posted Sep 28th, 2020 - The NSL News has reported the personnel change for the former German national 4-way team, Airbus Illertissen, since it happened earlier this year. The story on August 23rd explained that the new lineup is also a new start for the team without a player-coach, and it provided some details of the team history.

Airbus was the German national team in 4-way Open for many years before Oceanside AtomiX eventually defeated Airbus at the German Nationals 2019, after several years of efforts to close the gap and take over the top spot in Germany. The recent Paranodon Cup in Illertissen then featured the new Airbus lineup for the first time in 4-way action.

The NSL News had introduced the new German national team, Oceanside AtomiX, right after their historic event with a live interview after Round 10 and followed up when Paul Hofstee became the new AtomiX member. The NSL Live Talk on April 14th presented the complete new AtomiX lineup.

Oceanside AtomiX will compete for Germany at the FAI Mondial 2020 next year in Tanay, Russia, while Airbus Illertissen decided to move forward with new plans for the coming years and continue with new team member Felix Pfeiffer. The new Airbus lineup is a very interesting combination of 4-way competitors, and the team accepted the NSL News invitation for a new NSL Live Talk via the internet.

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NSL Live Talk with Airbus Illertissen

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It was the complete new Airbus lineup taking the time for a Zoom conversation last week, and the team members talked about their careers in the sport and their plans with the team. The new Airbus lineup is probably significantly behind Oceanside AtomiX at the starting point, however, they are aiming at the top spot and a trip to FAI World Championships in the future.

It is a very interesting lineup that the most experienced Airbus member, Thomas Mack, has finally completed, together with his 2019 team mates Sarah Mertes, Alexander Prendinger and Andreas Troegele, who continues on camera. Thomas Mack himself has competed for Germany at world meets and world cups in 4-way and 8-way both.

He is not only going after the next trip to a world meet, even though he enjoys the competitive and exciting atmosphere and meeting the best teams in the world at the events. He also loves the dynamics and social connections within a 4-way team and the combination of the athletic and psychological challenges.

Alexander Prendinger is a current member of the German national 8-way team and takes on a heavy load of double-duties in both events. Thomas Mack has made his own experiences of competing in 4-way and 8-way at the same world meets and can share them with his 4-way team mate. The Austrian Airbus member competed with Airbus in Australia 2018 and at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019.

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Airbus Illertissen training jumps and Round 1 of the Paranodon Cup

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Alexander Prendinger is not facing double-duties in Tanay next year, as Oceanside AtomiX is traveling to Russia for Germany, and he is only competing there in 8-way. However, The situation is still the same at the national championships where both events take place at the same time.

Sarah Mertes has also been at a world meet. She was the alternate for the German national team in 4-way Women, Skynamite, at the world meet in Australia when there was a question mark behind Janine Tillenburg's back troubles. She did not perform any of the competition rounds and is aiming at her first world meet competition in the active lineup, this time in 4-way Open. She and Thomas Mack are front piece partners and talked about their very specific piece work that is caused by significantly different body sizes.

New member Felix Pfeiffer has not seen an international competition yet with his 25 years of age, not even a national outdoor championship. He has been a competitor in other sports and is looking forward to similar experiences in Formation Skydiving competition. Team videographer Andreas Troegele knows how to keep 4-way and 8-way teams in frame for the judges at national and international competitions. He has been filming Airbus 4-way and 8-way teams at several world meets and world cups in the past.

The new Airbus lineup is planning to post the complete set of scores soon for the NSL Cloud Mondial 2020. Rounds 1 and 2 are already on the Paranodon leaderboard.