I've read the various thoughts about the location of the manoeuvre: I've seen the video of the manoeuvre: I've read the thoughts about such manoeuvres in such a vintage a/c. I've been a pax in a Hunter Display and flew Pu/s afterwards. I'm not an ex-military pilot. My first thoughts were that the g-pull up seemed very relaxed. My 2nd thoughts were that it started from a VERY low height. Combine the two and it might always have been a struggle to complete the recovery successfully. It would have been late in the downward vertical that the 'oops' moment might have become apparent.
It's been a while sine my airshow days, bit what is the minimum start height for such a display? In my looping days, and there are still some in less powered a/c, the idea would be to bottom out at the same height as entry, or higher; depending on height used to accelerate. This was a vertical manoeuvre entered from level flight, at a very low height. From the more experienced display pilots; what height would have been your plan to bottom out from the manoeuvre? The same as entry or higher? Spectacular if the same, but surely the initial pull would have been harder. Surely better to pull hard and relax than the other way round.