About the show
About the
Abingdon Air & Country Show
Abingdon Air & Country Show
The Abingdon Air and Country Show began in 2000 as a local fete organised by Neil Porter, a landscape gardener by trade.
Created with the desire to put something back into the community and to provide a family day out at an affordable price.
The 2000 event barely broke even, but through perseverance, the show has steadily grown into one of the area’s largest annual events and established itself as a highlight on the airshow calendar.
Unlike the many UK airshows, everyone involved in the show’s organisation is a volunteer. This has meant that, over the past 23 years, we have been able to donate £102,000 to charity, including £83,895.70 to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, £14,000 to Douglas House Respite Centre, and a further £4,350 to other local charities.
By 2001, the cost of organising the show was £4,000 and only around one fifth the size of the event of today. Fast forward to 2023 and it costs over £80,000 to stage the event.
Undeterred, every year we hold the event and pay the bills that go with it - some of which you can see below - and then make a donation to charity, being mindful that we need to keep some money in reserve in case we have to cancel a show because of the weather.
50 volunteers
A team of 50 volunteers work together during the show to keep visitors safe and ensure everything runs smoothly.
70 unique types of aircraft
Up to 70 different types of aircraft are present, from helicopters to World War 2 fighters, as well as light and sport aircraft.
6 days
From start to finish it takes the team 6 days to completely build, run and break-down after the show.
What does it cost to run an airshow?
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Air displays, fuel, and accommodation | £28,000 |
| Showground infrastructure and attractions | £15,000 |
| Defence Infrastructure Organisation airfield license | £11,500 |
| Public liability insurance (£25m cover) | £10,700 |
| Toilets, radio hire, communications equipment and air traffic control, etc. | £8,000 |
| Fire cover for the airfield and showground | £5,000 |
| Medical cover for the airfield and showground | £2,200 |
| Publicity | £2,000 |
As you can see, there's a lot of bills to pay, and the above list isn't exhaustive, but we're proud that every year we are able to make a donation to very worthy charities, and we wouldn't be able to do so without your help and continued support, thank you.
© Abingdon Air & Country Show 2020
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