.....and a sobering reminder of the horrors that many brave young men faced during the war.
Yes, though in war, there were very different standards for risk and safety, and entirely different piloting objectives than at an airshow of antique aircraft. I would never say that war should be unsafe, but I will say that airshow flying should be most safe! An airshow is not the place to improvise, or "catch up" an error. The default pilot action should be follow a planned escape if anything is not right. The moment the pilot thinks to correct an error, the pilot should be asking themself if it's time to follow the escape plan instead, and evaluate a planned rejoin from a suitable situational awareness. Sure, very high time pilot, but that is not an assurance against complacency, and acceptance of risk not suitable for that situation. Sometimes the lesser experienced pilot, who is still a little intimidated by the flying environment, is more on their game.