posted Apr 24th, 2016 - It was not only the 32.0 average at the World Challenge 2016 that moved NMP PCH Hayabusa farther away from the rest of the teams in the 4-way world, even though the 32.0 average in Bedford was the highest indoor average ever in a 16-foot flying chamber for a 10-round meet, as the Sun Path Products NSL News mentioned on April 4th.

It is also a fact that this year's 34-point distance to the team in 2nd place was the biggest victory in the history of the event. No other team has ever been that far ahead of the rest of the field. Hayabusa started far behind (27) Arizona Airspeed in 2006, and the difference grew to 33 points in 2007.

From then on forward, the four Belgians cut into the distance to Airspeed year by year and finished ahead for the first time in 2010. The French national 4-way Open Class team won, and Hayabusa needed another year before winning the first World Challenge gold medals.

Arizona Airspeed came back to Bedford one more time in 2012 and finished 14 points behind Hayabusa, one point behind France. That was the end of Airspeed's annual trips to Bedford, and Hayabusa was able to increase the difference to the team in 2nd place in the absence of the strongest opponent.

Evolution (2013), XL (2014) and SDC Rhythm XP's 2015 lineup kept the distance to the indoor and outdoor world champions on the same level (27 - 28 - 28) before NMP PCH Hayabusa picked up the pace again this year and moved six points further away.

The 4-way Open Class teams in Bedford were actually lucky to get support from the French FLY-IN Girls. Without the 28.6 average of the French 4-way Women team, the distance to the team in 2nd place would have been 44 points.

World Challenge 2016			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		P,2,10	8,F,15	G,14,17	L,H,E,13	M,7,O,1	16,21,11	N,D,4,9	18,20,A	G,19,3	C,K,B,22	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH Hayabusa	BE	27	31	28	39	35	25	38(-2)	30	31	36(-1)	320	32.0
2	French FLY-IN Girls	FR	22(-2)	27	27	34	35	22(-1)	33(-1)	24(-1)	29	33	286	28.6
3	FLY-IN France	FR	24	26	26	34	32	23	33	23	27	28	276	27.6
4	Black Cat	RU	21	26	25	33	31	22	33	25	26	33	275	27.5
5	Qatar Tigers	QA	22	26	25	31	34	23	33	23	27	31	275	27.5

Golden Knights and Arizona Airspeed were the only top teams in the world who did not attend this year's World Challenge, and both would not have been able to threaten Hayabusa seriously. However, at least the distance to the winner might have been closer.

The Sun Path Products NSL News explained on April 8th that Airspeed is probably still closer to Hayabusa than it seems to be after this year's impressive Belgian scores.

Airspeed's extrapolated indoor scores, calculated with the help of the same four teams at the Shamrock Showdown (French FLY-IN Girls, Qatar Tigers, SDC Rhythm XP, Satori XL), would place Airspeed behind Hayabusa with a 31.4 average.

It was a promising situation for Airspeed after the Shamrock Showdown and before injuries added new difficulties to the Airspeed agenda, as the Sun Path Products NSL News also reported on April 8th.

Shamrock Showdown 2016			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		3,13,9	G,6,21	10,20,11	18,4,B	F,1,14	19,5,7	P,Q,16,A	C,15,M,12	J,L,K,2	E,O,22,17	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	23	24	19	22	24	24(-1)	29	25	29	24	243	24.3
2	Aerodyne French Girls	FR	21	22	17	21	23	20	27	21	27	22	221	22.1
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	19	22	16	21	19	19	29	20	28	22	215	21.5
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19	19	15	19	21	20	26	19	25	21	204	20.4
5	Satori XL	UK	19	18	16	20	19	20	26	18	24	22	202	20.2

Arizona Airspeed has been using substitutes to continue with the training plans until Thiago Gomes will be back in action. However, the current situation gives the Belgian 4-way world champions additional time to solidify the pole position in the run-up to the Mondial 2016 in September.

It is quite impressive how the three Hayabusa members since 2011 (Dennis Praet, David and Andy Grauwels) and coach Gary Smith have brought a new team member to the world's top level, and how Jeroen "Bob" Nollet has filled the open tail slot quickly enough to maintain Belgian's 4-way top position.

The World Championship of Formation Skydiving at the Mondial 2016 will be the first one for the new Hayabusa member. However, he will not be alone with his first and unique experience. It will also be the first world meet for Airspeed's Mikhail Markine...