27/07/2026
And we are doing another on the 8th August 2026.
A few thoughts from Kevin Partington
Ai***ft Wheelchair Day 2025
It is Sunday morning on 17th August 2025, I am up at the ungodly hour of 8am as I forgot to turn my alarm off after yesterday’s fun packed day of ‘wheelchair ai***fting’, we really do need a better name for this? Surprisingly, I am not as achy as normal, I am guessing this is due to a feeling normality for someone who is not as active as I should be and getting some sort of muscle memory from game days.
Back to Friday 15th August, I am booked to travel from Kent to Lincoln. This is normally a fairly simple journey but I am quite over burdened with some new kit I have purchased. One thing no ever mentions about ai***ft is the fun it is to make and build your own loadout. I am rocking a fairly cheap CYMA M4, front grip for my comfort and dot scope for show (Max. 150 pounds sterling).
The problem comes for me trying to move this in its hard case. Kent and Lincoln are quite rural but I need to travel across central London by train and foot with a bit of kit frowned upon by law, and I believe you are meant to inform the travel companies before departure. I was only asked once what was in the case and I said it was a saxophone. I did get a funny look from the porter after he saw the LAC logo on my fleece while pushing me up the ramp onto the train. At 4pm on a Friday that dude was not doing that paperwork!
The journey was easier than expected as I only had to lug the case from Kent to London and I was able to book ‘Passenger Assist’ in town. Recommended but they are not always reliable and quite often do not turn up for one part of a journey, always pays to have a backup plan when travelling anywhere. There is also a nice upgrade to first class when going direct from London to Lincoln by wheelchair. W**e and barely legal fi****ms, what could go wrong?
We all know the deal with booking hotels, book early (same with transport) and check in advance the accommodation is fit for individual needs. Hotel prices in Lincoln are expensive in the summer holidays raising from fifty pounds in May to one hundred and sixty plus on weekends. Travel from the hotels to LAC is fairly simple, twelve to fourteen notes each way, cheaper that Kent or London prices. I can transfer but there are wheelchair taxis at the station.
Pre – Saturday, I first saw this advertised a few days before the event in 2024 and there was no way I could organize that trip at such short notice. In early 2025, I had asked a few friends to drive me to regular games, but all our family commitments could never match up. After a frustrating winter, I was not going to wait for August 2025 and made the plunge.
I was not a total rookie to ai***ft, played a few friendly games in when living in Asia in 2010’s for fun and even started to buy some kit, I am still struggling with moving to electric from gas. We started a family and careers became more important, as I have seen with many players. However, many come back years later, even after trying to manage disabilities.
Why LAC? I did a lot of research and emailed many CQB sites, most had a limited clue at best and one I had hopes for in London closed, they must have known I was coming. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, I landed at LAC. “Where you will never meet a more wretched hive of scum and villainy…”. 🤣🤣
Briefly, here is how my first few game days went and my experiences with my assigned engines;
Day 1 – *Tom, my assigned engine on the first day. Not arguing with that tash!
Day 2 - *Owen, looking down the barrel when gun sounds hollow is bad, it is empty!
Day 3 – *Corin, shot me in the arse, why and how? I am non ambient!
Day 4 – *Lucy, put a manikin in my wheelchair and it got shot, better than me!
* An engine is a player / staff member who will provide you with assistance or support.
**If you are coming up or over for a game, please treat staff and players with all (but, limited) respect and have your own experiences, none of mine have been bad!
The main event on Saturday 16th August 2025 – I arrive at the site around 8.45am, there are some players already there and who had travelled a lot further than me this morning. I congratulate early risers, I do not fall into this cat as it takes a while to get my act together on most mornings and happy hour at the hotel on top of w**e on the train were not a help.
Smoking corner for introductions, Tillys for a bacon bap and unpack kits are my normal order of things. The ladies (Becky and Sam) were a little busier than usual doing well fare checks on new players, but it was a normal morning. The only slight difference for me was my first Crono, this where players own guns are tested to ensure they are safe for use. I do have to make a little omission; it was commented that my scope was off and I said I did not know how to sight it. I don’t often play the disability card, but I am quite compulsive obsessive about little things like that and I would have been there hours without help.
The safety brief came next as usual, safety is taken very seriously at LAC. Probably the biggest infraction, I regularly see is, taking off your mask or goggles in the game area. This was no different than any other day and is jumped on quickly. I other one is forgetting clearing your weapon before leaving the playing area, I have been guilty of this and politely reminded to do so. The safety brief is always done professionally and with humour. If you have needs, they maybe explained to other players, for example BBs hitting wheelchairs do not count as a hit.
The days games were normal, you are assigned a team red or yellow and you try to take out as many people as possible with different objectives. I did notice more effort here than on regular days, I saw many wheelchairs being abandoned for hiding spots or trying to get a good shot in. Even I went prone on a few occasions, I was more self - confident today as it is an effort getting from chair to ground and hard to get back.
I should note at this point the downside to playing, it hurts when getting shot in the wrong place. Ai***ft is near an oxymoron, BB’s hurt if they hit bare skin or light clothing. One lunchtime giggle was comparing scars and an older player’s mum video calls. No, we don’t play with foam balls. An important reminder to get proper kit and tack up from the area near the shop.
There was one excellent suggestion from the only female wheelchair player to put light reflective tape on the ramps. I wish I had thought of this, I will not be telling the wife as this was my excuse to buy night vision kit. The only other snag I saw was the bottle neck getting wheelchairs from the safe area to the play area. This is same on regular game days and one of the only times I do not mind people giving me a push.
The day started to wind down around 3.30pm with some players going home, this was my last game as I was a big sweaty mess and starting to hurt. I had done my three games that day, so that was my UKARA sorted for the next two months. I do not want to spend to much time on here, you need it to own non coloured guns under UK law. LAC will help you to sort this if you become a regular player.
It is worth mentioning a nice piece of work I saw here. One of the more profound players had difficulty lifting his long gun and moving his electric wheelchair at the same time. There was a long time spent measuring him up and even modifying a gun for him. I had already lent my side arm to a player with the similar issues. I wish I had flagged this earlier in the day. One unwritten motto at LAC to is mention any needs or requirements at the earliest convenience and problems or issues will be be solved, as much as is humanly possible.
The end of the day came at 5pm as normal, there was a feeling of disappointment that more people had not attended. I had advertised this as a live event on ten wheelchairs groups on Facebook and had very little response. Any ideas to raise numbers for next year would be appreciated? My thoughts on the success of the day, you can only change one life at a time and everyone that did attend seemed to have a good day. What is your feedback?
I am going to take this opportunity to document the hard work that went into organizing the day. If anyone noticed the mountain of gravel next to the smoking corner, that used to be in the rest area and has by far my biggest nemesis on regular game days. Quick suggestion, move the new ramp back or put a second one behind. It was difficult to get to the shop. My earlier point about saying things at the time!
The new disabled friendly WC was used and needed by some players and could have spoiled the day, if it had not been there, putting on my support worker’s hat. Being from the country, I did not have a problem with watering the bushes. It is nice to know I can get to the site a little earlier if I need a Sunday sit down from now on.
“I do have to do a big shout out to the staff, marshals and player volunteers.
Becky, Sam and kids (Ladies in purple) who do all the admin, shop work and Ian’s general bidding
Pete and his team do the gun tech, building and discipline (and Ian’s general bidding).
Marshals and player volunteers who run the games and provide support where necessary on their own time (and Ian’s general bidding).
Fellow players… all this could not be possible with your support.
And Ian for organizing the day (and doing a lot of general bidding).
Thank You
And, Tilly’s for providing good food at very reasonable prices. (Where we never see, Ian)”
My final thought about the day, there was literally no difference between any regular game day and wheelchair day in the chat, at Tilly’s, during the safety brief, in the smoking corner or in games for 90% of players. You turn up, meet interesting people, have fun and shoot them. And maybe, try some communication with fellow players… I learn something new on every trip.
Wheelchair day is finished for this year and I can get away with maybe two more trips up for regular games this season before the foot goes down. There is currently talk of doing one earlier next year, but that is above my pay grade. Talking of money, should a refundable deposit be applied for next time or a donation pot be put out? People didn’t believe it was a free day? Not cool to book and not show up for a limited numbers event. Thoughts, please
There was so much epic footage, it’s taken this long to cut it down...
