Those magnificent men to thrill Bray crowds

ONE of the world’s finest aerobatic display teams is taking to the skies over Bray later this month.

The UK’s Blades have been thrilling audiences at the Air Spectacular staged in the seaside town every year for the last three years as part of Summerfest.

Last year, over 80,000 aviation fans were treated to the air spectacular of the summer when the Blades took to the air.

Performing their unique series of death defying stunts, the team stunned open-mouthed onlookers with maneuvers such as the

‘Hammerhead’, the

‘Blade Break’, the

‘Palm Tree Split’ and the

‘Centrifuge.’

In a move that must be seen to be believed, the Centrifuge is considered by even the most experienced of display pilots to be the most challenging.

Described as the

“tempo setter

?, the Blade Break is the pilots’ favourite. Flashing past at over 180 miles an hour, all four Blades fly in tight formation before crossing each other only feet apart.

One of the moves that stunned those watching below last year is the Blade Hammerhead, a truly unique formation that sees all four aircraft pull up into the vertical and climb to 1,500 feet. As the speed drops, each aircraft stalls and falls to create the breathtaking

‘Blade Hammerhead’ formation.

As he welcomed them back to Bray for the fourth time, Air Spectacular Display Director with Simtech, Sé Pardy, said:

“The Blades are always one of the crowd favourites at Air Spectacular Bray every year and their aerobatic formations almost defy the laws of gravity.

“The Blades are promising another thrilling, high-octane display and we’re delighted to welcome them back. Over 80,000 spectators watched them perform last year, so our advice this year is to get to Bray early and to use public transport if you can.

?

There will also be a huge range of entertainment on offer to visitors to the Air Spectacular.

As they give their necks a break from scanning the skies they can also look forward to great food and music as well as displays and stalls hosting the RV8tors, Eddie Goggins, Dave Bruton, Gerry Humphreys, Aer Lingus, the Black Knights Defence Forces Parachute Team, the Irish Coast Guard and the Irish Air Corps.

Bray Summerfest runs over five themed weekends in July and August and highlights include Bia Galore – Wicklow’s Food Festival, Family Fiesta, and Ramps

‘N Amps.

As part of the traffic management plan for the Air Spectacular, spectators are strongly advised to arrive in Bray as early as possible on July 22 and to use the DART or other public transport services

More information about the Air Spectacular Bray, which starts at 3.30pm, is available from www.airspectacular.com.