people want to have the hairs on the back of their necks raised, they want to go 'ooooh', 'aaaaah', and 'fcuk me backwards that was noisy/impressive' - paying £100 for a family of four to spend 4 hours in a traffic jam and then walk around some parked aircraft is not how the public want to see their Air Force.
I was people watching at the 2013 RAF Leuchars Air Show and surprised how little attention was being paid by the public to the flying display.
People instead were enjoying the ground displays, funfair and sunday market.
The Army display with its AFV & tanks that kids could climb all over was especially popular. The aerobatic team that were it has to be said: Excellent, were getting a stiff ignoring from anyone more than a few metres from the crowdline.
IMHO the way ahead is for an RAF led military tattoo that incorporates the other Armed Forces with some of the 'flying displays' purple in nature. Instead of individual Peeing contests, the UK Defence Force could actually demonstrate themselves to be a cohesive fighting force that optimises the Defence Budget to good effect. ..... And then I woke up!
(at Cottesmore and either Leeming or Dishforth)
RAF Valley had a good display in years gone by.