Air shows are, at their heart, recruitment events. After a dismal 2005, with a lowered recruitment goal, the Army is finally beginning to meet its goals by paying large signing bonuses to new recruits. But historically, the biggest recruiting technique has been the air show.
Air shows and other public/community events are expensive. For example, the Navy's Blue Angels spend $13 million annually on maintenance and expenses other than salaries, while the Air Force's Thunderbirds spend almost $10 million.
The cost of an F/A-18 is about $28 million, and just one jet plane uses 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel at an air show, at a cost of about $1,378. The cost to the local environment is also devastating. In addition to the exhaust from the jets, air shows leave behind trash from thousands of people.
Air shows attract thousands of people to an area, but they are insular events. People don’t shop at local businesses during an air show, and food and drink is provided at the base. And because traffic is usually horrendous, local businesses suffer during air show weekends.
The Great State of Maine air show is going to be the last one that the midcoast experiences, but we should all be asking ourselves if the cost to taxpayers and local economies is worth the price. And shouldn’t military recruitment should be based on the merits of serving the nation as a soldier, sailor or marine? Potential recruits should not be carried away by the momentary thrill of watching a pilot break the sound barrier.
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