The Blades

Leaping For Joy - Photo Chris Lord

2011 is The Blades' sixth display season and a great one. The Blades are among the world’s best aerobatic pilots, flying the ultimate in high-performance piston aircraft. Over the past five years, The Blades have flown over 300 displays in front of more than 18 million people, carried over 1,000 corporate flying event passengers and reached hundreds of millions of people through the media.

The Aircraft

The new EA-300 LP is made from carbon fibre and is certified to +/- 10 times the force of gravity. Unlike some of its competitors, it is also certified to fly anywhere in the world. The aircraft was designed by Walter Extra. As a successful competitive aerobatic display pilot Extra decided, in 1980, to design his own aircraft with an optimum structure, weight and performance for aerobatic displays. The aircraft was so successful that the Extra sells around 40 aircraft a year from its factory in Germany.

Engine: 300HP Lycoming AEIO 540

Propeller: 3 Bladed MT propeller

Range: 350 miles

Maximum Gross Weight: 950 Kg

Standard Empty Weight: 667 Kg

FAA Certified Load Factor: +/- 10G

Never Exceed Speed: 220 Kts

Manoeuvring Speed: 158 Kts

Length: 6.94m

Height: 2.62m

Wing Span: 8m

Seats: 2   Designed by pilots, for pilots!

The Blades II

The Blades - Photo Chris Lord

 The Blades is a civilian aerobatic display team situated at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, UK and is part of 2Excel Aviation Ltd. This Company provides the corporate sector with a unique suite of high-impact communications tools: unforgettable corporate flying events, exceptional air displays and a truly through-the-line flying bill-board. The Blades are also a partner with The Royal Air Forces Association.
The team flies on four Extra 300 LP aircrafts painted in light blue and black colors. Until the April 2010 the teams' aircrafts were painted in orange-black livery. All planes are equipped with white smoke generators.
Including the five full-time display pilots, there are eight ex-RAF, fully-qualified commercial pilots, who fly passengers during The Blades' corporate flying events.
Blade 1 for 2010 is Myles Garland. A former RAF Harrier pilot and Red Arrows 'synchro lead', this is Myles' second season as the Team Leader following 3 seasons as a wingman and solo pilot. Chris Carder, Andy Offer and Dave Slow share the Blade 2 slot, thus allowing some spare time to concentrate on the other expanding areas of business within 2Excel Aviation, the parent company of The Blades. Blade 3 is Andy Evans and Blade 4 (solo pilot) is Mark 'Cutty' Cutmore. Both Andy and Cutty were RAF Jaguar pilots, Red Arrows and advisors to the Saudi Arabian National Aerobatic Team "Saudi Hawks". 

The Blades aerobatic team was founded in 2005 by Chris Norton OBE DFC and Andy Offer OBE. They both left distinguished careers in the Royal Air Force as Wing Commanders to create a unique, aviation-based communications business.
Team's displays have been watched by more than 18 million people at over 150 venues across UK, Europe and the Middle East. Display highlights have included the Cannes International Advertising Festival, Her Majesty The Queen's 80th Birthday Celebrations at Balmoral, the opening of the Bahrain Financial Harbour and the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The Blades have also created bespoke corporate events for many of the UK's leading companies, flying over 1,000 passengers in close formation aerobatic flights.

Aerial Excitment - Photo Chris Lord