posted Feb 5th, 2007 - The NSL News story on January 29 provided an update after the recent meeting of the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) in Florence, Italy. The dive pool for 4-way and 8-way Formation Skydiving competition remained unchanged, and some parts of the competition rules were updated.

The IPC Delegates also approved several bids to host "First Category Events" in 2007 and 2008. The Malevsky Cup 2007 is scheduled for July 2 - 8 and includes only 4-way competition.

The FAI World Cup of Formation Skydiving 2007 will also be hosted by Russia. The location is the same as for the Malevsky Cup 2007 (Stupino), and the event is scheduled for August 4 - 12. The World Cup will include the 4-way Open Class, 8-way and 4-way for the female category.

Last not least, the IPC Delegates also approved France's bid to host the next World Championship of Formation Skydiving in 2008. The President of the French Parachute Federation, François Bouteloup, had sent France's bid to IPC President Patrice Girardin in November 2006:

The skydiving center in Maubeuge will be the host of the competition. It has been one of the main training centers of the French national teams for several years. The French line-ups will have the home turf advantage when they go after the IPC medals in 2008.

The approved French bid included information of some details, which will be important for the athletic side of the World Meet competition. The jump plane for the 4-way and 8-way competition will be a Pilatus Porter, which is the most popular skydiving aircraft in France.

In fact, the event management has secured a fleet of seven Pilatus Porter, which will lift one 4-way or 8-way team at a time to jump altitude. This situation is exactly the same as it was at the last World Meet in France, the Mondial 2003, which was held in Gap.

The Pilatus Porter has a right-hand door and will once again require many participating national teams to change their training plans. Exit and the subterminal part of the competition jumps have become more crucial than ever before for the success of a jump and the outcome of a competition.

The adjustments of the training plans will probably be made at the end of the 2007 season. The details of the bigger international competitions in 2007 are not available at the moment. However, it can be expected that this year's events will still be held from jump planes with left-hand doors.

The impact of different sides of the door is significant. The whole continuity plan and the muscle memory are always subject to changes and new learning. National teams are effected by these changes in turns.

The French national 4-way team of 2003 was very familiar with the right-hand door of the Pilatus Porter and competed on French home turf in Gap, while the Golden Knights had to switch from the Twinotter door in 2002 to the right-hand door in 2003. France won the gold medals far ahead of the Army team in 2nd place and the Norgies in 3rd place.

The situation was easier for all teams in 2004. The World Meet in Croatia was held from MI-8 helicopters with a tailgate. The exits were new to everybody, while the continuity plans didn't need any or only very little adjustments. DeLand Majik won the gold medals, France finished in 2nd place, Russia won the bronze medals in 4-way.

It became once again more challenging at the World Meet 2006 in Germany. This time, the French and other teams familiar with the right-hand door of the Pilatus Porter had to learn exits and sub-terminal moves from the left-hand door of the Twinotter, which was the jump plane in Germany.

The French 4-way line-up and the Italian team Sinapsi PD were greatly effected by switching from the Pilatus Porter at home to the Twinotter in Germany. DeLand Fire had never trained or competed from a right-hand door, was most familiar with the Twinotter door and won the gold medals. France placed 2nd, Sinapsi PD won the 4-way bronze medals.

The national teams will take the next turn for the World Meet in 2008, and the majority of the teams will have to make the adjustment this time. France, Italy and a few other teams will be familiar with the right-hand door of the Pilatus Porter, while the other teams will have to make new plans for the 2008 season.

It is especially challenging for the US top teams. The USPA Nationals 2007 is the qualification event for the World Meet in France 2008. None of the US top teams can afford to spend any training efforts for a right-hand door this year. The competition is too tight, and the top contenders need to be in perfect shape for the exits from the Twinotter's left-hand door in September 2007.

In fact, nobody knows until the end of the 10th round at Skydive Chicago who will represent the USA next year in France. Only the winner will have less than a year to prepare for the exits from a Pilatus Porter in 2008.

The jump plane situation for the World Meet 2008 includes another interesting aspect. The NSL News story on December 22 brought up the fact "...that the Golden Knights re-visit a place of glory in 2007". It was also a line-up of the Golden Knights that was facing the tricky jump plane situation in 2002 and 2003. The NSL News will follow up with more information on this topic later.