In April this year, Blade 1 Ben Murphy, will lead The Blades to China where the team will compete against world-class display teams in the first global formation aerobatic competition of its kind.
This event will be the first aerobatic competition in which The Blades have participated in and the farthest they have travelled to display. The Blades will join 11 other civilian display teams and will be judged on precision, accuracy and overall presentation.
Blade 1 and Team Leader, Ben Murphy, said: ”The team is looking forward to competing in the first Formation Aerobatic Championships in China, not only for the experience but it’s a country we’ve not visited before. This event also presents an opportunity to meet other display teams and share knowledge. This year marks the team’s 12th display season, so to have the opportunity to showcase the team on a global stage is very exciting.
With less than 100 days until the event, the team will be continue its training programme but also fly passengers as part of our Unique Experience days. We’ll return from China in early May, just in time for the start of a busy UK air show season.’’
Mark Jefferies, FAC Contest Director said: ‘‘This event will showcase some of the finest aerobatic pilots in the world today and brought together under competition rules, you can expect to see some of the most exhilarating and dynamic formation flying.’’
The team consists of Ben Murphy (Blade 1), Andy Evans (Blade 2/4), Kirsty Murphy (Blade 3) and Mark Cutmore (Blade 3/4)
The event will be held in Zhengzhou, the capital of East-Central China’s Henan Province and takes place between 29th April and 1st May 2017.
For more information on the event, please visit: www.wfac.eu/ and follow The Blades on Twitter/Facebook for team updates.