posted May 26th, 2013 - The NSL News has introduced many teams and team projects in the past. The longest standing team projects have naturally received the most attention.

The world champion of consistency and continuity is the reigning 4way world champion, Arizona Airspeed, and the 2013 season is the 20-year anniversary for the unique and extremely successful team project.

The NSL News has also covered the personnel changes of Arizona Airspeed on a regular basis, as it has often created a lot of drama and attention.

The 20-year anniversary is a great opportunity to go even deeper into the Airspeed history, which began with the first and legendary lineup in 1994: Mark Kirkby, Kirk Verner, Jack Jefferies and Dan BC, with John Lemming on camera.

24 competitors have competed for Arizona Airspeed in those 20 years. Dan BC, Neal Houston, Mike Inabinet, Andy Delk, Niklas Hemlin and Chris Farina have been in the Airspeed control center (Inside Center). Jack Jefferies, John Eagle, Eliana Rodriguez, Josh Hall and Thiago Gomes entertained the audience with the efforts to be the best Point in 4way history.

Kirk Verner, Andy Honigbaum, Craig Girard and Thomas Hughes have been following the pace of the Airspeed engine with impressive moves in the Center Outside slot. Mark Kirkby, Dennis Rook and Brian Johnson had the Tail slot, and six videographers have been filming the Arizona Airspeed success (John Lemming, Steve Nowak, Marc Steinbaugh, Will Pesek, Bill Schmitz, Justin Price).

There was only one female team member in the 20-year history, and Eliana Rodriguez became the second female 4way world champion in the Open Class at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge, France.

The Tail slot has the lowest number of Airspeed members (3) since Mark Kirkby is still training and competing with the current lineup after collecting his 5th 4way gold medal at the Mondial Dubai 2012. The Center Inside slot (6) was facing the most frequent changes, followed by the Point (5) and the Center Outside slot (4).

The amazing history of the Arizona Airspeed project is also showing that only one team discontinued at the peak. The 2011/2012 lineup needed only two years to win the gold medals in Dubai last year and then retired.

The original lineup needed only two years, as well, and was the only one that defended the gold medals successfully two years later. However, the 4way legends stepped back after the 2nd place in 1999.

The new 2000 lineup (John Eagle, Craig Girard, Neal Houston, Mark Kirkby, Marc Steinbaugh on camera) won the world meet gold medals within two years, as well, but retired after the 3rd place at the USPA Nationals 2003.

In fact, most of the new Airspeed lineups needed only two years to win gold medals at the World Championships of Formation Skydiving. Eliana Rodriguez, Craig Girard, Andy Delk and Mark Kirkby did the same in 2007/2008, with Steve Nowak on camera. Then they could not defend the gold medals successfully against an impressive French lineup in Menzelinsk 2010.

Only the original lineup has won gold medals two consecutive times so far, and the new Airspeed lineup begins a new 2-year period. However, Arizona Airspeed has won five 4way gold medals in 20 years so far, all of them with Mark Kirkby in the Tail slot. There is a good reason for Airspeed to keep him in this position...