California Capital Airshow

What California Capital Airshow does

California Capital Airshow (CCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 that plans and operates an annual family-oriented airshow at Mather Airport in Sacramento, California, serving the Sacramento-Rancho Cordova metropolitan area. The core product is a two-day annual event featuring U.S. and Canadian military jet demonstrations (USAF Thunderbirds, USAF F-35 Lightning II Demo Team, USN F/A-18 Super Hornet TacDemo, Canadian Forces Snowbirds), civilian aerobatics, vintage warbird displays, and ground attractions, with a returning 2026 night show component featuring synchronized pyrotechnics and afterburner displays. Revenue is generated through five ticketed experience tiers sold exclusively online via EventSprout (ranging from roughly $39 General Admission Sunday to $1,063 First Class Saturday Weekend), plus corporate sponsorships (with Sacramento County and Rancho Cordova as presenting sponsors), vendor/exhibitor fees, and Donorbox-powered scholarship donations.

Underlying technology is operational rather than proprietary: ticketing on EventSprout, email marketing on ConstantContact (powering the AIR SHOW INSIDER subscription program offering up to 43% discounts), and standard web analytics for retargeting. The event is almost entirely volunteer-produced via the WINGMAN program, with Event Promotion Systems, LLC operating under license. Beyond the annual show, CCA runs year-round youth STEM and aviation programming — including Positive Altitude (ages 8-13), Career Day at the Airport, Summer Camp, Girls in Aviation Day, STEM Expo, and Explore the Drone Zone — and a scholarship program that has distributed more than $600,000 cumulatively to over 280 local students pursuing aviation, aerospace, engineering, and adjacent STEM fields, engaging 3,500+ students annually. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors including retired USAF flag officers, Sacramento County Department of Airports leadership, and civic representatives from Visit Sacramento and Visit Rancho Cordova, with no parent company or institutional investment structure.

Name

California Capital Airshow

Legal name

California Capital Airshow

Website

https://californiacapitalairshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Capital Airshow is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces an annual two-day airshow at Mather Airport featuring military and civilian aerial performers, while running year-round youth STEM, aviation scholarship, and internship programs for local students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Entertainment

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

Keywords

• Annual airshow events
• Live aviation entertainment
• Community event production
• STEM youth programs
• Aviation scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from online ticket sales across multiple pricing tiers (General Admission through First Class). Tickets are sold exclusively online via EventSprout with all fees included in displayed prices. Each General Admission adult ticket includes up to 6 free youth tickets (ages 15 and under). Premium ticket tiers include chalet access with food and beverage.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages sold to corporations seeking visibility at the airshow. Sponsors receive high-impact display spaces, mobile marketing opportunities, product sampling, couponing, and lead generation opportunities. Target audience is described as well-educated, affluent families, 53% in the 30-50 age bracket.
3. Vendor/Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from food, novelty, and commercial vendors operating at the event. All vendor spaces for 2026 season are noted as full.
4. Scholarship Fund Donations: Donorbox-powered scholarship fund accepts one-time and recurring donations to support high school seniors pursuing STEM careers in aviation and aerospace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California Capital Airshow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that plans and operates an annual two-day family-friendly airshow at Mather Airport in Sacramento, featuring military jet demonstrations (USAF Thunderbirds, Canadian Forces Snowbirds), civilian aerobatics, vintage warbirds, ground displays, and a returning night show with pyrotechnics. The organization also runs year-round youth STEM and aviation education programs and a scholarship fund that has awarded over $600,000 to local students pursuing aviation and STEM careers.

Product overview

The California Capital Airshow is a nonprofit annual aviation event at Mather Airport featuring aerial performances and ground displays. The core product is the two-day airshow event with multiple ticket tiers: General Admission (affordable self-seating), Main Cabin (basic chalet with shade), Premium Cabin (dining and comfort), Business Class (full catering and open bar), and First Class (ultra-premium experience with exclusive meet & greets). Supporting products include AIR SHOW INSIDER® email subscription for exclusive discounts and schedules, a scholarship program for STEM/aviation students exceeding $600,000 awarded, year-round youth programs (Positive Altitude, Career Day, Summer Camp, Girls in Aviation Day, STEM Expo, Drone Zone), internship opportunities, a volunteer WINGMAN program, and corporate sponsorship/partnership packages. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2004.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Capital Airshow Annual Event
• AIR SHOW INSIDER Email Subscription
• Aviation and STEM Scholarship Program
• Youth STEM and Aviation Programs
• Aviation and Event Internship Program
• WINGMAN Volunteer Program
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages
• Corporate Partnership Program

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/presenting, core and minor.

• Sacramento Countyflagship/presentingGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the California Capital Airshow. Sacramento County provides organizational support and venue access at Mather Airport, which is operated by Sacramento County Department of Airports.
• Rancho Cordovaflagship/presentingGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor and official host city of the airshow. Visit Rancho Cordova partners on hotel promotions and tourism, offering 16 partner hotels for visitors.
• Sutter HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the airshow with logo placement on website.
• SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the airshow with logo placement on website.
• Roseville Auto MallcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the airshow with logo placement on website.
• Southwest AirlinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the airshow with logo placement on website.
• Visit SacramentocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partner promoting the airshow to visitors and providing hotel and activity recommendations for Sacramento area.
• Enterprise Rent-A-CarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred car rental partner offering 10% discount for airshow attendees visiting the Rancho Cordova/Sacramento area.
• Sacramento Bicycle Advocates (SABA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides free valet bike parking and bike repair services ('Bike ER' program) during the airshow weekend.
• Bicycle Advocates of Rancho Cordova (BARC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners with SABA to provide free valet bike parking and bike repair services during the airshow weekend.
• Women in Aviation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Girls in Aviation Day event, connecting girls of all ages with women leaders in the aviation industry.
• UPScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCargo airline with static display aircraft at the airshow. On average day delivers more than 15 million packages to 7.9 million customers in 220+ countries.
• USAF Thunderbirdsflagship/presentingOthersOfficial U.S. Air Force aerial demonstration team performing with F-16 Fighting Falcon jets. Featured headliner of the 2026 airshow.
• Canadian Forces Snowbirdsflagship/presentingOthersRoyal Canadian Air Force demonstration squadron performing 9-jet precision formation flying. Returning for their 50th season celebration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MCAS Miramar Air Show: San Diego's annual military-hosted airshow featuring USAF Thunderbirds, Navy Blue Angels, and Marine Corps performances. Closely comparable military-jet-headliner format, family audience, and ticketed premium viewing experience.
• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh: The world's largest aviation gathering, hosted annually in Oshkosh, WI by the Experimental Aircraft Association. Comparable as a consumer-facing annual aviation event with strong sponsorship, year-round programmatic mission, and significant scholarship/education footprint.
• Wings Over Houston Airshow: Annual military airshow at Ellington Airport in Houston featuring USAF Heritage Flight, Thunderbirds, and aviation heritage exhibits. Directly comparable regional airshow format with similar tiered ticketing and corporate sponsorship model.
• Reno Air Races: Annual aerial competition event held in Reno, NV featuring multi-class racing, military demonstrations, and static displays. Comparable consumer airshow format, premium ticketing, and aviation-enthusiast audience.
• Chicago Air & Water Show: One of the largest free consumer-facing airshows in North America, held annually in Chicago. Directly comparable as a major metropolitan, family-focused aerial demonstration event with similar headliner-style military performer bookings.

Regional players

• Royal International Air Tattoo: The world's largest military airshow, held annually at RAF Fairford in the UK. Comparable military-headliner consumer airshow format but operating in a different geography, serving European audiences rather than the North American market.
• Australian International Airshow: Asia-Pacific's largest airshow held biennially at Avalon Airport. Comparable consumer airshow format with military performer headliners and premium ticketing, but operates in the Australian market rather than California.

Others

• Commemorative Air Force: Nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and flying historic WWII-era aircraft, often featured at airshows including California's. Comparable as a nonprofit aviation-mission organization that supports CCA's programming with heritage aircraft displays, but does not operate its own consumer ticketed event.

Broad incumbents

• Paris Air Show: The largest aerospace trade show globally, held biennially at Le Bourget. Shares the aerial demonstration consumer-experience element but operates as a B2B industry event at substantially larger scale and a different business model.
• Farnborough International Airshow: Major biennial aerospace trade show in the UK combining industry B2B exhibition with public airshow displays. Overlapping consumer-facing aerial demonstration content but with a fundamentally different trade-show-centric business model and global aerospace industry positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calcapairshow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Capital Airshow