Examining Pilots as Serious Leisure Travelers at Airshow Events

Serious leisure can have a positive impact on wellbeing, defined by six attributes: perseverance, significant personal effort, career, durable benefits, strong identity, and unique ethos. There are hundreds of airshows organized annually, yet the pilots are under-researched in event tourism research. This study examines pilots’ activity through content (online reviews, videos) and semiotic (photos) analyses. Findings show pilots demonstrate the six attributes of serious leisure. Because flying is a highly invested and specialized leisure pursuit, and requires ongoing commitment marked by distinct levels of accomplishment, pilots’ sense of identity, networks, wellbeing, and quality of life are all enhanced through flying. The study establishes a foundation for future studies on pilots as serious leisure travelers at airshows, and generates useful implications for marketing airshows to pilots. It also discusses the context of contemporary discourses that advance the serious leisure paradigm.