Beachy Head is part of Eastbourne, at least Eastbourne council parking meters are there, and has until now been part of the display.
I beg to differ. It has not been part of the show. The show area is along the Eastbourne promenade area close to the pier. That larger and faster aeroplanes needed to use the airspace to the west and east to get in position for their next manoeuvre in the main area does not make those areas part of the airshow. Smaller and slower aircraft such as the Bulldogs and Vari-eze that have displayed there in recent years didn't come near Beachy Head when displaying, nor did the Chinook and Sea King. Some of them came closer when clearing from the show AFTER displaying.
The RAF display aircraft do operate under different rules as they are still on the military register and not on the civilian register. The CAA are not their masters in the same way that they are to a civilian pilot.
Yup I went to Beachy Head, I never suggested it was the wrong place to go. I went there, like you, because in previous years the aircraft flew quite closely along the shoreline when arriving/clearing and some nice topside photos could be taken. Disappointing that times have changed but then my dad misses the days of RAF Hendon and the Gloster Gamecocks displaying whilst tied together wing to wing, and I miss the days of the fast jets arriving low and fast over the crowd from behind.
Each generation is left with never to be repeated memories, enjoy today because the future is getting more mundane with every invention.