posted Sep 2nd, 2025 - The FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025 has been struggling with the weather. The whole Monday was another challenging situation for management and participants who had to be ready whenever the conditions were good enough for a few rounds. It is quite impressive that the three Cessna Caravans, their pilots and the meet director are still looking back at a competition that could still be completed with good weather forecast for Tuesday. It looks promising in the morning.

The 4-way Open Class teams need four more completed rounds, and they are scheduled to launch the operation on Tuesday morning. The 4-way Women and VFS teams are even one round ahead, and the 8-way teams have completed Round 7, as well. The rankings are well set in these three Formation Skydiving events after Round 7. None of them seem to anticipate any more battles for medals.

Qatar Falcons, Prison 9 and Mandatory Fun! control the top of the 8-way leaderboard. The bad luck for the German Airbus 8-way team has taken them out of medal contention. There is still the internal British battle on the bottom of the 8-way leaderboard that is wide open. SDC Core (US), Oceanside Pelican (NO) and V-Storm (IT) are well settled in the VFS medal positions, and Nephtys Maubeuge (FR) never had competition in 4-way Women. Thyra (NO) own the 2nd place, and even XP Angels (US) have won or tied the last five rounds over their opponents behind and don't seem to be willing to give up their bronze medal position. It is once again the 4-way Open Class field that still offers very exciting competition, and there is enough potential that each round could bring changes on the leaderboard.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way AAA/Open/Women		B,Q,19,F		G,13,K,A		12,7,8		16,E,6		1,J,9		10,15,21		5,18,L		M,20,11		C,17,2		22,O,P,3		H,14,N,4		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	FR	36	-2	36		20	-1	25		29		20		-		-		-		-		-		166	27.7
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	33		28	-3	19		24		30		18	-1	-		-		-		-		-		152	25.3
3	Golden Knights	US	33		31	-2	20		24	-1	27	-1	16	-2	-		-		-		-		-		151	25.2
4	Nephtys Maubeuge	FR	28		27		17		19	-1	24		17		-		-		-		-		-		130	21.6
5	Skywalkers Junior	CZ	28		22	-2	16	-1	20		23		15	-1	-		-		-		-		-		124	20.7
5	Agera	NO	27	-1	23	-1	17		18	-2	23	-1	16		-		-		-		-		-		124	20.7
7	SDC Rhythm XP	US	27	-1	22	-5	17		22		21	-3	14	-2	-		-		-		-		-		123	20.5
7	Echochamber	SE	26		25		16	-1	20		24		12	-1	-		-		-		-		-		123	20.5
9	U.S. Team	US	24	-2	21	-2	17		20		24		15	-1	-		-		-		-		-		121	20.2
10	RhEvolution XP	US	27		22		15		18	-1	21		15		-		-		-		-		-		118	19.7
11	Papea	ES	21	-3	22		17		18		18	-3	14		-		-		-		-		-		110	18.3
11	AYRO	BE	24		22		13		18		21		12	-1	-		-		-		-		-		110	18.3
13	Out Of The Blue	NL	21	-2	22		13	-2	17		21		14		-		-		-		-		-		108	18.0
14	Thyra	NO	16	-3	17		13		14		16		10	-1	-		-		-		-		-		86	13.9
15	Chop Chop!	AU	18		16		11		12		16		9		-		-		-		-		-		82	13.7
16	Les Hermines	FR	17	-2	16	-1	10	-1	12		15		8	-1	-		-		-		-		-		78	13.0
17	British Army Volt4ge	UK	16		12		10		12		14	-2	11		-		-		-		-		-		75	12.5
18	Axis	UK	13	-1	10	-2	10		10		14		9		-		-		-		-		-		66	11.0
19	XP Angels	US	9	-7	10	-3	9	-2	11		14		9		-		-		-		-		-		62	10.1
20	Perris 4ever	US	13		11		8	-1	9		11		8		-		-		-		-		-		60	9.7
20	Funky Falcon	NL	11	-2	11	-1	7		9		14		8		-		-		-		-		-		60	9.7

This is not the case for the leaders from France, Aethers Lille, who control the 4-way Open Class competition just as much as the other leaders in formation skydiving competition. However, NMP PCH HayaBusa's 30-pointer highscore in Round 5 indicates that French national coach Mathieu Bernier has to expect the opponents to move closer in the near future.

He is totally aware of this situation and prepares his young team for tighter competition. Aethers Lille will visit Skydive Arizona next month to attend the USPA Nationals for another high-level test. Then he has scheduled the next trip to Florida in April 2026 to launch the world championship season at the next Shamrock Showdown, which will be the 1st Bob Hallet Memorial at the same time. The Shamrock Showdown 2025 was the start of a very successful year for both French national 4-way teams.

The duel between NMP PCH HayaBusa and Golden Knights for the FAI silver medals is probably the most exciting show of the outdoor world cup, as it also indicates what can be expected for the world championship year, even though the same two teams will meet again at the CISM World Championship in November, together with Spain's Papea lineup. The Qatar Tigers will wait for them on their home turf in Qatar. The 4th place behind the medal positions is still wide open, as well as the last Top 10 spot. The Nephtys are right behind the 4-way Open Class medal positions on the combined 4-way leaderboard, and Thyra defend their 14th place strongly.

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Day 4 Summary of the FAI Indoor World Cup - Produced by Matt Landsmann

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