The arguments about not having to pay for XH558 are perfectly valid, but that rather misses my point. TVOC spent an awful lot of time billing XH558 as the "People's Plane" (yeah, I thought it was toe-curlingly inappropriate too) and insisting that their aim was to get the Vulcan out there to the adoring public. Presumably the audiences also include those who like to point-out that one doesn't have to pay towards XH558's upkeep. But it seems that it's only the "people's plane" when it suits.
This is all well and good, but it's particularly annoying that the team then see fit to perform stunts like today's. Yes, it was obviously a "rehearsal/continuation" flight and not an actual display, as this is where the CAA come-in with their absurd rules about spectators, fire and safety cover, blah, blah, but as far as the invited/informed spectators were concerned, it was a display.
Personally, I think that when one considers that the aircraft is funded completely by donation, then all of the necessary rehearsals should be flown at an undisclosed site (as they usually are) without anyone being given prior knowledge. Nobody deserves priority over what is ostensibly a public asset (or so it is claimed to be). If we start going down this route of performing to invited guests, friends, or those who just manage to pick-up the right gossip, then I think they're asking for trouble. I can't imagine that many people would want to donate money to the concept of showing the aircraft only to those who the organisers happen to approve of. That's just plain wrong.