posted Aug 11th, 2024 - The NSL News has followed the 8-way drama in Germany since it started at the national outdoor championships last year. In addition to the exciting competition at the Fallschirmsportzentrum Saar it has been an interesting topic due to the fact that Germany is the defending 8-way bronze medalist after placing 3rd at the FAI Outdoor World Championships 2022.

There is a very good chance that one of the two opposing German 8-way teams might defend the FAI bronze medals successfully at the FAI Outdoor World Championships 2024. The final qualification at the German Outdoor Nationals 2024 is only three weeks away, and the NSL News will cover the event live at the competition site, the GoJump Gransee skydiving center near Berlin.

Only one of the two German teams will be eligible to compete at the beautiful competition site at Crystal Coast in North Carolina, even though both may have the potential to win the FAI bronze medals in 8-way Open. The German skydiving federation (DFV) has recognized how close Operation Adler and Airbus Oceanside Illertissen are to each other and supported the unusual special qualification between the two teams at this year's national championship event. Both teams have their best lineups together and are ready to challenge each other. Operation Adler, with several former Airbus 8-way members in the lineup, are the reigning German 8-way champions after winning by 11 points (132 - 121) last year. They confirmed the top position at the national indoor championship in March this year, when they won by nine points (210 - 201).

8-way Open Class in Germany			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	Germany Outdoor Nationals 2024		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
-	Qatar Falcons	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Operation Adler	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Airbus Oceanside Illertissen	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rank	Germany Indoor Nationals 2024		K,P,18,E	B,2,3	J,G,22,13	15,6,C	N,D,M,19	4,O,8	17,1,21	L,5,H,16	A,12,9	7,14,F	Total	Avg
G	Veloce QRF	INT	24	23	19	27	19	22	23	25	21	21	224	22.4
1	Operation Adler	DE	24	22	20	24	19	19	21	23	20	18	210	21.0
2	Airbus Oceanside Illertissen	DE	16	20	21	24	16	20	23	23	20	18	201	20.1
Rank	Germany Outdoor Nationals 2023		7,9,21	2,8,J	11,K,6	5,H,C,22	B,Q,O,1	14,15,3	A,4,10	16,13,D	F,20,19	N,E,17,G	Total	Avg
G	Qatar Falcons	QA	15	13	19	18	21	19	20	21	16	12	174	17.4
1	Operation Adler	DE	12	11	12	13	14	13	16	14	13	14	132	13.2
2	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	DE	11	10	12	13	15	13	15	9	12	11	121	12.1

Neither team finished in 1st place yet at the last two German championship events. Guest teams took the top positions, Qatar Falcons at the outdoor competition, Veloce QRF at the indoor event. Chances are little that this might change this year, as the Qatar Falcons return to Germany for their last test before the FAI World Championship.

The Qatar Falcons are currently the second best national 8-way team in the world, and they will outscore either of the two German 8-way teams in North Carolina again a month after the completion of the ten rounds in Gransee. They shared the 8-way podium with Paraclete XP8 and the Airbus 8-way team in October 2022, and they will meet several of the same 8-way competitors once again, in Gransee and in North Carolina.

However, the U.S. lineup has changed, and a few new GKXP8 members will collect their 8-way gold medals this year. The German 8-way competitors on the podium at Crystal Coast Skydiving could be different ones if Operation Adler win in three weeks. Steffen Schiedek, Thomas Spielvogel and Carl Enders are the three Airbus 8-way members who would defend their FAI bronze medals successfully if their team wins the qualification. The Qatar Falcons would meet three more familiar faces on the 8-way podium if Operation Adler win in Germany. Olaf Biedermann, Linda Koeb and Goeran Meyer won 8-way bronze medals in Eloy 2022, as well. They are now opposing their former Airbus bronze medal team mates Steffen Schiedek, Thomas Spielvogel and Carl Enders.

Germany Outdoor Nationals 2024		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Power Rankings	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Meltemi Oceanside Illertissen	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Dark NeVa	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Teiwaz Circus	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	GIGA Fehrbellin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	Saulgau Flips	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rank	AA Class	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
-	Paranodon Futura Imparable	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Paranodon Futura 6.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	On Air	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	IronFlies Hildesheim	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	GAGS Paranodon Futura Illertissen	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Devil's Dive	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	4 Blizzards	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rank	A Class	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
-	Speed Devils	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Pace	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rank	Rookie	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
-	Team Spirit	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Paranodon Futura 9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Nordtrupp	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	KronYUUwelen	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Four Elements	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Flying YUUnicorns	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Fallobst Münster	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	Airtron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

The Airbus 8-way victory at the German Outdoor Nationals 2024 would create no double-duty trouble at Crystal Coast, while some of the Operation Adler members would have to be ready for 20 competition jumps at the same event to win new 8-way bronze medals for Germany.

It was not unusual at all in the past that German Formation Skydiving competitors would win 4-way and 8-way events at their national championships and then take on the double duties at world championships. Several members of both 8-way teams are very familiar with his situation. It happened last time at the FAI Outdoor World Championships 2018, where Thomas Mack served double duties.

The new Airbus 4-way lineup then decided to focus only on their prime event and try to become a challenger for the unofficial world amateur 4-way title. The creation of Operation Adler last year changed the situation again, and four German 4-way competitors may have to compete in both events if their 8-way team wins in three weeks: Linda Koeb with Meltemi Oceanside in 4-way Women, Thomas Mack, Felix Pfeiffer and Alexander Prendinger with the Airbus 4-way Open Class lineup. There will probably be not much double-duty trouble at GoJump in Gransee. Meet director Mathias Maushake, himself an experienced world meet competitor and organizer of the FAI World Championships 2006 in Gera, Germany, plans to separate the two Formation Skydiving events, as it is normal procedure at USPA Nationals. This will not be the case at the world championships where 4-way and 8-way may take turns on the same day.