Financially, 2025 best year yet for Moses Lake Airshow

MOSES LAKE — Attendance was down at the 2025 Moses Lake Airshow, but it was a very good year financially. Board member Micah Trautman said the airshow finished 2025 with a carryover for 2026.  

“Financially, last year was the best year we’ve ever had,” Trautman told Port of Moses Lake commissioners at their Monday meeting. “Even though it was smaller, we did a good job of managing the budget. Left ourselves with a little reserve to get us going for next year.”  

The 2025 airshow drew about 3,000 attendees, but organizers expected fewer people, Trautman said. According to information provided by the committee, about 47% of them traveled more than 100 miles to attend. 

Airshow organizers spent about $186,100 in direct purchases in 2025 and bought about another $151,300 in local goods and services, according to their report. They donated $34,800 in cash and complimentary airshow tickets to local organizations.  

The airshow committee made some changes in 2025, taking over the organizing and hiring a new marketing company. Some major changes are coming for 2026, starting with the dates. The airshow is moving to June 12 and 13. 

Weather can be unsettled in early June, and Trautman said that was a consideration. But there were other considerations, including the need for accommodations for performers and visitors alike. 

“We weighed that,” Trautman said. “There are other airshows happening later in the month of June, and we felt the best move was to move it ahead a little bit.” 

Concerts at the Gorge Amphitheater fill up hotels and motels throughout the area, including Moses Lake, during the summer. Trautman said organizers think the airshow will be able to attract more performers and visitors if they’re not competing with concertgoers for accommodations. 

“We cannot grow this airshow much without hotel space,” Trautman said. “Our goal here is to get our (attendance) numbers up, and then eventually to land a jet team. If we’re moving in that direction, we have to set ourselves up to have hotel space.” 

Ticket prices for 2026 have not been announced, but organizers are making one major change.  

“One of the things we’re going to try is a free airshow on Friday,” said board member Cale Russell. “We’d love to see this be a free airshow entirely, so we’re experimenting with that on Friday.” 

Russell said people he’s talked to have asked for more and different aerial acts, and all-new acts will be scheduled as a result. Organizers are also hoping to increase the number of military performers, Trautman said. 

“We focused on more of a (general aviation) effort last year, partially because we can’t be dependent solely on the military,” Trautman said. “If something happens in terms of conflict around the world, we could be stuck without an airshow if we’re overly reliant on the military. However, the military drives numbers. It’s what people want to see. They’re loud, they’re fast, they’re just impressive to see.” 

After the military displays, different people are attracted to different exhibits and activities, Russell said.  

“There were people that we saw from the start to the end of the show who were sitting camped out by the STOL competition,” he said. 

The Short Takeoff and Landing competition is basically what it sounds like – competitors are judged on the distance it takes them to take off and land.  

The remote-controlled aircraft also drew a crowd, especially among families. Trautman said the remote-controlled airplanes were much more accessible for children. 

Organizers also hope to offer attractions on the ground and are considering all their options, from live music to balloon artists. The goal, however, is to have aircraft overhead as much as possible. 

“Keeping the sky full as often as we can is the real hope we’re after,” Russell said. “(In 2025) we thought the show at the end was really done well, because there were always planes flying.” 

    A radio-controlled aircraft is put through its paces at the 2025 Moses Lake Airshow.