MISS ENGLAND FINALIST REACHES FOR THE SKY

The Blades had the honour of taking Miss England finalist Ellie Pacey, on the flight of her life, when she flew with former Red Arrow and Typhoon pilot, James McMillan.

Ellie, who was crowned Miss Northamptonshire in July 2020, is a test technician for Mercedes F1 team and competes in tractor pulling in her spare time, is using her tenure as Miss Northamptonshire to help promote roles for women in motorsport, engineering and agriculture.

She visited the Blades at their home base, Sywell Aerodrome, where she looped her way to the top and experienced close formation aerobatics.

Ellie is a great ambassador for young women following her path, and considering study and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) industries, and follows in the footsteps of such inspirational women as the Blades very own pilot, Kirsty Murphy, MBE.

Commenting on her flight, Ellie said: “The views and the stunts today have honestly been breath-taking. It’s something I never thought I’d get the chance to do, but I’m so happy I was able to do so.

“Thank you to James for being such an amazing pilot and putting up with me screaming for joy and shouting out all the places I recognised. It’s something I would definitely recommend everyone to experience as you’ll never get that thrill from anywhere else.”

Former Typhoon pilot James, who was also the youngest qualified fast jet pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and a leader of the Red Arrows synchro pair, joined in 2018.

James said: “It was a pleasure to host Ellie’s visit and show her the county she represents from the air.

“We wish her every success in her Miss England bid and are delighted that she took the time out to meet us and share her aspirations for the up-and-coming generation of women in industry.

“The Blades pilots are big advocates for STEM, and working closely with the Air Cadets, the RAF Benevolent Fund and local youth clubs, we are happy to give talks and presentations to inspire the younger generation, especially encouraging more girls, to achieve their dreams in this area.”

“The sky doesn’t have to be the limit.”

The Blades is a leading aerobatic display team, world-famous for flying close-formation aerobatics to the highest level. Originally formed in 2006, the current team of pilots has collectively over 25,000 flying hours and performs to over 4 million people annually at air shows and private events.

As part of 2Excel Aviation, the team is the only aerobatic airline in the world, which allows fare-paying passengers to experience formation aerobatics. The Blades offers Unforgettable Flying Experiences from its base in Northamptonshire.

Find out more about the team: https://theblades.com/blades-aerobatic-team/#about

Find out more about the Blades’ Unforgettable Experience Days: https://theblades.com/the-blades-flying-experience/