely to find better options in and around New Orleans than you are in Miami. However, South Beach is where you’ll want to be for a hot plate of ropa vieja rather than The Big Easy.
Having air shows with military people, by military people, for military people is a no-brainer; however, the biggest demonstrators often miss out on rural areas for two important reasons.
The first is that smaller markets in rural areas don’t have the necessary infrastructure for a safe show.
The other reason is smaller markets generally have fewer funds for an air show lying around, which can put some of the burden on the U.S. military—a fact that lawmakers don’t necessarily like if it can’t justify the expense.
Thankfully, the newest version of the NDAA eliminates a previous restriction to avoid smaller events “unless the event organizers cover any costs exceeding $100,000."
On the contrary, the pilot program is sending air shows to smaller markets and will take a closer look at their effectiveness, as championed by enthusiasts outside of Congress, to try and push more events in rural America.
Air Shows Are Part of a Larger, Important Recruiting Landscape
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the military started seeing new recruitment woes that would linger for years.
You can connect with people online, through text, in ads, etc., but nothing is going to beat an in-person experience.
Air shows are far from the only tool the military uses to recruit new troops but it’s part of an overarching effort to attract warfighters among the ranks.
Furthermore, these events bring in an estimated $1.5 billion for local economies, making them hallmark events that help generate revenue for Americans.
Congress wants the air shows report from the military by January 2026 detailing their costs, and effectiveness, and noting which aircraft are featured.
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