BEagle, I don't understand your logic here. By definition, Farnborough ARE expecting a display for free unless they pay for it, aren't they? They can call it what they like but in terms of cost/fatigue, that's what they're getting. It's ridiculous. Pay for the display and the validation display, or get neither, surely?
Phileas, I'm not sure I'd agree with your sentiments. Yes, the Spit, Hurricane, Swordfish and Lancaster are of course iconic aircraft but the Vulcan is no less significant. You can't say that the Vulcan's career was any less distinguished. One could argue that the Vulcan was more significant, in that the other aircraft fought against the threat of Nazi rule. The Vulcan, by comparison, protected us from oblivion.