posted Jun 17th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News covered Arizona Airspeed's 20-year anniversary the first time on 18 February 2014, and then again briefly with the update on 30 May 2014. Mark Kirkby's retirement announcement and Niklas Hemlin's comeback in 2015 were actually the main topics of the story.

However, the same story included the mention that the anniversary topic will soon find its own and separate special attention. The new monthly TURNING POINTS column for Blue Skies Mag was in the works at that time, and it was now published for the June/July summer edition.

Arizona Airspeed is simply the longest standing team project in Formation Skydiving competition, and there is only one thing to say - besides the other millions of things: Congratulations.

TURNING POINTS - 20th Anniversary Arizona Airspeed

It is surely not the first time that I am thinking and writing about Arizona Airspeed. However this time it is really different, as the thoughts and words are coming along with emotions and special memories. I am, and many of us are, celebrating Airspeed's 20-year anniversary.

I remember the very beginnings of the team fairy tale very well, as I was a part of it. I was sitting with the original team members in Skydive DeLand's hangar in 1994 begging them to make this their home. Bob Hallett (Skydive DeLand) and Larry Hill (Skydive Arizona) both had offers on the table for the new home lineup. Larry Hill won, and we Delandites were sad.

Twenty years later, I have finally become the newest Airspeed member, after the current lineup honored me with the alternate slot in 8-way at the USPA Nationals 2013. I added my silver medal proudly to the memorabilia in the NSL office in DeLand—while Arizona Airspeed is still at home in Eloy ...

East Coasters Jack Jefferies and Kirk Verner had decided to join forces with West Coasters Mark Kirkby and Dan BC when they all had enough of competing against each other, while the French national 4-way team won gold medal after gold medal between 1987 and 1993. That's when the negotiations began, and I felt that something very special was going on.

Four athletes of amazing sportsmanship and integrity had come together to create 4-way and 8-way magic for the next five years and before the original lineup officially retired after the World Meet 1999 in Australia.

They retired as a team, but they were far from being removed from the sport. The original lineup was only the beginning of the most successful team project in the history of the sport. Arizona Airspeed has carried on its famous name for 20 years, despite changes of the lineups and many ups and downs.

Yes, there were downs, believe it or not. Arizona Airspeed was defeated many times, not only by the French national teams; there were also other U.S. teams who dared interfere with Airspeed's dominance. However, it happened only five times (Golden Knights 2002, DeLand Majik 2003 and 2004, DeLand Fire 2005 and DeLand Groove 2006) that Arizona Airspeed did not win the 4-way competition at USPA Nationals.

The Airspeed leadership changed several times as well during those 20 years. Each leader always followed the same philosophy, which included the attitude that downs are a part of the game and are challenges that need to be overcome. The team project always continued, and Airspeed always came back successfully from those difficult times.

Arizona Airspeed's 20-year continuity has been the greatest example on the planet for a successful team project, and it eventually motivated more and more teams and competitors to follow the same or similar ideals, which has helped to generate more consistent and reliable team projects in the sport.

It is not surprising that the four extraordinary original members have shaped formation skydiving competition to a certain extent and made their own careers over those 20 years. Jack Jefferies works in the corporate business world and is consulting companies how to motivate their staff and workers as productive team players. Dan BC is on a similar path as Jack Jefferies, while he is still very much involved in the sport as a role model with the same sportsmanship and integrity as he was 20 years ago. Kirk Verner brings up new generations of flyers and skydivers in drones at Paraclete XP, while he also puts his energy and experiences into the sport as an official for USPA and IPC. Last but not least, Mark Kirkby is still winning gold medals year after year. He is the reigning 4-way world champion with Airspeed of 2012 (Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin, Josh Hall) and will try to defend it once again with a new lineup (Thomas Hughes, Thiago Gomes, Chris Farina) this year in the Czech Republic.

Mark will eventually be the last original Airspeed member to retire from the active lineup. Nobody knows yet when that will happen, however, there is no doubt that the Airspeed project will continue, and it will be successful, as the knowledge and experiences have always been passed on to the next Airspeed generation and leadership.

The 20 years of Airspeed excellence will be celebrated this month in Eloy, and most of the current and former members will be present. It is a very special celebration of a very special team project, and I hope that all other new team projects will also celebrate anniversaries soon, even if it is "only" a 5-year or a 10-year anniversary to begin with...

Happy 20-Year anniversary to Arizona Airspeed from DeLand.