TEAM INFORMATION 2022 - The Blades
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
TEAM
INFORMATION
2022
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 1
ABOUT THE BLADES
Now entering their 17th season, with over 25,000 flying hours between them, the pilots of the Blades
Aerobatic Team are among the most experienced display pilots in the world.
With former RAF Red Arrow pilots at the controls, the team displays the ‘Best of British’ to approximately four
million spectators in a standard event season.
As part of 2Excel Aviation, the team are the only aerobatic team fully sanctioned by the Civil Aviation
Authority to fly fare-paying passengers in close formation. The Blades can offer Unforgettable Flying
Experiences from their base in Northamptonshire, and other suitable locations.
PART OF 2EXCEL AVIATION
ONLY AEROBATIC AIRLINE IN THE WORLD
PILOTS ARE ALL FORMER RAF RED ARROWS
WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL WORLD FORMATION
AEROBATIC CHALLENGE IN CHINA
THE TEAM HOLDS THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE MOST
CONSECUTIVE LOOPS
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 2
TIMELINE 2018
2018
Ben Murphy & the Blades
Racing Team have most
James McMillan joins successful rookie season in
2011 the team the RBAR Master Class
5th Extra 300
purchased
2018
Longest serving Blades
pilot, Andy Evans
2016 becomes Blade 1
First female pilot
Kirsty Murphy joins
the team
2006
2008
First public display at
“Beckingham Palace” First Blades Summer
Ball
2006
Blades formed by former
RAF pilots Andy Offer &
Chris Norton
2019
Longest serving
Red Arrow Mike
Ling joins the
Blades
2019
Blades Aerobatic Team’s
1000th display and
2017 launch of the Blades
Flight Club
The Blades win the
Formation Aerobatic
Challenge in China
2017
2008
2015 The Blades Racing
Formation Flight with Team is launched for
2007 Vulcan XH558 Events team established and the Red Bull Air Race
supports the launch of the Master Class
First overseas Blades-inspired Aston Martin
deployment in Vantage model
Bahrain
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 3
DYNAMIC DISPLAY
The team has won crowd loyalty and international accolades with their cutting-edge displays.
Performed in front of live audiences of approximately four million people each year, the Blades display is
designed to showcase the ability of the pilots and the performance of the Extra 300. The team fly less than
three metres apart in perfect formation, executing high-speed synchronised passes and extreme gyroscopic
manoeuvres.
Since 2006, The Blades have flown over a thousand displays throughout the UK, Europe,
Middle-East and Asia.
THE BLADES ARE THE ONLY CIVILIAN TEAM PERMITTED TO ARRIVE OVER THE HEADS
OF THE CROWD TO ENTER THEIR DISPLAY
THE AIRCRAFT REACH SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 200 MILES PER HOUR WITH
THE PILOTS ENDURING UP TO 8-10 G DURING THE DISPLAY
DURING THE 15 MINUTE DISPLAY EACH AIRCRAFT COVERS OVER
50 NAUTICAL AIR MILES
COMBINATION OF CLOSE FORMATION AND SYNCHRONISED
PASSES
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 4
1
PILOTS
BLADE 1 - ANDY EVANS
Andy has been with the Blades since the team was founded in 2006 and is proudly leading the team for the 5th year. Andy
is one of the most experienced formation display pilots in the world and has a total of 8,900 flying hours.
Andy joined the RAF in 1985 as a member of Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron and was awarded his wings
in 1989. A frontline Jaguar pilot, Andy flew on operations over the Balkans and was selected for the Red Arrows
in 1997. He flew in the positions of Red 2, 4 and 8 and consequently stayed with the team as the first ‘flying’ team
manager as Red 10. He went on to spend 3 years as the Air Show Advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force National
Aerobatic Team before leaving the RAF to help set up the Blades.
FRONTLINE JAGUAR PILOT IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
FORMER RED ARROWS PILOT AND RED 10
FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BLADES
FLOWN OVER 1000 DISPLAYS WITH THE BLADES
TOTAL OF OVER 8,700 FLYING HOURS BLADE 2 & RACE TEAM PILOT - BEN MURPHY
QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR ON THE JET PROVOST, TUCANO, HAWK,
In 2018 Ben joined 13 other elite race pilots in the Master Class of the Red Bull Air Race World
2
JAGUAR AND EXTRA 300
Championship. Finishing seventh overall in his first season, he set the record for best result for
a pilot moving from the Challenger Class into the Master Class.
Ben joined the team in 2015 and became the team leader for the 2017 season.
He subsequently set up the Blades Racing Team in 2018 to pursue his passion for air racing. Before
joining the Blades Ben flew fast jets in the RAF and was a Qualified Weapons Instructor on the iconic
Harrier aircraft. In 2006 Ben was selected to join the Red Arrows and flew as Red 2 before becoming a
member of the famous Synchro Pair. He returned to lead the Red Arrows as Red 1 in 2010 and 2011.
7TH SEASON WITH THE BLADES AEROBATIC TEAM
PREVIOUS LEADER OF BOTH THE RED ARROWS AND THE BLADES
BLADES RACING TEAM FOUNDER AND PILOT
BEST ROOKIE IN RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AERO GP1 PILOT FOR 2022
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 5
3
PILOTS
BLADE 3 - MIKE LING
Mike joined the Blades in 2019 after completing 21 years in the RAF. This included 10 years with the Red
Arrows, making him the longest-serving Red Arrows pilot to date. Known as ‘Lingy’, he participated in 4 display
seasons and spent 6 years commentating and supervising as Red 10. Mike hung up his red suit having flown
2,585 sorties in Red Arrows aircraft. He played a part in 700 public displays and has taken the famous red
Hawk jet to 46 different countries; as far west as New York and as far east as China.
Mike was awarded an MBE at the end of 2016 for his services to the Red Arrows and received the
Master’s Commendation from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in October 2018. He became
a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in March 2019 and is also a board member of the
European Airshow Council. Mike realised his schoolboy dreams in the summer of 2020 when he
flew the Grace Spitfire solo for the first time.
AWARDED MBE IN THE QUEEN’S NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST IN 2016 LONGEST
4
SERVING RED ARROWS PILOT WITH 2,585 SORTIES BLADE 4 - JAMES MCMILLAN
This year marks James’ 5th season with the Blades and his 4th flying as Blade 4 in the
QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR ON THE TUCANO, HAWK, TORNADO F3 AND EXTRA 300
prestigious solo position. Known as ‘McZ,’ James left the RAF in 2018 after an 18-year career
flying and instructing on fast jets.
SPITFIRE PILOT
James’ career started in the RNZAF where he became the youngest qualified fast jet pilot at the age of 20.
He accepted an offer-of-service with the RAF in 2002 and spent his first tour instructing on the Hawk.
Subsequently selected to fly Harrier aircraft, James went on to conduct operations in Afghanistan and
exercises from aircraft carriers.
In 2011 he was selected to fly for the Red Arrows and in 2014 became leader of the Synchro Pair for
the Red Arrows 50th display season. James went on to fly the Typhoon and spent 3 years instructing on
the Operational Conversion Unit. He left the RAF in 2018 with over 3,000 flying hours.
YOUNGEST FAST JET PILOT IN THE RNZAF
FRONTLINE HARRIER PILOT
LEADER OF THE SYNCHRO PAIR
BLADES SOLO DISPLAY PILOT
QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR ON HAWK, HARRIER, TYPHOON AND EXTRA 300
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 6
AIRCRAFT EXTRA 300
A low-wing, high performance aircraft designed for the most advanced aerobatic manoeuvres.
S
PROPELLOR TYPE: 3-BLADED MTV-9
NEVER EXCEED SPEED: 220KTS
HORSEPOWER: 300HP
T
A
EMPTY WEIGHT: 685KG
CERTIFIED TO: +/- 10G
T
WINGSPAN: 8M
LENGTH: 6.96M
RANGE: 350NM
SEATS: 2
S
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 7
PARTNERS
Having their logo emblazoned across the wings for 8 years now, the Blades are proud to have Aerobytes as their
primary sponsor. Established in 2001, Aerobytes is a world-leading Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) software company
trusted worldwide by over 265 airlines and operators. As a company, Aerobytes mirror the team in many ways:
dynamic and responsive with a sharp attention to detail; all whilst maintaining safety as a number one priority.
The Blades are proud to champion their longstanding charity partner, the RAF Benevolent Fund, having
raised more than £190,000 to date. The Fund supports more than 60,000 members of the RAF Family
every year – whether they are currently serving, an RAF veteran or a dependant. Through practical,
financial and emotional support, the Blades and the Fund are committing to being there for those
in need – then, now and always.
A new partner for 2022, Yuasa is the UK’s leading brand of vehicle and industrial batteries;
their products are used by millions of people to power everything from trips to the shops
to missions in outer space. Together, we are two forward-thinking teams that strive for
continuous improvement through strong teamwork.We also share a great passion for
motorsport and for seeing what can be achieved when man and machine combine to
strive for perfection and top-level performance.
Founded in 2005 by two former Royal Air Force pilots, 2Excel Aviation has
expanded from the Blades, with just four aerobatic aircraft, to a company with
more than 200 employees and a 28-strong fleet across five types. Now in its
16th year of operations, 2Excel is an emerging force in aviation services and
engineering. Its lines of business include Special Missions, Leading Edge
Aerospace Design and VIP Charter services.
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 8
UNFORGETTABLE FLYING EXPERIENCES
Cutting-edge. Dynamic. Exhilarating.
A flight with the Blades is truly unforgettable.
Our former Red Arrows pilots take great pleasure in sharing the exhilaration of close formation
aerobatics with our guests.
Each flight is highly flexible to ensure each passenger has the time of their life.
Whether you are an individual, a small private party or a large corporate group, the Blades
can deliver a range of ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ events tailored to your requirements.
“ Absolutely AMAZING experience!
Truly extraordinary. Beyond just the flying, the whole day is
very well run. Super friendly staff (both the pilots and support
staff) who are all very professional but also so nice and very
obviously enjoy talking to the guest and not just take them for
a spin.
My wife who came along just to watch had a great day too
and was super well taken care of. Can not recommend it
”
enough!
6 stars!!
Jurian Jongbloed
READ MORE..
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 9
HIDDEN CHALLENGES THE BLADES FULL DISPLAY
1
1
3 2 4 1
The world’s best aerobatic pilots have to cope with high G-forces 3 4 2 4
which requires a level of fitness not associated with other sports.
3
2
AVERAGE PILOT WEIGHT
Crowd-Rear Arrival Box
In aerobatics, pilots have to cope with Pyramid to Box loop To Falling Angels Crossfire Break
both positive and negative G-forces.
1 44
When a pilot is pulling positive G the blood in the body 2 3
moves to the feet.
In negative G, the blood moves up to the head. 3 2 4 1
4
3
2
1
44
…to 4 Pt Rolls (2&3), Snaps
There is very little training pilots can do and Pull Through to 1/4 Circles with Snaps 1 V 4 Cross to Pairs Tailslide …to Solo (4)
outside of the aircraft, but when in the
pilots develop their muscular reflexes
Stall turns
and breathing techniques. 4
2
3
1
1
One technique pilots use as they
2
2 1
2
3
3 1 2 4
start to pull high levels of G is tensing 3
1
4
3
4
their legs and torso so the blood
4
1
3
4
2
will not pool into the body’s extremities.
Crazy …to Lag Pursuit join Loop to Box Bend Tango Bend Hammerhead Snake
2 3
3
4
1
4
2
2 3
2
3
1
¼ Clover into
Aileron Rolls Fan Break Heart Barrel to Split
4
4
1
2
3
3
Twin
1
Champagne Spilt
2
Knife Edge Spins… …to Solo (4) Revolver
info@theblades.com +44 (0)1604 529599 10To book your flight with the Blades,
or for general event and PR enquiries, please email us:
info@theblades.com or call on: +44 (0)1604 529599
VISIT US AT THEBLADES.COMYou can also read
