posted Aug 3rd, 2016 - Last weekend's scores (Mid-German Championship 2016) included this year's first outdoor scores of Germany’s national team in 4-way Open, Airbus, who will compete for their country at the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2016.

Airbus posted a new team record average after the six rounds in Eisenach, and the nature of the competition draw was similar to the one that NMP PCH HayaBusa had last week in Belgium. It was a slow first half with 13 of the 22 blocks and 7 of the 16 random formations in six rounds, and four of the six rounds started with a block on the hill.

Satori XL had also been in a similar situation, as the Sun Path Products NSL News reported on July 24th. All the recent results make the run-up to the Mondial 2016 even more interesting, as the Airbus scores were already included in the recent update of the team world rankings.

Mid-German Championship 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	Q,19,C,6	10,9,K	7,B,14	4,13,11	5,L,D,12	E,3,16	Total	Avg
1	Airbus	21(-1)	21	23	17	20	23	125	20.8
2	Neva	14	16	13(-1)	10	12	10(-1)	75	12.5
3	Skyfall	11	11	13	10	11	-	56	11.2
Rank	AA Class	Q,19,C	6,9	K,7,B	14,4	11,L,D	E,22,1	Total	Avg
1	4motion	10	9	10	5	7	8	49	8.2
2	Subbotnik	5(-1)	9	8	4(-1)	5	-	31	6.2
Rank	A Class	B,J,P	E,4	F,19	M,7	O,N,A	F,6	Total	Avg
1	Team Karma	11	8	6	8	10	9	52	8.7
2	Orange Skies	6	4	5	7	5	-	27	5.4

Airbus passed Satori XL with the 20.8 average last weekend and has taken the 5th place of the

Rank	Team 4-way Open	Country	Best
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	24.8
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	24.3
3	France 4-way Open	FR	23.7
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	21.5
5	Airbus Illertissen	DE	20.8
6	Satori XL	UK	20.3
7	Gryttjom Volo	SE	18.1
8	Rotor Out	AU	17.6
9	Pangaea	DK	16.3
10	Savolo	ZA	15.5

team world rankings, in the current absence of Black Cat (Russia) and Evolution (Canada).

However, Airbus and Satori might be in a real live competition for the 7th place at the Mondial 2016 and could possibly even push each other close enough for a 3-team battle with the Qatar Tigers, who are considered an underdog for bronze medals with a peak performance at Skydive Chicago.

Satori completed all ten rounds of the Hibaldstow meet with a 21.3 average, while the Qatar Tigers are still listed with the 21.5 average at the Shamrock Showdown 2016.

The remaining four rounds in Germany would have lifted Airbus most likely to a similar scoring level, and there is even more on stake for the current German national team in the 4-way Open Class.

German Nationals 2009		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	L,11,1	20,16,18	5,14,8	F,K,2,N	B,C,E,17	22,M,J,19	H,G,O,12	7,10,9	Q,21,D,15	13,4,P	Total	Avg
1	FSC Eisenach-Paratec	17	16	15	28	33	19	24	17	20	19	208	20.8
2	EADS	17	14	16	27	28	19	19	16	18	17	191	19.1
3	X-Ray Remscheid	17	13	15	24	29	19	17	17	17	19	187	18.7
4	Chicas	15	13	14	22	24	18	19	16	17	16	174	17.4
5	Incognito Leutkirch	15	12	13	23	21	16	19	17	17	16	169	16.9
6	Final Four	14	11	10	21	22	16	17	15	14	14	154	15.4
7	Air Bubbles	12	10	11	15	16	12	14	12	11	11	124	12.4
8	BemH Asyl Kassel	11	10	8	16	15	13	14	13	11	11	122	12.2
9	Paranodon Illertissen	11	10	10	14	16	10	14	12	10	12	119	11.9

The standing record average of a German national 4-way team for a 10-round meet is 20.8 and was posted by the former national team Paratec-Saar at the German Nationals 2009. Two current Airbus members (Olaf Biedermann, Goran Meyer) and alternate Thomas Spielvogel witnessed the German historic performance from the 2nd place position, while the other two members (Thomas Mack, Chris Schafer) placed 6th (Final Four) and 9th (Paranodon) at the same event.

Paratec-Saar had also posted a 22.4 average over the team's nine rounds in Menzelinsk 2010. However, the meet averages at this world meet were boosted by a Super Sequence in Round 3 (J,M,Q,P,L) where the Germans added a 53-pointer to the total. In addition, Round 9 (O,E,9,G) offered another scoring opportunity with a 30-pointer for Paratec-Saar.

It seems unlikely that Paratec-Saar's 20.8 average will survive this year, while the 22.4 average could probably only fall with a fast competition draw and an Airbus peak performance at the Mondial 2016. The best German world meet ranks have been 5th places so far (1991, 2004). It will be impossible to finish in 4th place this year; however, the same required peak performance could possibly bring the 5th place into reach...