I agree, Avalon has dulled down and this year I voted with my feet and stayed away.
I've been spoiled though. Brought up three miles from Farnborough, as a kid I used to ride my bike down there and sneak in the exits backwards so the coppers thought I was going out, not coming in.
The sight of the early P1127, the Concorde prototypes (man, were they ever noisy!) the Victors and Vulcans, Buccaneers and Sea-Vixens, and the Red Arrows, first with Hunters, then Gnats, then Hawks. I know the Roulettes are pretty good, but after the Red Arrows the Aussie team is very pedestrian. Nothing like a nine-ship team flying jets. Although the Navy did a good job one year with a four-man low-level, low speed aerobatic team performing aerial ballet in Harriers, just in front of the Royal Box.
I even saw an SR-71 there one year. It made the Atlantic crossing in 1h59m...
OK, I'll stop reminiscing now...