posted Dec 15th, 2017 - The NSL News recently mentioned in a preview of the Shamrock Showdown 2018 that Arizona Airspeed still owns the highest outdoor average in history, which was posted at the FAI Mondial 2012 in Dubai.

NMP PCH HayaBusa finished only one single point behind the historic 27.9 average, which has been lasting over five years by now.

The NSL News took a closer look at the other highest 4-way meet averages in history and created a Top 10 list that included only 10-round meets.

Three teams share the best ten meet averages, which were generated at six different events with six different 10-round draws. Arizona Airspeed (4) and NMP PCH HayaBusa (4) are tied with the highest number of Top 10 positions, and the Belgian 4-way world champions win the tie-breaker with the better placings (23 - 20), even though Airspeed is still on the top.

The French national teams in 4-way Open are holding two Top 10 spots, with one of them in 3rd place, which gives each of the three 4-way powerhouses in the world a spot in the Top 3.

Highest AAA Class Scores				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	FAI World Meet 2012			5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	E	27	34	27	22	23	23	32	25	40	26	279	27.9
Rank	FAI World Meet 2012			5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	E	25	34	27	21	23	24	32	27	40	25	278	27.8
Rank	FAI World Meet 2010			10,7,12	3,11,5	J,M,Q,P,L	19,1,13	N,18,20	K,17,8	2,15,H	4,D,6	O,E,9,G	22,B,16	Total	Avg
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	E	21	22	56	20	22	24	22	24	40	26	277	27.7
Rank	FAI World Meet 2010			10,7,12	3,11,5	J,M,Q,P,L	19,1,13	N,18,20	K,17,8	2,15,H	4,D,6	O,E,9,G	22,B,16	Total	Avg
4	Arizona Airspeed	US	E	22	21	53	23	20	24	23	25	40	23	274	27.4
Rank	USPA Nationals 2017			O,4,9	G,21,A,H	N,D,J,14	L,16,12	K,19,6	E,2,10	P,11,15	17,3,22	F,7,1	Q,5,M,20	Total	Avg
5	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	E	31	33	28	23	25	23	23	22	31	31	270	27.0
Rank	World Air Games 2015			B,C,17,2	N,19,4	13,14,F	6,E,O,L	7,1,A	D,18,P,22	M,H,5,15	16,9,12	21,K,G,Q	11,20,3	Total	Avg
6	NMP PCH Hayabusa	BE	E	29	26	23	36	28	23	31	24	27	22	269	26.9
Rank	FAI World Cup 2013			O,4,H,3	9,17,P	L,1,G,12	7,10,21	16,E,A,15	8,2,B	18,5,Q	F,14,K,N	M,C,D,13	20,J,19	Total	Avg
7	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	E	27	33	23	22	29	22	26	28	33	24	267	26.7
Rank	Shamrock Showdown 2012			Q,8,H,22	16,19,13	10,14,2	E,C,20,K	5,M,9	A,6,F,17	D,21,N,B	P,O,G,J,1	18,4,7	12,15,3	Total	Avg
8	Arizona Airspeed	US	E	25	20	18	35	36	25	33	31	23	20	266	26.6
Rank	FAI World Meet 2012			5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
9	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	E	26	30	27	21	23	25	29	23	37	24	265	26.5
Rank	World Air Games 2015			B,C,17,2	N,19,4	13,14,F	6,E,O,L	7,1,A	D,18,P,22	M,H,5,15	16,9,12	21,K,G,Q	11,20,3	Total	Avg
10	Arizona Airspeed	US	E	29	27	22	36	28	19	29	25	30	20	265	26.5

Airspeed and HayaBusa posted their team record averages in Dubai 2012, while the French lineup of 2010, with three current Weembi High Rollers in the lineup, posted the highest French outdoor average in Menzelinsk 2010.

The Top 10 list also includes the competition draw of the six different events where the highest averages were posted.

The six different draws included only one real Super Sequence that generated the standing 4-way world record for a single round, the French 56-pointer in Menzelinsk 2010, tied by the Russian Sky Panthers Barkli at the same event.

Arizona Airspeed's 53-pointer in Menzelinsk lifted the 2010 lineup to the 4th place in the Top 10 list. The same competition draw included another fast sequence with Block 9 and three random formations, which also added two 40-pointers to the French and U.S. averages at the world meet in Russia.

The two fast sequences still did not generate the highest averages in history that Airspeed and HayaBusa posted two years later in Dubai.

They did not have the advantage of a Super Sequence and posted their highest scores in Round 9 with 40-pointers for a slot-switching sequence (16,F,P,Q).

It was mostly the pressure of the incredible 1-point battle in Dubai that pushed both teams to the historic scoring level.

One 2017 event generated a Top 10 average, as well. NMP PCH HayaBusa posted a 27.0 average at the USPA Nationals 2017. The highest score in Perris was a 33-pointer in Round 2 (G,21,A,H) which confirmed that the scoring consistency is at least just as important as high scores in fast rounds. HayaBusa posted four 30+ scores at the same meet.

It will take more than a 26.5 average to break into the Top 10 rankings. Airspeed and France posted their 26.5 averages at different events. France finished with this average in 3rd place behind Airspeed and HayaBusa in Dubai 2012. Airspeed was only four points behind the new Belgian 2014 world champions at the World Air Games 2015 with the same 26.5 average and has not come so close ever since.

The Shamrock Showdown 2012 had a competition draw that allowed Arizona Airspeed to win with a 26.7 average, five points ahead of NMP PCH HayaBusa. Both teams then posted their record averages nine months later in Dubai after the historic 1-point battle.

The Shamrock Showdown will once again be the first outdoor meet of the new world meet season, which is scheduled later in the year, as it was in 2012. The ten Shamrock rounds will be drawn live on March 15...