posted Sep 14th, 2017 - The Belgian Nationals 2017 was one of the events that went by in the wake of the FAI World Cup 2017, even though it was the national championship of the reigning 4-way world champions, NMP PCH HayaBusa.

Of course, there was not much competition by other Belgian teams on home turf, and HayaBusa was not challenged as much as it happened in Saarlouis, where the French national team RealFly-Sion was only one point behind after Round 4, the official end of the competition.

HayaBusa posted a significantly higher average a few weeks after the world cup without any pressure. In fact, the meet average after the 10-round meet in Belgium was identical with the 26.2 at the FAI Mondial 2016, where the best 4-way teams in the world tried to keep up with the Belgians.

The national championship was HayaBusa's second outdoor competition this year, disregarding the CISM military world championships, and the 4-way world champions have not scored higher yet than at Skydive Chicago in September 2016, even though the Belgian competition draw may have offered an opportunity.

Belgian Nationals 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		22,L,G,M	6,N,H,B	4,18,A	C,P,2,11	20,F,E,K	21,17,7	16,D,15	O,14,13	19,12,Q	3,J,10	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	26	38	23	28	32	24	25	21	21	24	262	26.2
2	ISR FireFlash	BE	18	25	16	20	21	17	16	16	17	17	183	18.3
3	Pink Illertissen	DE	14	21	14	15	18	12	13	13	12	15	147	14.7
4	JETMAX	BE	11	18	9	9	15	12	10	11	8	11	114	11.4
5	Stand down de bar is open	BE	11	11	9	10	11	9	8	9	6	10	94	9.4
6	Hold my Beer	BE	10	12	7	9	8	9	8	7	7	8	85	8.5
7	Gravity Abuse	BE	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2.0
Rank	AA Class		18,D,8	15,21	K,B,E,A	2,13	C,F,M,22	20,N,L	J,7,9	6,P,4	Q,G,19	14,O,11	Total	Avg
1	Falco	BE	9	8	17	9	13	11	13	11	11	9	111	11.1
2	Bad Habits	BE	7	7	14	7	10	8	11	9	7	6	86	8.6
3	Ahzoe	BE	6	7	14	5	9	8	11	10	9	6	85	8.5
Rank	A Class		21,P	4,Q	L,C,2	M,8	9,E	G,6	O,7	N,A,19	B,K,D	F,J,H	Total	Avg
1	Stardust	BE	9	7	10	10	13	8	12	11	15	20	115	11.5
2	Ayro	BE	10	10	9	9	10	7	10	6	12	19	102	10.2
3	Leading Edge	BE	8	10	7	6	9	7	12	5	13	15	92	9.2
4	De Daltons	BE	6	7	4	8	10	7	11	7	7	13	80	8.0
Rank	Rookie		M,L,D	K,F,Q	B,E,J	G,P,A	O,N,H	C,N,L	Q,G,J	A,E,F	C,D,P	M,B,H	Total	Avg
1	Aeropotam's	BE	14	16	15	9	13	9	12	20	18	20	146	14.6
2	4 West	BE	6	2	6	2	1	4	0	4	4	3	32	3.2

Quote Andy Grauwels: "When you have no idea where to go, there is always someone to give you a hint..."

The competition draw included only 18 of the 22 blocks and had all 16 random formations. It was still not really a fast draw, as eight of the ten sequences started with a block maneuver after the exit. However, the HayaBusa 8-way partners of ISR FireFlash used the opportunity of to improve the best team average from 17.8 to the 18.3 average last month.

The FireFlash progression has been going upwards at indoor and outdoor competition since the team was formed this year, and the next scores at the USPA Nationals 2017 will provide the next information.

HayaBusa's and FireFlash's 8-way combination, the Fly-In Machine 44, will compete in Perris, as well, and both teams will be put to the test of their double-duty performance once again.

It will be a different situation at the USPA Nationals though. Both teams will still be able to focus only on one event. The format of the USPA Nationals separates 4-way and 8-way competition, which is not the case at FAI world meets and world cups where teams in both events can be called to action at any time. The Belgian teams may need the focus on each single event, as the competition in Perris will be on the highest level, with Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP in 4-way and the Golden Knights in 8-way.

Belgian team Jetmax competed for the first time in the AAA Class at an outdoor competition and beat the 10-average benchmark right away.

In fact, the AAA Class average was even higher than any of the AA Class numbers that Jetmax had posted in 2016, and the competition draw included five of the six slot switching blocks at the team's first AAA Class outdoor competition.

Jetmax had used the Wind Games and the World Challenge to get familiar with the AAA Class dive pool in competition, after the last AA Class event at the ISR Grand Prix 2016.

Falco won the Belgian AA Class gold medals after the 1st place at the Tomscat Trophy and succeeded Gravity Abuse as the AA Class champion. Gravity Abuse has also moved up into the AAA Class competition.

Aeropotam's won the Belgian Rookie Class gold medals at the team's first outdoor competition after two previous indoor meets. The 14.6 average after ten rounds is the highest Rookie Class average that has been posted this year. A new Belgian 4-way team is on the rise...