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 A world-class aerobatic display team
With four Extra 300 stunt planes flown by former Red Arrows pilots, The Blades bring you the ultimate in aerobatic excitement.
Since their debut public display at the Beckhams’ pre-World Cup party in 2006, The Blades have performed at some of the most prestigious events in the world. They have flown over 300 displays at events from the Cannes International Advertising Festival and the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix to Cowes Week and T4 ‘On The Beach’.
The Blades can provide an event enhancing ‘wow-factor' almost anywhere in the world. With live commentary and real time footage live-linked from our cockpits to screens on the ground, audience involvement with our daredevil display is unparalleled!
You can fly with The Blades too! To experience the thrill for yourself, why not book a corporate flying event? The Blades offer experiences from high-octane corporate days for businesses to taking an adrenaline-fuelled trip with your mates.
If you just fancy finding out what it's like to be a Blades display pilot, read our exclusive interview to find out more.
What's HOT?!Want to get a better view? Click on the main images to enlarge them.
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The Pilots
Meet the Team |
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Fly with the Blades! |
Which is your favourite manoeuvre and why?
Blade 1 (Myles Garland): “My favourite manoeuvre is the new 1 and 4 set piece following the 4 aircraft fan-break. Its new for 2009 and flows into a mirror push-up and stall-turn split. Its dynamic, fun to fly and challenging to get it right”.
Blade 2 (Dave Slow): “The formation stall turn as it is a really dynamic manoeuvre that’s flown very close together. It involves flying an individual aerobatic manoeuvre while at the same time maintaining formation position so it is particularly demanding and I can assure you that it looks as exciting from the cockpit as it does from the ground”.
Blade 2/3 (Andy Evans): “The Corkscrew. Great fun to fly!”
Blade 3 (Andy Offer): “Having moved from Blade 1(leading the formation to Blade 3 (on the wing), the whole thing is a completely new challenge. I have spent 8 years leading and to go back onto the wing has been extremely rewarding. The best manoeuvre for me is the corkscrew which has been both challenging and fun”.
Blade 4 (Mark Cutmore):“I really enjoy the lomcevak (roughly translated as 'headache'). It is actually pretty easy to fly, but is quite dynamic - hence the translation - and very satisfying to finish pointing in the correct direction for the next manoeuvre”.
What is the best thing about flying?
Blade 1: The best thing about flying is that it focuses the mind. Other ‘issues’ just fade away as soon as you get airborne and flying is a real escape.
Blade 2: “You can leave earthly worries behind”.
Blade 2/3: “Seeing the world from a different perspective”.
Blade 3:” It you are passionate about flying, which I am, it gives you complete freedom”.
Blade 4: "Unparalleled freedom".
Which five people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?
Blade 1:”Choosing 5 people from any period of time to have dinner with is a very tricky one. I think Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher would have loads to talk about and just listening to the conversation would be fascinating. Steve Coogan would add the laughs along with Jeremy Clarkson and finally Bernie Ecclestone to find out how he managed to get it so right with F1”.
Blade 2: “Charles Darwin, David Attenborough, Billy Connolly, David Sterling (founder of SAS) and Dawn French. Making the assumption of course that Kerstie, my wife, would already be there as co-host!”
Blade 2/3: “Wing Commander Johnny Johnson, Wing Commander Guy Gibson - The opportunity to talk to a couple of the most highly decorated pilots in World War 2 would be inspirational. Bill Gates - I would like to understand how to turn a great idea into the most successful company in the world. Franklin D Roosevelt - It would be inspirational to hear how a man can overcome a serious physical handicap and still become President of the United States of America. And finally Kate, my wife, of course!”.
Blade 3:”Winston Churchill- I would love to listen to the politics of that period; Margaret Thatcher – a great partner and person to sit opposite Churchill; Jeremy Clarkson- He’s really funny; My Wife; James Hunt- he was a legend in his time as he managed to combine being at the top of the game whilst enjoying life”.
Blade 4: "Currently the whole panel from the Dragons Den. I’ve got lots of ideas and hopefully I could get backing for one during a five-course meal to make the next answer possible!"
Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?
Blade 1:”My ambition is to be content!”
Blade 2: “ To own my own farm”.
Blade 2/3: “Becoming an astronaut”.
Blade 3: “Lots, but one step at a time”
Blade 4: “Many, but I’d forget the rest for a while if I could own a racehorse good enough to compete at the Cheltenham festival”.
If you weren’t flying, what would you do to get your kicks?
Blade 1:”Windsurfing”
Blade 2: “Climb mountains”.
Blade 2/3: “Work with disabled children”.
Blade 3: “I used to ride motorbikes and that was thrilling, now I watch my sons play rugby and sometimes that is thrilling”.
Blade 4: “I'd Love to be a motor racing driver”.
What is your favourite TV Programme?
Blade 1:”Top Gear / Dragon’s Den”.
Blade 2: “24”.
Blade 2/3: “Masterchef”.
Blade 3: “I always watch the news, I know it sounds boring but I am interested in current affairs; outside this I enjoy watching Leicester Tigers and then I watch rubbish to unwind”.
Blade 4: “Grand Designs”.
What is your favourite colour?
Blade 1:”Brown”.
Blade 2:“Blue”.
Blade 2/3:“Blue”.
Blade 3:“Blue”.
Blade 4:“Blue (not because of Barclays)”
What was the naughtiest thing you did at School?
Blade 1:”Left a rude note under one of my teacher’s wind-screen wipers”.
Blade 2:“De-tuned my friends guitar just before he was due to play a solo in assembly”.
Blade 2/3: “Blow out all the Bunsen burners in chemistry class”.
Blade 3:“I used to move the hands of the clock in Biology lessons so we would finish early”.
Blade 4: “Don't know whether this counts but I was always mysteriously 'ill' during the big televised horse racing meetings.....seemed to clear up quickly afterwards!”
Rock or Pop?
Blade 1:"Rock”.
Blade 2:“Gangsta-rap”.
Blade 2/3:“Neither”.
Blade 3:"Pop and Rock”
Blade 4:“Both”
What is the one skill you have the nobody (‘til now) knows about?
Blade 1:” The ability to drop a shiny motorbike on its side whilst filling it with petrol!”
Blade 2: “I can tie my own flyfishing flies”.
Blade 2/3): Kat-PRO “Andy wouldn’t answer this one, so I thought I would do it for him… apart from being able to eat an apple with a million bites, Andy is one of the kindest, most caring people that I know and the only person that doesn’t seem to know it, is him!”
Blade 3:“I used to make furniture!”.
Blade 4:"I don't think I have any, although my kids did teach me to do a 360 degree backward roll to dismount on their climbing frame rings in the garden! Much harder than any flying manoeuvre I've tried and I think they were just being kind with my score of 8 out of 10, even though I nailed the landing!!!
If you could pass on any pearls of wisdom about becoming a pilot, what would they be?
Blade 1): “Believe that you can do it but make sure you do it properly”.
Blade 2): “Think ahead: “what could I be doing now”, to avoid arriving at the next event unprepared”.
Blade 2/3): “Work hard and believe in yourself, the rewards are worth it.
Blade 3: “If you have the passion to be a pilot, you would be surprised at the sort of people achieve it; so stick to you ambitions and you will accomplish it”.
Blade 3: “Unless an instructor tells you that you are not cut out for it - don't give up....”
What was your first/favourite car?
Blade 1:“First car was a MK 2 Ford Escort. Black final roof and chrome wheel trims….the business!”
Blade 2:“Talbot horizon – definitely not to the second part of question”.
Blade 2/3:“First car - Datsun Sunny. Favourite car – Saab convertible”.
Blade 3:“My first car was a Triumph Torledo, my favourite car is a Porsche 911”.
Blade 4:“First car was a battered old Golf that definitely ran better before than after I had 'souped it' up! Favourite car was a Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V - It was very quick and had an electronic dashboard. Shame I bought it just at the time insurance for hot hatches went through the roof”.
If you were having a ‘Jamie Oliver’ moment, what would you cook?
Blade 1: “Anything to do with fish, I just love it to cook and love to eat it”.
Blade 2:“Thai fish curry”.
Blade 2/3:“Roast Beef and all the trimmings”.
Blade 3:“Fish”.
Blade 4:"24 hour slow roasted pork - never actually cooked it but my wife Emma used to cook it for me during time off from secondment in Saudi. It is just great, but more a Nigella moment I think!”
ipod, CD, Mini Disc, Tape, Record or LP?
Blade 1):“ipod”.
Blade 2):“ipod”.
Blade 2/3):“Phonautograph”
Blade 3:“I love nostalgia so LP, but practically ipod.
Blade 3::“Ipod. How come there is no mention of '8-track' for the other guys to choose?”
What is your favourite sport to do/play/watch?
Blade 1:“I love windsurfing…both on the water and watching from the shore. It just makes you feel good about things”.
Blade 2: “To play golf, to watch rugby (too old to play!)”
Blade 2/3:“Golf”
Blade 3:“To do is to run to stay fit; to watch is rugby”.
Blade 4:“I enjoy running with my dog, Ruby. I like watching most sports, but in particular F1 and horseracing. To be fair though, I tend to fall asleep during both, clutching the remote so the kids can't change channel! In terms of actually playing, I guess it would have to be golf”.
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