posted Nov 19th, 2021 - The NSL News pointed out earlier that Arizona Airspeed won back the 4-way Open Class title at the USPA Nationals 2021 without too much trouble, after recovering quickly from a devastating meet opener. The NSL Live Talk conversation with the team provided insights after the completion of the meet.

The new Airspeed lineup had set their eyes on winning back the FAI world championship title from the moment when the long-term commitment was in place. The gold medals at the USPA Nationals and qualification for the next world meet in 2022 were only a step on the way to the main goal.

Airspeed's only meaningful opponent in the 4-way world, NMP PCH HayaBusa, just posted their first scores at the military world championship in Qatar, where they will win their 14th consecutive CISM title for Belgium. Airspeed will follow the competition in Qatar just as carefully as HayaBusa observed the Airspeed performance in Eloy last month.

It's not an unusual goal for Arizona Airspeed to take back the world's top spot in 4-way competition. Airspeed lineups won the most relevant competition in Formation Skydiving five times since 1985 (1995 - 1997 - 2001 - 2008 - 2012).

Three other U.S. teams also won the William H. Ottley Sword for 4-way Formation Skydiving competition, also known as the Excalibur in 1985 (DeLand Air Bears), 2004 (DeLand Majik) and 2006 (DeLand Fire). Only France won the same FAI 4-way title more often than Airspeed, with seven sets of gold medals in 1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 1999, 2003 and 2010.

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USPA Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	13,5,D		Q,9,4		F,14,C,10		H,L,20,N		18,22,19		11,J,E,8		6,7,K		G,15,12		M,2,21		16,A,P,O		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	-2	28	-1	24		30		18	-1	25		26		20		24		35		252	25.2
2	SDC Rhythm XP	26		24	-4	21	-2	27	-1	19		23		26		21		24	-1	29		240	24.0
3	Golden Knights Gold	21		26		20		25	-1	16		23		21		17		16	-1	25	-1	210	21.0
4	The Jets	16	-1	20	-1	18		22		14		17		21		16		19		24		187	18.7
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	18		21		18		20		14	-1	18		20		14		18		21	-1	182	18.2
6	XPG4	16		19		15	-2	22		13		19		18		14		18		21		175	17.5
7	Elsinore Bullet	16		18	-1	17		20	-1	12	-1	18		18		14		18		22		173	17.3
8	Aviatrixx	13		16		14		12	-3	10	-1	13		13		10	-1	14		16	-1	131	13.1
9	Golden Knights Black	12	-1	12	-3	14		13	-1	11		13		12		10		13	-2	16	-1	126	12.6

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Arizona Airspeed at the USPA Nationals 2021 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/OmniSkore!HD

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French 4-way teams have not been the main obstacle for different Arizona Airspeed 4-way lineups any longer since 2010, when Mathieu Bernier accomplished his unique 4-way and 8-way double-gold feast in Menzelinsk, Russia. It has been NMP PCH HayaBusa who kept Airspeed or any other U.S. teams from bringing back the 4-way sword to the United States.

HayaBusa have won the FAI gold medals for Belgium four consecutive times (2014 - 2016 - 2018 - 2021) and they almost began this impressive series in Dubai 2012. Only the penalty in the last second of the last round gave Airspeed a 1-point advantage and secured the last set of 4-way gold medals for a U.S. team.

Niklas Hemlin, who won this 4-way gold medal for Airspeed in 2012, is now most eager to take back the top spot that he had for two years. NMP PCH HayaBusa continued after the 2012 drama, won gold for the first time in Prostejov 2014 and have won each world championship ever since.

The Belgians have already tied the French record of four consecutive victories and are now aiming at the 5th world meet title.

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FAI Dubai Mondial 2012			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		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	27		34		27	-1	22		23		23	-2	32		25		40		26		279	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	25	-1	34	-2	27	-1	21	-1	23		24	-1	32	-1	27		40		25	-1	278	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	26		30	-2	27		21		23		25		29	-1	23	-2	37		24		265	26.5
4	Evolution	CA	22		31		24		17	-1	19	-1	21		28		22		30	-2	22		236	23.6
5	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	19	-2	29	-1	22	-1	21		21		18	-2	28		20	-2	35		20	-1	233	23.3
6	Satori	UK	18		26		21		17		15	-3	18	-1	23		17		27		18		200	20.0
7	eX3MO	IT	17	-1	24	-2	20		14		17		19		22		18	-1	28	-1	-		179	19.9
8	Paratec-Saar	DE	18		26		21		13		14	-2	16	-1	21	-3	18		30	-1	-		177	19.7
9	Rotor Out	AU	14	-2	25	-1	18	-1	15		17		18		22	-1	17		28		-		174	19.3
10	Bardagi	SE	17		26		20		14		16		15	-2	23		17	-2	24	-2	-		172	19.1

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Arizona Airspeed - NMP PCH HayaBusa at the FAI Dubai Mondial 2012

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Niklas Hemlin and his current Airspeed lineup have good reasons to claim the position of a very serious challenger. The Airspeed lineups of 2014 and 2016 were not able to threaten NMP PCH HayaBusa seriously any longer, after the 2012 drama. The Belgians won by 11 points in 2014, eight points in 2016.

Things changed when Niklas Hemlin returned with the new 2017/2018 lineup (Mikhail Markine, Thiago Gomes, Ari Perelman, David French on camera). At the end of the second year together, the 2018 lineup eventually lost by only two points, even after a meet opener that was even worse than Round 1 at the USPA Nationals 2021.

Niklas Hemlin, Mikhail Markine and Thiago Gomes integrated new member Ari Perelman quickly enough in the two years to challenge NMP PCH HayaBusa to the extreme in Australia. The Belgian lineup had four years behind them together when they barely carried the 2-point advantage over the finish line.

Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine are now back again with a new lineup, and they know how to catch up quickly. This time, Airspeed and HayaBusa have about the same starting point. Both teams started with their new lineups in 2020. They have not met yet at a live event and only posted scores for the NSL Cloud Mondial 2020 until now, before HayaBusa won their next world meet title without much opposition at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020 in August this year. The new Arizona Airspeed lineup will not allow the Belgians to go on another 4-way vacation in Eloy next year. It is more likely that the Formation Skydiving world will watch a battle as the 8-way teams had it in Tanay - where Niklas Hemlin, Mikhail Markine and Chris Kuhlmann were in the winning AZXP8 lineup.

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FAI World Meet 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		21,L,B,G		22,18,17		19,7,O		J,16,12		10,A,D,15		Q,M,F,C,N		H,20,P,13		6,14,11		E,2,5		4,1,3		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32		21		27	-2	24		22	-3	62	-2	22	-2	20	-1	27	-1	22		279	27.9
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	26	-5	21		27	-1	24		24	-1	60	-1	26		22		27		20		277	27.7
3	Aerodyne Realfly	FR	29	-1	19		24	-2	23		24		52	-3	20	-3	17	-3	24		19		251	25.1
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	24	-2	14	-1	24	-1	21		22		53	-4	21	-1	18		20		17		234	23.4
5	Echochamber	SE	25	-1	16		21	-1	17	-2	20	-1	48	-4	14	-3	18		21	-1	15	-1	215	21.5
6	Amnesya	IT	24	-2	14		20	-1	18		18	-1	48	-5	18		14	-2	21	-1	15		210	21.0
7	Airheads	CH	22	-3	14	-2	19	-2	17	-1	18		44		16		16	-2	18	-1	17		201	20.1
7	Satori XL	UK	21		14	-1	21		19		19		37	-3	19		17		18	-1	16	-1	201	20.1
9	Evolution	CA	21	-1	13	-2	22		18	-1	15	-3	43	-2	15	-5	15	-2	19		15		196	19.6
10	Airbus FSZ Saar	DE	21	-1	14	-1	17	-5	17		16	-1	45	-1	15	-3	14	-1	18	-1	15		192	19.2

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NMP PCH HayaBusa - Arizona Airspeed at the FAI World Meet 2018 in Australia

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