The Pilots

The Blades’ pilots have two OBEs, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ between them. Five of them were Harrier pilots, one was a Jaguar pilot, all were RAF instructors and three displayed the Harrier. Two of them commanded RAF Harrier Squadrons in the most exacting of circumstances (in Iraq and Afghanistan) and one of them led The Red Arrows. Blades 1 to 4 are all ex-Red Arrows. With 20,000 hours of military flying between them, their heritage is outstanding.

There are seven full-time commercial pilots flying for the airline including the four full-time display pilots who fly as The Blades. Blade 5, co-founder and director Chris Norton, runs the airline, Chris Margiotta (ex Harrier pilot and current BA pilot) and Kiwi Mackintosh (ex Harrier pilot and current Virgin 747 Captain) augment the Blades when needed.

The Blades Aerobatic Display Team

Corporate Pilots

The Support Team

Find out who else helps 2Excel run

Display Flying

Read a Q&A with Blade 1 Andy Offer

Being an Airline

Read a Q&A with Director Chris Norton

Blade 1 - Andy Offer OBE – Director

Andy Offer, a founder of 2 Excel and Blade 1, leads The Team into 2007 with a brand new dynamic, high-impact, 4-ship formation aerobatic display with a proven global capability. With over 4500 fast-jet flying hours, Andy is one of the UK’s most experienced display pilots. At just 22, Andy represented the RAF as its Jet Provost Display Pilot before moving on to fly the RAF’s most challenging single-seat aircraft, the Harrier. Having displayed the Harrier in 1995, Andy was selected to fly in the Red Arrows for three years and following a staff appointment was selected to command the Red Arrows leading the Team all over the world between 1999 and 2001. On promotion to Wing Commander, Andy took command of No IV (AC) Squadron (Harriers) from 2003-2006, leading his Squadron to the conflict in Afghanistan in 2005. In April of 2006, taking his wealth of experience to the civilian world, he co-founded 2 Excel Aviation and now runs the strategic operation of the company.

Blade 2 - Dave Slow

Blade 2, Dave Slow, is the newest member of the Team and completes the line up of ex-Red Arrow pilots. Dave joined the RAF at the age of 21, after getting a taste for flying at University. Chosen to fly the Harrier, he joined No 1 (Fighter) Squadron seeing active service as part of Operation ALLIED FORCE over Kosovo in 1999. He briefly returned to RAF Valley as a Qualified Flying Instructor and Qualified Pilot Navigation Instructor on the Hawk before rejoining the Harrier Force as an Electronic Warfare Instructor. In 2003, Dave became the Harrier Display Pilot and, later that year, was selected for The Red Arrows. On his third year on the Team Dave became second in command as the Executive Officer. He left the RAF as his tour with The Reds ended, and joined The Blades just a week later with more than 3000 fast-jet flying hours.

Blade 3 - Andy Evans

Andy Evans, Blade 3, has moved across to the other side of the formation to take up the challenge of flying on the left hand side of the box. Having joined the RAF in 1985 through Yorkshire University Air Squadron, Andy was awarded his wings in 1989 and selected to be a Flying Instructor on the Hawk. He then became a front-line Jaguar pilot taking part in operations over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1997 Andy was selected for The Red Arrows and flew as Reds 2, 4 and 8 before being the first Red Arrow pilot to be chosen to manage the Team as Red 10. Before leaving the RAF to join The Blades, Andy was seconded to Saudi Arabia to train the Saudi-Arabian Aerobatic Team, The Saudi Hawks. Andy has over 4000 fast-jet flying hours and more than 9 years’ experience as a formation aerobatic pilot.

Blade 4 - Myles Garland

In his second year with The Blades, Myles Garland has moved to the back of the box as Blade 4 and performs the singleton manoeuvres during the display, pushing the Extra to its limits. As a Harrier Weapons Instructor and Flight Commander, Myles flew operations over Afghanistan, Iraq and The Balkans, including the Kosovo Campaign which earned him a ‘Mention in Despatches’. Myles was also part of the first RAF front-line Harrier Squadron to operate from Her Majesty’s aircraft carriers. As a Red Arrow from 2000 to 2004, Myles was selected to fly and then lead the ‘Synchro Pair’ and ‘Gypo’ (the back 2 and back 4) who perform the more dynamic moves in The Reds’ display. At just 35, he has more than 3000 fast-jet flying hours and is the youngest member of The Blades.

Blade 5 - Chris Norton OBE DFC

Wing Commander Chris Norton OBE DFC spent 14 of his 21 years in the RAF flying Harriers, primarily on the front line. With Operational tours in Iraq, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Kosovo and Serbia, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1999 after Operation ALLIED FORCE in Serbia and Kosovo. He commanded Number 1 (Fighter) Squadron based at RAF Cottesmore including operations during the war in Iraq in 2003. From 2004 he provided strategic planning expertise and air power vision to the Ministry of Defence, before leaving the Service to found 2Excel and The Blades. Chris now runs 2Excel’s commercial operations and the support functions, and he runs the airline and flies corporate clients as Blade 5.

Blade 6 - Chris Margiotta

‘Mags’ grew up as part of an Air Force family and joined the RAF as soon as he left school in 1992. Selected to fly Harriers, he flew with No 3 (Fighter) Squadron and as the Qualified Weapons Instructor on No 1 (Fighter) Squadron. He flew on exercises in the USA, Canada, Oman, Norway, France, Germany and Spain and on Operations over Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone from the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious. Chris flew as the Harrier Display Pilot throughout Europe and the Middle East during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Mags now flies as a First Officer for BA on 757/767s.

Blade 7 - Richard Mackintosh

“Kiwi” grew up on a farm just outside Wanganui, New Zealand and joined the Royal Air Force shortly after leaving school at the age of 19. After completing his initial training he was selected to fly the Harrier and went on to fly for both 3 (Fighter) Squadron and 4 (Army Corporation) Squadron in Germany. Kiwi amassed over 2000 hours flying the Harrier GR Marks 3, 5 and 7 and flew exercises all over Europe and other parts of the world including Iraq, Malaysia and the USA. His last tour was as a Weapon/Electronic Warfare Instructor on the Harrier Conversion unit at RAF Wittering, where he also demonstrated the Harrier for two years at air shows. Kiwi joined Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1998 starting on the 747-200 and later converted onto the newer 747-400 where he is now a Captain.