Accessibility/Disabled
RIAT is a very large event, set on an airfield around two miles in length. We have tried to minimise the need to walk long distances with our free showground shuttle buses and electric scooter/manual wheelchair hire, but please be aware that the event may not be suitable for everybody, especially those with restricted mobility.
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Facilities & Parking
There is a large amount of hard standing along the showground where the static aircraft are parked, however there is also a grassed area from the hard standing to the runway. Please be aware that the grass length might be long because of the management of birds on the airfield. The grassed areas can be uneven in places and are therefore not always practical for electric scooters, wheelchairs or for those with restricted mobility.
What we offer:
- Free of charge PA/carer ticket with a paying adult (conditions apply)
- Designated accessible car parks
- Electric scooter/manual wheelchair hire (through the Event Mobility Charitable Trust)
accessible Parking Permit / Designated accessible Car Parks
Visitors who require accessible parking, or have booked with Event Mobility, please complete the Accessibility Request Form link below:
There is no designated disabled car park in the Blue Car Parks and we recommend that visitors with mobility difficulties do not park here as they are all field car parks with uneven ground and are some distance from the Blue Customer Entry Point.
Disabled/Accessible Toilets and High Dependency Unit (HDU)
There are accessible toilets in each toilet block on the showground. In addition to these there is a high dependency unit (HDU) in the accessible viewing area.
If you have not booked into the viewing area, but need to use the HDU at any time during your visit please speak to the staff in the accessible viewing area. Please note this facility is only available for use by people with a RADAR key.
Electric Scooter/Manual Wheelchair Hire
The Event Mobility Charitable Trust will be providing electric scooters and manual wheelchairs for use by disabled, elderly and mobility impaired visitors to RIAT.
Electric scooters and manual wheelchairs must be booked in advance.
To reserve an electric mobility scooter or manual wheelchair please book online at www.eventmobility.org.uk/book-your-scooter.
Online bookings must be made 2 days before the event. Bookings cannot be taken during the event. If there is spare equipment available at the event it is offered on a first come, first served basis.
Electric scooters: £35.00 per day to hire
Manual wheelchairs: £15.00 per day to hire
The pick-up/drop-off points will be in the Red and Green car parks close to the customer entry points and by the Yellow customer entry point.
If you hire an electric scooter or wheelchair from Event Mobility this automatically entitles you to a RIAT accessible parking permit for our designated accessible car parks - please complete the Accessibility Request Form. Please note you will be asked to quote your Event Mobility booking reference number on the form.
You are welcome to bring your own electric scooter with you to RIAT, but please ensure that the battery is fully charged on arrival as there are no charging facilities available at the show.
Tickets & Carers
Disabled customers with a full price adult ticket are entitled to one free ticket for their PA/carer (conditions apply). A child (or children) with a disability must be accompanied by a paying adult before a carer's ticket can be issued.
Please note there are no PA/carer concessions available for Park & View or for any of the public enclosures on the showground.
To apply for a PA/carer ticket, entry to the Accessible Viewing Area (subject to availability) and to order a RIAT disabled parking permit, you should fill in our Accessibility Request Form here where you will be required to upload a copy of your disability evidence. The form, including your evidence will be then kept on file. Should you have any issues with uploading your evidence please submit the form and then email this to enquiries@rafcte.com, someone will contact you to contact you to complete your order.
You will be asked to provide one or more of the following:
- Valid blue badge
- DLA/PIP or equivalent - DLA must be middle or higher rate for care and mobility
- Medical professionals letter - reviewed case by case
- Deaf or blind registration
- Nimbus Access Card or equivalent
Please do not book PA/carer tickets on line as they cannot be refunded at a later date.
Assistance Dogs
We welcome all registered guide dogs, hearing dogs and medical alert dogs at RIAT.
If you wish to bring an assistance dog with you for your visit, please ensure you have a valid identification document from Assistance Dogs (UK) and/or the assistance dog must wear a jacket/coat identifying it as such.
Assistance dogs must always be kept on a lead and must not be left unattended at any time.
We want to make it clear that due to the nature of our event, it is not a suitable environment for the majority of dogs, and they are therefore prohibited.
This decision was made after consulting with industry leaders within animal welfare, who cited several reasons why it could be potentially harmful to bring a dog with you.
Things to consider
- The airshow is extremely loud for over nine hours a day, which can be distressing for animals.
- The airfield can also become very hot and has limited shaded areas. In 2022, a temperature of over 40 degrees was recorded.
- From a safety standpoint, the runway is in very close proximity to the showground and should a dog make its way onto the runway it could become a safety hazard for everyone in attendance.
The Royal International Air Tattoo is committed to being a fully inclusive event and because of this, we do recognise that some visitors will require a dog to accompany them for medical reasons.
In compliance with the Equality Act 2010, we will accommodate them in this situation via a case-by-case basis.
To proceed with an application, contact us via enquiries@rafcte.com.
Once you have done this, you will be sent a form which must be completed in order for us to collect the relevant information about you and your animal.
Following a successful application, you will be supplied with a reference number for your dog which will allow us to identify it.
Please note, we are entitled to and will turn dogs away upon entry if they have not complied with this process, or do not meet our assistance dog requirements.
