A FORMER Red Arrows pilot was due to join a new world-class aerobatic display team this week. Dave Slow, who was educated at Hitchin Boys School and lives on his family farm near Holwell, had been accepted to join The Blades, the UK s only commercially r

A FORMER Red Arrows pilot was due to join a new world-class aerobatic display team this week.

Dave Slow, who was educated at Hitchin Boys' School and lives on his family farm near Holwell, had been accepted to join The Blades, the UK's only commercially run, full-time professional four-ship aerobatic display team.

Already this year the team has displayed at over 50 events in front of over five million people live.

Mr Slow, 37, said: "I was very lucky to be offered the chance to join The Blades. My previous experience put me in the right place at the right time.

"I watched with great interest as The Blades formed but never thought I would get asked to join."

Another man with Red Arrows connections is Cpl Barry Pritchard from Stevenage who has been selected to spend next summer flying with the team as part of their back-seat support crew.

It will be the second time Cpl Pritchard, who attended Heathcote School, has been chosen to fly with the Red Arrows and will travel as a passenger in flights to over 90 display venues throughout the UK and Europe, topping speeds of over 350mph.

On arriving at the display's operating base he will then be responsible for servicing it before it can fly safely again.

"Flying with the Red Arrows is an amazing experience and this has got to be one of the more unusual engineering jobs around.