posted Jun 13th, 2018 - Last weekend's international competition was much closer in the AA Class, compared to the AAA leaderboard, where 34 points separated the teams in 1st (Pink Illertissen) and 10th place (Vantage).

British teams Pajama Pumas and Vantage had made the same steps from AA to AAA this year after spending the whole 2017 season together, meet after meet at the United Kingdom Skydiving League events and the national championships. Vantage is a year behind Pajama Pumas, who started in the Rookie Class of 2016 and attended one 2016 meet in the A Class.

Vantage joined the AA/AAA journey with the beginning of the 2017 season, and both teams went along together from then on. Vantage has almost arrived at the scoring level where Pajama Pumas were at the UKSL May meet with a significantly improved (7.5 - 9.2) meet average, while Pajama Pumas were even challenging the German AAA Class winner last weekend for the top spot.

Paranodon 2018's videographer Andreas Trögele provided the meet videos of his team's Round 1 and Round 6, which are showing two of Germany's most experienced 4-way competitors in action with this year's Paranodon lineup, Thomas Spielvogel and Olaf Biedermann. Andreas Trögele is also the team videographer for Germany's national team in 4-way Open, Airbus, and he will travel to Australia in October to compete at the FAI World Meet 2018.

June 9th, 2018				1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		ESL	K,18,E,P		13,14,H		G,L,15,D		22,B,10		A,N,1,16		J,9,O,5		Total	Avg
1	Pink Illertissen	DE	10	17		13		14	-1	13		15		17		89	14.8
2	Pajama Pumas	UK	8	17		11	-1	12	-2	12		14	-1	19		85	14.2
3	Eyjafjallajökull	DE	6	15		11		14		12		13		18		83	13.8
4	Paranodon 2018	DE	5	15		11		13		11		14		16		80	13.3
5	Parhelion	CH	4	12	-1	8		10	-3	10		11	-2	15		66	11.0
6	Slot Switchers	UK	3	10	-1	11		12		9		9		13		64	10.7
7	Tyanno4us Rex	UK	2	12		7	-1	9	-1	6	-3	11	-1	14		59	9.8
8	Titten und Bier	DE	1	12		5	-1	10	-1	8		10		13		58	9.7
8	Air-W	CH	1	10	-1	8		11		9		6	-1	13		57	9.5
10	Vantage	UK	1	8		6	-1	10		9		11		11	-2	55	9.2

The six AA Class teams, five from the United Kingdom and one from Germany, were separated by only seven points after Round 6. Montagsflieger and Nexus were tied in 1st place, and two UKSL teams also shared the 4th place.

The highscores for each round show as well how close the AA Class competition was, as each of the six teams claimed or tied at least one of the six highscores for a round.

All five UKSL teams had attended the first outdoor meet of the 2018 season, as well, where the finishing order was different and the same five teams were separated by 12 points after six rounds. The British AA Class teams all improved their meet averages, and it seems like there will be a new AA Class showdown at the national championships.

Salty Jacks, Pajama Pumas and Vantage had a 5-point battle over eight rounds for the three sets of British AA Class medals last year, and it could be very similar at the end of August. One more UKSL meet is scheduled for July as the last meet opportunity before the UK Nationals 2018.

June 9th, 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class		K,18,E		13,14		G,L,15		22,B,P		A,N,1		J,9,O		Total	Avg
1	Montagsflieger	DE	6		7		7		7		7		12		46	7.7
1	Nexus	UK	5	-1	5		6	-1	9		8		13		46	7.7
3	Manticore	UK	7		5	-1	5	-2	8	-1	7	-3	12		44	7.3
4	Vertigo	UK	4	-2	4		6		4	-1	8		14		40	6.7
4	RAF 100	UK	3	-3	3		7		8		7	-1	12		40	6.7
6	Alchemy	UK	8	-1	3		6		5	-1	6	-1	11		39	6.5