The Blades Aerobatic Team
Country
UK
Size
4 Aircraft
Base
Sywell Aerodrome
The Blades is a British civilian aerobatic display team based at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, UK and is part of 2Excel Aviation Ltd and partners with The Royal Air Forces Association, a charity that supports RAF service personnel. They have been described as "the world's only aerobatic airline" and are the only full-time civilian aerobatic team in the United Kingdom.
The team was founded in 2005 by Andy Offer, a former leader of the Red Arrows, and Chris Norton, a Royal Air Force wing commander. There are five full-time airshow pilots with the team all of which have previously flown with the RAF Red Arrows. In total The Blades Aerobatic Team consists of eight pilots, besides the five full-time airshow pilots, there are three additional ex-RAF, fully-qualified commercial pilots, who fly passengers during The Blades' corporate flying events.
The Blades fly on four Extra 300L two-seat aerobatic aircraft all equipped with smoke generators. These aircraft are used for four-ship Air Show displays as well as corporate flying events during which passengers can be carried on board. The Blades performed their debut display in 2006 at a party held by David Beckham prior to the World Cup. Since then they have performed at a number of Air Shows all over Europe as well as other events including taking part in the 80th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle, at the Bahrain Grand Prix and Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. They hold the world record for formation looping having completed 26 consecutive loops.
In a statement released on Monday, January 23 2023, the aerobatic display team announced that the 2022 airshow season was their last full season of display flying and after 17 years the Blades Aerobatic has come to an end. It was said that the “challenges to global economies” and the cost of living crisis had “exacerbated” the challenges facing The Blades.
It said last year was its final full season as the business model had become “unsustainable”.
| Back to Top |
Extra 300L
The Extra 300L is a Lycoming AEIO-540-powered two-seat aircraft, with a low-mounted wing and shorter fuselage. More Extra 300L ("L" is a two-seater version) aircraft have been produced than any other model. Its wing is mounted at the bottom of the fuselage, with its span reduced from 26 to 24 ft (7.9 to 7.3 m). Improved ailerons boost the 300L's roll rate to 400° per second. All 300Ls are fully certified under FAA and European Joint Aviation Authorities regulations. The design of the Extra 300 was based on the Extra 230, an early 1980s monoplane having a wing made of wood. The Extra 300 has a welded steel tube fuselage covered in aluminium and fabric. The midset wing has a carbon fibre composite spar and carbon composite skins. A symmetrical airfoil, mounted with a zero angle of incidence, provides equal performance in both upright and inverted flight. The landing gear is fixed taildragger style with composite main legs and fibreglass wheel pants. The powerplant is a fuel-injected Lycoming AEIO-540 which produces 300 horsepower (224 kW). The first two-seat Extra 300 made its maiden flight on 6 May 1988, with German type certification following on 16 May 1990. The single-seat Extra 300S flew on 4 March 1992. The Extra 300 is stressed for ±10 G with one person on board and ±8 G with two. Some Extra 300s are certified in the experimental category in the U.S., while others are certified in the aerobatic category.
| Back to Top |
| Back to Top |
