posted Sep 1st, 2023 - The first NSL News update from the German Outdoor Nationals included a conversation with the national team in 4-way Open, Airbus Illertissen Oceanside. It took place after the first three rounds were completed.

Airbus had launched the next competition a few days after Round 10 at the 23rd FAI World Cup of Formation Skydiving with an impressive and promising 19-pointer for a sequence (H,11,1) with two average blocks and a random formation. They followed up with 26 points for the fastest sequence in the draw and 22 for Round 3. The door was open for a potential 20+ average.

The competition draw in Germany is very different compared to the one at Skydive Voss, where nine of the ten rounds started with a block. The first three rounds at the Fallschirmsportzentrum Saar had a random formation at the beginning of the sequences. However, the comfort of a quicker start was over after Round 3, and all remaining rounds are beginning with blocks, as well.

The difference to the sequences of the following three rounds could have hardly been more significant. Rounds 4,5 and 6 together consisted of eight blocks and one random formation at the end of Round 6. Airbus are still holding a 19.0 average after Round 6, while the next more challenging sequence is waiting in Round 7.

German Outdoor Nationals 2023		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	H,11,1		B,G,D,J,5		P,8,Q,A		15,3,17		16,12,20		9,22,N		13,19,7		14,L,K,O		10,M,2		6,C,4		21,18,E		Total	Avg
1	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	19		26		22		15		15		17		-		-		-		-		-		114	19.0
2	Meltemi Oceanside	15		20		15	-2	12		12		14		-		-		-		-		-		88	14.7
3	Dark NeVa	14		19		16		9		11		11	-1	-		-		-		-		-		80	13.3
4	Teiwaz Circus	12	-1	17		15		11		11	-1	12	-1	12		-		-		-		-		90	12.9
5	SüdWest	10	-2	16		16		10		8		13		10	-1	-		-		-		-		83	11.9
6	Phoenix	12		10	-2	12		5	-2	8	-1	9		8	-1	-		-		-		-		64	9.1

Airbus Illertissen Oceanside are still dominating the German 4-way competition as much as Arizona Airspeed controls the world's 4-way Open Class leaderboards. Three points is the closest point different to Airbus for a single round, which Meltemi Oceanside posted three times for the slower sequences.

The situation will most likely by totally different in 8-way, disregarding the fact that the Qatar Falcons will dominate the leaderboard as a guest team just as much as Airspeed in the world and the Airbus 4-way team in Germany. The Qatar Falcons are the second best 8-way team in the world at the moment, and they use the German outdoor nationals time on August 4thfor more competition practice.

The NSL News covered the 8-way stakes in Germany last , and not much has changed ever since. The Airbus 8-way team and Operation Adler are both at the competition site and started with their preparations right after the competition draw was posted and Helmut Bastuck introduced the teams on Thursday evening.

Airbus member Shaline Dincher has recovered from her injury just in time and has taken back her slot that French world-class 4-way and 8-way competitor Gaelle Giesen filled in the last training camp. However, Gaelle Giesen is in Saarlouis to help the team, and she communicates regularly with Airbus coach Damien Sorlin who is not available at the competition site. Teams are on a weather hold again until the afternoon on Friday.

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German Outdoor Nationals 2023: Opening and 8-way preparations

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