posted Jun 20th, 2024 - It was to be expected that Airbus Illertissen Oceanside, Germany's national team in 4-way Open, would win the Paranodon Cup 2024 and take the top spot on last weekend's AAA Class leaderboard. It could have been slightly different if the Dutch national team Out Of The Blue (OOTB) had attended this year's Tomscat Trophy in Hoogeveen, as both events applied the same competition draw of the NSL 4-way Network.

OOTB were a direct opponent for Airbus at the FAI Outdoor World Championships 2022 and at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023, and they finished not far from the German team at both events. However, the recent change in the OOTB lineup would have probably increased the German lead at this point in time. Airbus have been training and competing with the same lineup since 2020.

The strongest Dutch team did not attend the event last weekend and did not miss too much, as only one round could be completed in Hoogeveen. The 2nd place on the AAA Class leaderboard was easily taken by another German 4-way team, Der Adapter, which was a variation of Meltemi Oceanside Illertissen, the country's national team in 4-way Women. Petra Jastram, Linda Köb and team videographer Pablo Fahrenschon train and compete with the current Meltemi lineup. Susa Serra is one of the original members until she continued only with Meltemi's indoor lineup, Piteraq. Christian Schaefer is one of the most talented and experienced German 4-way competitors and has been a member of 8-way team Operation Adler, as well.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	21	-1	28		27		27		31		23		21		20		32		31		261	26.1
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	-1	25	-2	21		23		28		20	-2	19		17		29		26		228	22.8
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	19	-2	23	-1	22	-1	21	-1	26		18		17	-1	17		28		28		219	21.9
4	France 4-way Open	FR	19		23	-1	22		23		27		20	-1	18		15	-1	20	-5	27	-1	214	21.4
5	Chimera	UK	16		21	-2	19		19	-1	18	-5	18	-1	16		14	-1	23	-1	24		188	18.8
6	Papea Masculino	ES	17	-1	20	-1	18	-1	21		21	-2	18		15		15		21	-1	20	-3	186	18.6
7	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	14	-1	21		19		19		20	-1	17		16		15		24	-1	20	-1	185	18.5
8	Airbus Oceanside Illertissen	DE	16		18	-2	19		16	-1	20	-1	13	-3	15		14		19	-2	22	-1	172	17.2
9	Agera FS 2022	NO	16		16	-2	17	-1	17		18	-1	15		15		13	-1	18	-3	21		166	16.6
9	4Astrophe	CA	15	-1	20		19		15	-2	21		15		15	-2	14		16	-3	16	-2	166	16.6

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Airbus Illertissen Oceanside at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022

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Airbus and Meltemi both will represent Germany at the FAI Outdoor World Championships 2024 in October, where Andrea Kleinschmidt and Claire Rebhahn will be back with the Meltemi lineup. Linda Köb and Christian Schaefer will compete in 8-way at the same event, as well, together with Airbus members Thomas Mack, Felix Pfeiffer and Alexander Prendinger, if Operation Adler win the 8-way qualification showdown at the German outdoor championship in September.

The Airbus 4-way team started the 2024 season more than an average point higher (18.6 - 17.4) than at the same Paranodon Cup in the previous outdoor world championship year of 2022. The time frame until the most relevant competition in the sport was the same in 2022 as it is this year (June - October).

The same lineup finished in 8th place with 17.2 in Eloy, after the 17.4 at the Paranodon Cup in June. Airbus were already up to 18.3 at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 and followed up with 19.3 at the German Outdoor Nationals 2023. Now they have the same four months as in 2022 before they will be facing the world's best national 4-way teams in North Carolina. They finished in 5th place of all national teams in Norway last year and will try to defend the same ranking position at the world championship, where they have to expect an even stronger field. The ultimate team goal, a 20-average scoring level, could be necessary and very helpful to place right behind the Top 4 as the best unofficial amateur team in the world.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		3,G,N,19		11,17,L		13,7,C		2,D,O,8		14,K,J,12		9,M,P,H		5,4,18		15,1,10		16,21,E		F,20,6		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	26		27		26		25		22		48	-1	22		21		25		25		267	26.7
2	France 4-way Open	FR	23		25	-1	26		24		19		45	-1	19		19		23		23		246	24.6
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	20	-4	20	-2	25		23	-1	18	-2	45		20		19		24		24		238	23.8
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	20	-1	22	-1	23		20		19		40		13	-4	17	-1	22		19	-4	215	21.5
5	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	DE	17	-1	18		20	-1	17		14		31	-1	15		15		18		18		183	18.3
6	Amnesya	IT	16	-1	17		19		17	-1	16		31	-1	15		14		18		18	-1	181	18.1
7	Papea	ES	14	-3	17	-1	18	-1	17		14	-1	32		14	-1	15		18		18		177	17.7
8	Out Of The Blue	NL	17		15	-1	18		16	-1	15		31	-4	14		13		16		18	-1	173	17.3
9	Agera	NO	15	-2	13	-2	16		18		12	-1	32	-1	13	-1	15		18		13	-4	165	16.5
10	Chaotic Motion VIXX	NL	15		13	-2	15	-3	16	-1	13		30	-1	12		11		15		18		158	15.8

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Airbus Illertissen Oceanside at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023

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