How you organize and plan your air show and the resources you will need to do it are questions that depend on some of the first decisions you make about your air show. The judgments you make during this stage of your earliest preparation can be revisited later, but the questions and your answers to them will help provide you and your colleagues with preliminary direction:

Will you host a fly-in, an open house or an air show?

Typically, fly-ins or open houses don't include aerobatic demonstrations by performing aircraft. Air shows that include aerobatics are somewhat more complicated to organize and execute, but they also tend to attract larger crowds. Some groups use the planning and execution of a fly-in or open house as an organizational dress rehearsal for a full-fledged air show to be planned and held in a subsequent year.

Will your event be free to attend or will you require payment for admission?

Admission fees provide resources that you can re-invest in your show or distribute to local charities or other organizations. But selling tickets can limit attendance and complicate a number of different administrative functions associated with hosting an air show.

Who will organize and run the show?

The least expensive option is to create a committee of volunteers that share responsibilities related to the show. In addition to saving money, that approach can also help to create a greater sense of ownership and responsibility within your community. But organizing an air show, particularly for those who have not done so before, can be hard work with a steep learning curve. Which is why some groups opt for a paid consultant or production company with experience to handle all or some of the planning required to launch a new air show.

One day or two?

On issues related to capturing the attention of the local community and recruiting the required number of volunteers, a one-day show may be a good starting point for some new air shows. But most veterans find that a two-day show costs only a little more than a one-day show and provides some options for prospective spectators who cannot attend your show on one day of a two-day weekend, as well as some protection against inclement weather on one day of a two-day weekend.

Military participation?

The involvement of contemporary military aircraft at your event will be a big draw for prospective spectators; almost without exception, a show with military participation attracts more people than a show without. But military involvement requires longer planning lead times and can introduce significant additional expense.

Budget

All by themselves, issues related to the financial resources available to your show will be major factors in determining what kind of show you will have. From the type and number of performers that you have at your event to the static aircraft and other displays you have on your ramp to the contract services you can use to lighten the load on your organizing committee and volunteers, money is perhaps the single most important point in the early planning of your air show.