Why donated fighters need bases, support, and operational depth

Would NATO states help Ukraine by donating fighter aircraft and allowing volunteers to fly them?

Fighters would be difficult aid because Ukraine lacked protected operational depth and would have to support them under Russian reach. Additional drones might have been more immediately useful.

Possessing fighter aircraft does not by itself create an operational air force. Airfields, maintenance, weapons, fuel, trained personnel, and protection all have to survive within reach of Russian aircraft and missiles. Earlier volunteer-air-force examples in China and Spain benefited from greater geographic depth than Ukraine had. Drones offered a less demanding capability that Ukrainian forces were already using effectively, although this judgment reflects information available in February 2022.