How are the pilots/military funded for non military airshows?

Active military aircraft are funded by the recruiting efforts of the various military branches. They consider it public relations and recruiting incentives. The older ex-military aircraft you see are either privately funded or funded by an air museum ociation or some other entity set up to restore and display these heritage aircraft. Someone, some where, is paying money to see these aircraft and your annual free airshow is probably their yearly act of philanthropy....which they write-off on their taxes, you can be sure.