I remember going to airshows at RAF Finningley as a child. The static displays had so many different aircraft types that it seemed to fill the entire length of the taxiway
Memory does play tricks on us. I attended every Finningley show from about 1965 onwards and if one looks at the number of aircraft that were on display, it was often surprisingly small. It was only in latter years that the numbers swelled, but even then it wasn't much. I think the problem is that there is no longer the variety that used to give the impression of size. Sadly, all the great aircraft are gone and costs/operations prevent what is left from being on display.
Leuchars must have been struggling from the start with this year's show with no USAF, hardly any RAF and not much from Nato either. The weather forecast, combined with the Vulcan's no-show seem to suggest it will be quite a damp squib.
Unfortunately it's just the way it is these days. Even the mighty RIAT is a feeble shadow of its former self now. Enthusiasts still drool with delight over the "exciting" line-up but in reality it's mostly a (small) line-up of static aircraft, most of which are transports and tankers. All very nice but hardly worth walking down the street for, never mind a cross-country drive. The days of Phantom or Hunter line-ups, SR-71s, Russian machines and all the rest are long gone.
I'm surprised that many die-hard enthusiasts still get excited by shows, but I guess they don't know what they've missed. If they did, they'd probably stay in bed!