“The Branson Air Show is one of probably two of the largest shows in this country this year,” says Thompson.

“With the number of acts we have; the jet teams, the Golden Knights, all of the aircraft on static display; this is a very complex show.”

Branson’s air show featured many of the most popular show attractions: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird team, the U.S. Army Golden Knight parachute team, national aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff, and Rich’s Incredible Pyro team, among others. With more than 20 acts and 25 aircraft on display, the air show proved a success with some 50,000 in attendance throughout the weekend.

Air show spectator attendance has been on the rise in 2009 as shows from around the country continue to report record attendance. John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, states in a press release that this season’s earliest handful of shows in Alabama, Arizona, California, and Mississippi have all reported record attendance. According to Cudahy, families are cutting costs but still looking for quality entertainment; air show ticket prices are low, yet the entertainment value is high, he says.

“Attendance for air shows this year is up about 18-20 percent,” says ABS’s Thompson. “I think people are looking for family entertainment where they don’t have to travel too far.

“Air shows are relatively inexpensive to attend; they are all day outings and something different that many people haven’t experienced before. In part also, we are seeing a high attendance rate because some shows have been cancelled, so there are fewer shows. The enthusiasts who make it a point to attend shows, and travel to them, make sure they make it to the ones that are still out there.”

With great attendance and effective planning, air shows not only benefit the spectators but the airport as well, explains Thompson. “If an air show is planned correctly, it can be a revenue generator for an airport. First and foremost, an air show can help build a relationship with the airport’s surrounding communities as a public/ community relations event.