It used to be organised by a chap in our strut so I have heard some of the issues with the "good old days" rallies.
Over the years the financial commitments were increasing steadily. The world in general expects good loos, good showers, good emergency service cover, for any event that they are charged money to get into. The days of volunteer services and limited facilities are over. The expectation of mega insurance cover in case the no win no fee brigade stubbing their toes all added to the cost of the event. Many of these expenses are incurred even if the weather is poor and the turn out is small.
Then there was a run of less than ideal weather years. Then there was a cancellation due to foot and mouth or BSE or something agricultural.
More recently the CAA has become a bit overbearing. Every aircraft has to book a landing time slot. You need to read and injest a tome of arrivasl information (20 plus pages!!!) H&S gone mad.
I have failed to attend the rally, by air at least, for a few years now. This is largely due to me not getting my act together and booking a landing slot. I don't like to be committed to going anywhere by air at a specific time on a specific day. I don't like being under pressure to go come rain or shine. I find that the slot times that would suit me are all booked up long before the weather forecast is close enough to figure out what time/day to book a slot. If I can be bothered, I might go by road but I am just as likely to fly somewhere else instead. I did fly into the rally in the old days, I went when I was ready, never had an issue with the arrival stream and didn't feel that it was too risky. These days, the Blois microlight rally is the biggest event we attend. It is somewhat bigger than the LAA Sywell do, it manages without slot times, it has "arrival windows" in between trade flying displays and demos and generally people get on with it. It works.
I do miss the old rallies but I doubt we will ever go back to the way they used to be run.
Shame.
Rans6...........