Earlybird

[grimreaper]

Hi guys, I'm travelling down to riat Friday night and just wondered if anyone knows what time the earlybird parking opens or if they still run it. I drove down the Friday night a few years back and was able to get in and parked up for just after 22:00. I usually stay in a hotel but after recent surgery and not being payed by work I'm gonna get there early or late depends how you look at it lol, and get my head down in the van.

Cheers guys matthew.

[mark.alan.barnes]

Having done a fair bit of 'grabbing a couple of hours' in a car while managing a nationwide company, in my very humble opinion, it is the quality of sleep that is important rather than the duration.

I left Rugby at 0530hrs last year and went down the Fosse to arrive at Fairford an hour later and only saw about half a dozen other cars on the 'Red Route.'

Maybe a few hours in your own bed and a reasonably early start might be a better than grabbing a couple of cold, uncomfortable hours in the van?

That said, I take a small tent with me to use as a base (and to keep everything dry if the weather is poor), at RIAT and I think both of my lads had a few hours sleep before the action started around 1000hrs!

[grimreaper]

I only really thought about going down the Friday night cause that day I won't finish work till around 21:30, so I just thought to grab my stuff and go, suppose I'll make a decision closer the time , after having shoulder surgery it's hard enough to get comfortable so extra hours in bed might be the way to go.

Grimreaper

[mark.alan.barnes]

I had a class 4 separation of my A/C joint ten years ago so I know exactly what you mean about being unable to get comfy in bed.

If you go down the Fosse rather than the M42/M5 route you see next to no traffic.

[The Cat]

Aiming to get there around 0600 is the way I always do it. As said, a few hours quality sleep at home is good I feel

[iainpeden]

I try to arrive in the blue car park at about 6.15 - recline the driver's seat and sleep until 8 when you find the main queue has dispersed and you just walk in.