Shoreham Airshow: Blades celebrate ten flying seasons

With five new partners on board, The Blades are sporting a stunning new livery like nothing the team has had before as they mark this historic year.

Follow the action live HERE

The title partner for The Blades this year is Aerobytes, a company renowned for flight safety components and expertise within the aviation industry.

The Team is also partnered with Belcom Cables, Leigh Cables, the RAF Benevolent Fund and Aerobility. The RAF Benevolent Fund and Aerobility have also been chosen as The Blades’ charity beneficiaries for 2015.

A leading display team of former Red Arrows, The Blades are renowned for their cutting-edge display and breathtaking aerobatics.

With more than 30,000 flying hours and 3,900 displays between them, The Blades’ pilots are among the most experienced display in the country.

The display itself is designed to showcase the amazing capabilities of the Extra 300, combined with the skill, experience and heritage of the pilots to deliver the ultimate in aerial excellence.

Since the team began in 2006, The Blades have flown more than 500 displays throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle-East.

This year’s display calendar will see The Blades celebrating their tenth season at numerous locations across the UK, including displaying at Shoreham Airshow and the prestigious America’s Cup in Portsmouth.

This year, The Blades are flying once again under the leadership of Blade 1, Mark Cutmore, known as ‘Cutty’.

Cutty joined The Blades in 2008 as Blade 3, before spending three years as the team’s solo display pilot and taking over as leader in 2012.

The Blade 2 position will be shared by co-founder of The Blades, Andy Offer, and Chris Carder.

Former team leader Myles Garland will be taking up the Blade 3 position and the team line-up is completed by Andy Evans, who is flying the all-important and impressive solo position as Blade 4.

The Blades display lasts for 15 minutes and includes more than 30 exhilarating manoeuvres. Containing a variety of mind-blowing aerobatic stunts flown just feet apart, each and every display is meticulously planned, briefed, executed and debriefed.

Aside from performing at airshows and public events, The Blades are the only aerobatic display team in the world that also operates as an airline, offering passengers the opportunity to experience life-changing close formation aerobatics.

The team flies around 400 passengers a year during bespoke aviation events held at The Blades’ base at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire.

To follow The Blades throughout the display season, visit www.theblades.com or use Twitter 
@thebladesteam or on Facebook under The Blades Aerobatic Team.

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