Home page

supported by:
Vigil Logo


National
Skydiving
League

226 Pecan Street
Deland FL 32724
tel: (386) 801-0804

© 2003 - 2024
All Rights Reserved


supported by:
In Time Scoring


Valid HTML Valid CSS!

Did You Know...

... that the Qatar Falcons have set the FAI 8-way bronze medals as the 2018 goal?

NMP PCH HayaBusa with Gary Smith at the Shamrock Showdown 2012
posted Dec 8th, 2017 - The Qatar Falcons 8-way team recently completed a winter training camp at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a good opportunity for the NSL News for an 8-way update and to get additional information from coach Gary Smith.

Qatar's 8-way coach has also been working with NMP PCH HayaBusa for several years. He started his indoor coaching work with the Belgians in 2011 and extended to outdoor training in 2012. He said that it has been very enjoyable work with the HayaBusa family and that he has become very close friends with the team members, as well.

His work with the Qatar Falcons started later, and he seems to be on track to guide an 8-way team into serious medal contention too.

The NSL News met with Gary Smith and the team at the end of the camp and after the completion of approx. 145 training jumps. The camp also included a 4-day trip to Paraclete XP in North Carolina for additional indoor training. The last days of the winter training had to be spent without team captain Abdulla Ahmad Al Hammadi, who had dislocated his shoulder during a special training jump with a large Qatar flag. He will be back soon, and the Falcons have a well trained alternate who filled the slot, while Gary Smith switched to B-slot training in the meantime.

The Qatar Falcons are in a similar situation as the Golden Knights as full-time competitors with military resources. They can focus on their training without interruptions, as long as there are no military crises.

Qatar Falcons at the USPA Nationals 2011
image by: USPA/Omniskore
The team started the Qatar 8-way project in the Intermediate Class competition of the USPA Nationals 2011 and a 10th place with a 10.1 average at the team's first world meet, the FAI Mondial 2012, and were then put on a hold between 2013 and 2014.

After missing the FAI World Meet in Prostejov 2014 they came back in 2015 with Gary Smith and moved up to the world's 4th place with a 14.6 average at the FAI Mondial 2016.

The 14.9 average at the USPA Nationals 2017 confirmed the performance level and slightly lifted the scoring average before the winter training camp in Zephyrhills. The Qatar Falcons then took on the same competition draw of the U.S. national championships during the training camp and finished on a significantly higher scoring level.

The Falcons have set the FAI 8-way bronze medals as their goal for Australia 2018. Coach Gary Smith said that the Golden Knights and Tanay from Russia are probably both out of reach. However, France seems to be in a weak 8-way period, and the Qatar team might be able to take a medal position away from one of the three 8-way powerhouses of the past with enough training.

FAI Mondial 2016
12345678910TotalAvg
Rank8-way12,A,1618,15,O1,F,E,C17,B,1410,2,2021,11,GJ,5,19L,M,K,7D,8,43,13,QTotalAvg
1Golden KnightsUS3125262220221926242423923.9
2FranceFR2220251816191723192019919.9
3TanayRU2319251714161621201919019.0
4Qatar FalconsQA191620157101316151514614.6
5Microclim8UK1514161411131314131714014.0
6AirbusDE1615171111131214121513613.6
7AustraliaAU131314129131215101412512.5
8DivergenceCA11109118108101111999.9
9BrazilBR11810959911813939.3
Shamrock Showdown 2018 Information: Cessna Caravan and Twin Otter both confirmed as jump planes

Gary Smith also provided some feedback related to the 4-way situation a year before the world meet in Australia. He said that NMP PCH HayaBusa has to work very hard to maintain the top spot: "It is always easier to catch up from behind, while it is much more difficult to defend the top spot."

Qatar Falcons at Skydive City last week
He was in a similar position after winning with DeLand Majik in 2004. He continued with DeLand Fire and won 4-way gold again for the United States two years later in Gera 2006.

He confirmed that NMP PCH HayaBusa stepped away from 8-way training and competition with the Fly-In Machine 44 to focus on the third set of consecutive gold medals in 4-way.

The Belgian Fly-In Machine 44 was far ahead of the Qatar Tigers at the USPA Nationals 2017 and would probably have the better chances to win 8-way bronze medals in Australia.

However, he and the HayaBusa members agreed that 8-way training would take too much time away from 4-way, even though they could probably handle the competition pressure of both events.

Gary Smith and HayaBusa expect Arizona Airspeed to move much closer, and they even see the French 4-way Open Class lineup (RealFly-Sion) currently as the tougher challenger. The results of the Shamrock Showdown 2018 will show the outdoor situation at the beginning of the world meet year...

USPA Nationals 2017
12345678910TotalAvg
Rank8-way OpenG,22,19,6,2D,7,178,J,C,KQ,B,14,2019,15,4A,10,1312,M,N,PH,O,3,165,21,11TotalAvg
1Golden KnightsUS2217161921221921281720220.2
GFly-In Machine 44BE2316171615211620261518518.5
GQatar FalconsQA1612151215161317201314914.9
2Arizona AirspeedUS1714111515171413181314714.7
GAmphibious Attack TigersUS1812131013181416151114014.0
6SDC Rhythm XP8US1211121311151215141212712.7
7Paraclete XP8US1311101112141211141011811.8
8Spaceland Gummies 8US1111871012910109979.7
GPerris Spider PigsUS5745657547555.5
comments / feedback
Previous Article | Next Article